Tales of the Late Twentieth Century

by James Snyder

TALES OF THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY

An aging, ex-musician working inside the incinerator chamber of an old 19th century hotel discovers a locked room that contains a Book of Souls of tenants of the past century. A soldier returning from the Iraq War meets a beautiful and enigmatic girl waging her own military campaign, as darkly terrifying as the one he left behind. The son of a New Orleans mobster hit-man receives a beyond-the-grave message from his once-abusive, now-dead father that changes everything he thought he knew about their lives. A homeless man, collecting cans to survive, finds himself being followed by a stranger he is sure is the reincarnation of Dick Tracy. A woman who has lost her Texas ranchman husband and any further meaning to her life, is suddenly contacted by a young runaway cousin whose parents are also dead, and is now in hot pursuit of her own aimless existence.

From tragic to comic and in-between, these and other tales journey and explore the zeitgeist, the spirit of our age, which was the late twentieth century. (Short Stories)

Genres: Short Stories

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

James Snyder was born in Memphis, Tennessee and lived in many parts of the United States before settling with his family in Napa Valley. Among a variety of careers and occupations, he was a soldier with a tactical mobile operations unit in Germany, as well as an executive for a Fortune 500 company.

He has published short stories in the Houghton Mifflin Black Mask anthologies, the Ginosko Literary Journal, and was a finalist in the New Letters’ Alexander Patterson Cappon Prize for Fiction. He is the author of the military thriller AMERICAN WARRIOR, the suspense thriller DESOLATION RUN, the literary coming-of-age THE BEAUTIFUL-UGLY, and the short story collection TALES OF THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY

He occasionally blogs at jamessnyder.net and currently lives in Texas where he writes full time.

@jamessnyder22
www.JamesSnyder.net.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite not being a short story fan, I loved this book. Mr. Snyder has penned a tight number of fascinating stories set in varying circumstances to make one compelling read. Some are comic some are sad, but all are a reflection of people we've met along our life journey. The Blue Light was by far my favourite. A real surprise given its military theme. I highly recommend this book. Just a great, great read!

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection

A good and interesting collection of stories. Some I liked more than others but all in all, these made for good reading

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very lucky to have received this book for free from the Goodread's book giveaway contest. I thoroughly enjoyed the different stories in this book and could vividly picture so many of the settings created here. From the snowy landscape of Germany to the psych ward of an asylum, to the creepy Room 1919, each story is quite unique and engrossing. Just a great mix of entertaining stories.

[Goldie Herechuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a total of 11 stories. I thoroughly enjoyed 6 of them. I found the author's writing to be very detailed and informative which made the stories have a good depth to them. I got this book free from the Goodreads giveaway.

[Rebask · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of stories - worth another read and if I did not already have so many on my READING NOW LIST - I'd open this book, again.

I believe I may have read this book spring of 2014. Compelled me to seek out other books Mr. Synder had written.

[Richard Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Stores

I Ann not a big fan of short stories. This collection is different. I don't regret why i got it, but i Ann glad i did. The stores are entertaining and well written. Definitely recommended.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Collection

Unique sampling from a unique period. One sensed looking over the author's shoulder at events more significant than the matter-of-fact way the characters relayed them.

[Steve Shoulta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of gritty stories from many different locations and characters. Some are long and some are very short. I found it easy to relate to the different characters and their stories even though I wouldn't necessarily place myself into their circumstances.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

So sad every story is about death or dying could not finish the story

[Anna Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of collections of short stories so it isn't the author's fault that I didn't love this book. Overall the stories were too similar for me to feel a break from one to the next. Also, there was a romantic element I usually don't seek out in books that may have made me like them less than most. They were well written and broke away from my usual repertoire but idea of a collection of short stories may not be for me.

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads contest. I won this over a year ago and read this last year. I did not know at 1st that this was a collection of short stories. Until I got the book. Which is fine because I am not bothered by books like this. Some of the stories I liked more than others. But overall was a interesting read.

[Barbara Tsipouras · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only got half way through. I can't say that the stories are bad, but they left me somewhere between sad and bored and I have so many interesting, suspenseful or thoughtful books to read that I won't return o this one.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book of short stories. I liked it a lot.

[Brenda Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rec'd a free copy from goodreads and enjoyed it so much finished it in a day. A great book full of short stories to satisfy everyones taste.

[Breanna Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads***

the book is great and I loved the topic!

[Jaimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful stories. I could take this book with me anywhere and anytime I had nothing to do, I could read this and engulf myself into the stories.

[Wendy Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book with a good mix of 11 short, very interesting, stories. I enjoyed it very much.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Coralyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual collection of short stories some of which I enjoyed so much I regretted they weren't novels.