Sleep

by Michael K. Rose

Jane has just murdered a man. Now, in addition to monitoring her ship's systems as she makes a freight run between the planets of Silvanus and Folan, she has to figure out how to get rid of the body. She also has to come up with a plausible story to explain the man's absence. And what she would really like, more than anything else, is to get some rest. But sleep will not come easy. The Sullivan Parallel Tales is a series of stories set in the same universe as The Sullivan Saga. "Sleep" is a complete, stand-alone story and can be read independently of The Sullivan Saga.Also WAR (The Sullivan Saga Book 1)SULLIVAN'S WRATH (The Sullivan Saga Book 2)SULLIVAN'S WATCH (The Sullivan Saga Book 3)THE SULLIVAN OMNIBUS (Collecting Books 1-3 of The Sullivan Saga)"Sergeant Riley's Account" (The Sullivan Parallel Tales 1)

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Horror

12 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2011

About the author

Michael K. Rose is a part-time writer and a full-time idler.

Reviews

[Benjamin X. Wretlind · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something unique in the world out there: writers you never heard of and work you never thought you might read. "Sleep" by Michael K. Rose fits both of those profiles, and it's refreshing to know there is more by this author. With a Poe-esque feel, "Sleep" takes you through the psychological breakdown a woman on a ship who really--and I mean really--needs to dispose of a body without being caught. While reading the story, I was constantly reminded of Poe's "Tell Tale Heart." Not that the prose is similar or that the story is the same; rather the feel of desperation was well documented and unsettling.

Sleep is a short story done the way short stories should be done: quick, concise and full of goodness. I'm pleased there is that uniqueness in the world out there, and pleased to have been able to discover Michael K. Rose because of it.

[Stefano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent short novellette. Every time I read a writing by Michael K. Rose I'm surprised by his really good prose and inventive.
As the title of my review says it reminds me of E. A. Poe, science fiction and a bit of horror masterfully combined.
If you like this kind of literature I suggest you to buy Short Stories, the complete collection of (as the title says :) short stories by Michael K. Rose.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael K. Rose's Sleep is a true gem of a story among thousands of mediocre ones on the market.

Anna a freighter pilot commits the ultimate sin,murder, during her trek from planet Silvanus and Faris. Now she must figure out how cover it up.

Sleep,in the vein of Poe's A Tell Tale Heart, keeps a steady pace and keeps the reader guessing. A perfect read for a rainy day or whenever you have free time.

[Alexia Purdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story telling at its best. Sleep had me gripping my chair in suspense, anxiety and fear for the main character. This short story has it all.

Rich descriptions and great inner dialogue. Part sci-fi part ghost/horror story, a combination executed brilliantly. An engaging quick read to make you gasp. I highly recommend it and can't wait to read more from this author.

[Mitsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent beginning. Interesting story. Well written. Scary ending. I just want more. That's a good thing. :) I will definitely read other books by this author. :)

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a futurist story which talks about the murder of a man commited by a woman Jane who is in a sky ship. In the ship something occurs between the man and the woman that she get to kill him, probably because of the lack of sleep or some psycological outrage. The story is related to space trips and the reaction of people into space traveling for long time.

I did like the story since I like futurist topics. And not just futuris because something similar happened to me ones. I was awarded with a scholarship to the United State, specifically to Iowa, where tempetures get very low. At a time I got to move to the apartmentes in the college and lived witn an american girl. During some time we were doing just fine living together, but when cold came, we got our diferences, because I used the thermostate higher and she used it lower than me, that time was, shocking. Then in the summer it was worst, she used a fan in our bedroom which was very noisy, and every night I could not slept. since the noise did not let me to sleep my mind used to imegine that I picked up my pillow and I suffocate her. Those days where hallucinated to me, then I move out the apartment.
Ever since, I believe when temperature and noise are combined in the coexistence of people in the sense that it affects one or the other, a lot of things can happen.


¨... The man never shut up. First it was the temperature:twenty degrees Celsius. Jane always kept it at twenty, it was her ship after all. But that was too cold for the man. He insisted on twenty three and wouldn´t shut up until Jane made de adjustment.¨

¨But the final straw had been the sexual advances, he lewd jokes, the acidental brush-ups while sliding past her in the tight confines of the cockpit. The man had brought it on himself, sure enough. Jane could haardly be blamed.¨

[Robert Zimmermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. I've been meaning to check out Rose's work for some time and felt starting with a short story would work best with my schedule, at the moment.

I was pleased with this. I enjoyed the mystery that the somewhat cliff-hanger ending left. There are a few possibilities for the source of the incessant tap, tap, tapping. I can't choose just one that I'd like to see as the cause.

As a first venture into Rose's work, I feel it was a good move on my part. I won't hesitate to read more in the future.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very good short story, imo. I'm not usually big on reading the sci-fi genre (space travel and things of that nature), but this wasn't bad. I know this is probably going to go into the goodreads database as one book, just because the way goodreads counts short stories by themselves is flawed, I'll just try to read an extra full book to make up for it later.

[allie burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A flowing short story that was well written, imaginative, and downright creepy. I was anxious while reading it and felt for Jane in every blink of the eye and thought that passed through her head. The suspenseful style kept me turning the pages quickly, and I thought it ended on the perfect note. A thorough and enjoyable story, for sure.

[Brian Deegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5.0 I seem to be in the minority on this one! While I liked the style of writing and I would read one of his longer stories without hesitation. I personally find this type of story frustrating! Yes I knew it was going to be short but I still like an end to a story, short or otherwise.....

[Amayzun · Rating 3 out of 5]

The outcome of this was pretty predictable about a quarter into the story. Anytime a story has to do with someone who is isolated on a ship & has done something bad, it's always their mind messing with them or their conscious messing with them.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very descriptive, and certainly created a sense of unease which prompted me to read 2 more short stories before drifting off. Jane's character seems to morph, which in the grand scheme of characters is fantastic. Tap..tap..tap..

[✿ ♥ Heather ♥ ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect little 20 min read. Keeps the reader guessing.

[Jeno · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice cozy scary story. Though a few times questions "why...?" popped up in my mind during reading, the scare part is done well.

[Cheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a SHORT story. It has a creepy horror story quality to it but it ends so abruptly that the "mysterious element" to the story isn't really resolved.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Sleep' is a quick read that has a creepy effect. I'd have to read the series to understand the story as a whole. But this short story has a whoa effect. A good read.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Poe-like. I enjoyed it.