Stage Five

by Robert Brumm

Robert Brumm Jr., author of Windigo Soul and the Desolate series, brings you Stage Five - a collection of five short stories. Warning. May contain traces of the Talking cats and dogs, a serial killer on dialysis, testicle dissecting robots, prostitutes getting shot in the back, a meth head burned alive, a decapitated head kicked across the room, a puggle tempted to eat fresh vomit, a woman with a hangover wearing a Reggie White t-shirt, a pink litter box, and the extinction of the human race.

"A Blog Named Phil" - Visit Phil's blog to read his account of the day his dog and cat started talking to him. Yes, it happened to everybody but read it anyway. Phil's a lonely guy.

"Cooper" - Having to kill a gum snapping prostitute, a knuckle cracking beefcake, and a twitchy meth head was just the start of Cooper's bad day. When he gets teamed up with Vinnie Smalls, a razor wielding pain in the ass wise guy, to collect a debt, the night goes from bad to bizarre to deadly.

"Stage Five" - After a usual night of binge drinking and television watching, Amy finds herself locked in the basement cell of a serial killer the next morning. Her death seems certain until the killer realizes he may have picked the wrong woman to be his next victim.

"We Called Them Sheen" - They started out as personal assistants, butlers, nannies, and companions. They ended up being responsible for the extinction of the human race.

"She Must Be a Daisy" - One cat and one man in an apartment. One dies. The other tries to survive. One or more of the stories in this book contain descriptions of graphic violence and language meant for adults.

Genres: Fiction

Audible Audio

First published October 14, 2012

Reviews

[Michael Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just turned 54 this year, which means I grew up with some of the great old sci-fi/horror/mystery/fantasy television shows like "The Twilight Zone", "One Step Beyond", and "The Outer Limits". As a kid, I loved watching every episode! The stories portrayed were always far-out - some were humorous, some were scary, but they were *all* entertaining and they still hold up today.

Reading "Stage 5" took me back to the days of my childhood, watching my favorite old time TV shows. Any one of Robert Brumm's five stories could easily be adapted to one of those series.

I read each story twice. The first time through was so enjoyable! I loved every story, and each one brought something different to the table. For me, the second pass was the icing on the cake. Being a Wisconsin resident, I reread each story with an eye to detail. Lots of Easter eggs here for those who have an eye for "Cheese Head" references and trivia.

I'm not one to spoil the tale, so I leave the reading up to you, but I highly recommend "Stage 5". If you're a fan of the 60's shows I listed above, I'm sure you'll love this book as much as I did.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed short stories. It's a form of writing that nearly disappeared for years, except in magazines. You have to hunt to find recent collections of creative short stories. I really enjoyed this one.

I prefer not to include spoilers in a review, and it's not easy to describe a short work without giving the whole story away. I will say that each of the five stories has a different concept, each interesting and well written. One of those concepts I felt would make a great full length SF book; another would translate nicely into a children's book. The several very different ideas in this one volume makes for entertaining reading. Each story is well developed, as are the characters. Dog and cats included!

Be sure to read the product description. This is not a book for the YA set. Any adult reader that likes a bit of horror or science fiction, some of it seasoned with humor, will enjoy this collection of varied ideas. I surely did.

You should write a few more, Robert!

[Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great collection of short stories from Robert Brumm. This is a book I will read over and over. The stories are all very different, and all of them based on VERY cool concepts. I've never been a big fan of putting spoilers in my reviews, so I will say that the first and last of the stories were my favorites. To talk about the plots would give too much away, as they are very short reads, but they are all well written, and the character development is top notch for short stories where there is so little time to get to know a character. Thank you Robert! This was one of the best things I've read all year!

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this little collection and finished it all in one sitting. The mobster story was way too cliched which knocked this down to 4 stars, but it's a solid enjoyable read. Nothing too heavy, just fast-paced horror/sci-fi. My personal fav was the story written from the cat's point of view.

[Kathy Mikkelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daisy

she must be a daisy was my favorite story from this book. I love cats so I wanted to rescue her and shower her with love.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually, I avoid short story collections because while there might be a story or two I enjoy, there is often not enough character development for me to really care, or to become invested in the story. However, that said, I read and reviewed another of Mr. Brumm’s books last year that I truly enjoyed, Windigo Soul. Further, the story blurbs on this collection appealed to my sense of whimsy, so when the author offered to let me read the book without expectation of a review I jumped at the opportunity – a decision that I am so happy with because this collection is just superb!

The stories are all well-written with outstanding character development. They ranged from outright hysterical (I am an unabashed cat lover) to tearful, to quirky, to frightening. I read the entire book in an afternoon – a wet, rainy, dreary afternoon – perfect for escaping into this type of fantasy. I loved the first story (it is very short), liked the next one a little better, and on it went that way the entire afternoon. I enjoyed each well-written, cleanly edited story better than the one before. I was so into the 4th one “We Called Them Sheen” that I was sure nothing could top it. But, I was wrong! “She Must Be a Daisy” was just spellbinding! It evoked an emotional smorgasbord -cute, clever, heart-breaking, then a delightful conclusion that left me smiling. I highly recommend this collection. All five stories are very different from each other, but most have a common thread for us animal lovers, as well.

Reviewed by Laurie-J

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Brumm never fails to grab and hold my attention. I have read Stage Five twice simply because I couldn't set it down the first time and so I finished it far too quickly. That being said, my only complaint is that it just wasn't long enough! I believe another reviewer made reference to The Twilight Zone type similarities and I must agree. If you are a fan of that show, or sci-fi in general, than you will be hard-pressed to find something you do not like about this wonderfully crafted collection of short stories. Each story is so very different from the others. The only common thread being Robert's uncanny ability to make a story read as though a close friend is reciting it over a campfire. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next!

[Laura of Lurking · Rating 5 out of 5]

I encountered Windigo Soul recently, a novella of Robert Brumm's and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially his characterisation and ability to set a scene in a handful of words.

These short stories all contained those qualities.
Funny, quirky point of view characters you instantly feel for
Clear surroundings, allowing the story to unfold instantly
Great twists
And plots that will stay with you a long time.

Each story hit the mark, I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite, or a weak one. I look forward to reading more of his work

[Jenny Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Blunt Excellent x

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of the stories were alright, nothing to get to excited about.