Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors

by Andrew Ashling (Editor), Hugh Howey, Geraldine Evans

This anthology aims to be a showcase of recent indie writing.

Hugh Howey launched the idea on Kboards, a forum for Kindle readers, but also the meeting place of an active community of indie writers.

The result is this anthology of 101 very short stories by 101 authors.

To make it more attractive for you, the reader, we set ourselves a limit of a thousand words. You should be able to read each story in under five minutes — on your desktop computer, laptop, or tablet at home or in the office, but also on your smartphone, on the go, while you are commuting or waiting at a coffee shop for your significant other to arrive.

We included as many genres as we could. We hope that maybe, with only five minutes of your time on the line that would otherwise be wasted anyway, you'll be tempted to venture outside your comfort zone and try out some new genres and new authors.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Amazon, Mystery, Science Fiction

437 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 14, 2014

About the author

I write mainly Epic Historical Fantasy with Gay Main Characters
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You can read the first twelve chapters of the Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse series on my website, Ximerion .
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If you'd like me to send you an email when I release a new book, you can subscribe to my New Releases Newsletter
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You can follow me on Bluesky
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I have no great literary ambitions. I just tell stories, and I try to do it as good as I can, hoping other people will enjoy reading them.
Most of them have explicit scenes in them, often of a rather kinky nature. But they're only the raisins in the pudding, because — as I already said — I actually enjoy telling stories. That means there always is a plot, or, more often, several plots.

I love exploring what makes people tick, what makes them do the often quirky things they do. Also, I enjoy playing with expectations, boundaries, taboos even.

I don't think I'm going to send out friend requests myself. I write stuff and people get the impression that you only want to befriend them to get them to read your work and write reviews.
That's not to say I don't want friends (or reviews, for that matter). If you want to befriend me, just send me an invitation. I will almost certainly accept.


If you have questions, or remarks, or you need to contact me for another reason, you're very welcome to do so through this contact form .

Andrew

Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

ADVENT CALENDAR CHALLENGE 2020
Every day in December, read 3 short stories(*) from this book
(* unfortunately 101 does not divide nicely into 31. So, for 1-8 Dec, I need to read an additional story each day in order to complete it in time.)

Overall, this is a bit of a mixed bag of short stories. Some needed a bit more while others were just the perfect length. I'm not convinced they have been accurately categorised into genres though. Average rating = 3.5

1 December
1. 38th Street by Micah Ackerman (Horror) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Suzanne Valadon: A Woman Who Dared by Caddy Rowland (Historical Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
3. Eternal Bounds by Monica La Porta (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Coming Home by Sam Kates (Horror/Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐

2 December
5. Purple Passion by Lanette Curington (Paranormal/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Crescent Moon by Ela Lond (Urban Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐
7. Buck Hunt by Livia Harper (Mystery/Thriller) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Flashlight by Griffin Carmichael (Horror) ⭐⭐⭐

3 December
9. Wild by Selina Fenech (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐
10. Chip Assassin by Mark Gardner (Mystery/New Pulp) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
11. Choose Peas by Ellisa Barr (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
12. Payback's a Witch by Marilyn Vix (Paranormal/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

4 December
13. Thursday at the Ritz Carlton by Jean Louise (Women's Fiction/Action & Adventure) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
14. The Man Across the Room by Sheryl Fawcett (Women's Fiction/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
15. The Gambino Theater Gambit by Nathan Williams (Action & Adventure) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
16. Witch in Space and other Mishaps by K.D. Hendriks (Humor/Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

5 December
17. The Oak Tree: Eelkat's Twisted Tales by Wendy C. Allen aka Eelkat (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
18. The Little Chill: A Three Minute Mystery by Lindy Moone (Mystery) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
19. The Fiar by Andrew Ashling (Gay Fiction/Humor) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
20. Last Words by David J. Normoyle (Dystopian) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

6 December
21. Found in Space by Jack Lusted (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
22. A Deluge of Demons by H.S. Stone (Horror) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
23. Henry and Tori by Craig Halloran (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
24. My Master Got a Raw Deal by Cherise Kelley (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

7 December
25. Hudson and Hailey by George Berger (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐
26. Masked Attraction by Jamie Campbell (Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
27. The Birds of Winter by Amelia Smith (Romance/Women's Fiction/Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐
28. Perfect Blue Sunset by H.S. St.Ours (Science Fiction/Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐

8 December
29. Justice for Rogue Incubators by Melissa Aires (Science Fiction/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐
30. Heiligenloh by Cora Buhlert (Romance) ⭐⭐⭐
31. Cag: An Almost True Story by Philip Harris (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
32. A Phone Conversation by Emily Martha Sorensen (Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

9 December
33. One in the Eye by Raquel Lyon (Women's Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
34. One Depressed Angel by Samuel Clements (Black Comedy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
35. Virtual Vampire by Dulce Rolindeaux (Paranormal/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

10 December
36. Bad Karma by Julie Ann Dawson (Horror) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
37. The Valentine's Day Before We Met by J.T. Hall (Gay Fiction/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐
38. The Snow Patrol by Roz Marshall (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐

11 December
39. Rage by Vincent Trigili (Fantasy/Space Opera) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
40. Abyss by J.E. Taylor (Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐
41. A Father's Fist by Hugh Howey (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

12 December
42. Trauma Room by Samuel Peralta (Science Fiction/Thriller) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
43. Final Exam by Daniel R. Marvello (Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
44. Trixy Chestity Goes to England: Chapter 7 by John L. Monk (Humour) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

13 December
45. Einstein Stayed Here by Hudson Owen (Historical Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
46. The Witch and the Wolf by Stella Wilkinson (Paranormal/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
47. Kitty Nightmares by Susan C. Daffron (Romance/Humour) ⭐⭐⭐

14 December
48. The Vampire's Prey by Anya Kelly (Paranormal/Romance/Erotica) ⭐⭐⭐
49. Beer, Bugs and the End of the World by Rachel Aukes (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
50. Another Point of View by Anya Allyn (Horror) ⭐⭐⭐

15 December
51. Mab by Zelah Meyer (Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
52. Buttrock by Nicolas Wilson (Urban Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
53. Grace and the Green Card by Jennifer Lewis (Romance) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16 December
54. The Green Stones by Toni Dwiggins (Mystery) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
55. Oz by Derek Neville (Mystery/Thriller) ⭐⭐⭐
56. Quiet on Set by D.D. Parker (New Adult/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐

17 December
57. Beyond by Keith Rowland (Dystopian) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
58. Embracing Sorrow by Ruth Nestvold (Fantasy/Magic Realism) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
59. Reading Material by P.D. Singer (Gay Romance) ⭐⭐⭐

18 December
60. Mechanical Advantage by Quinn Richardson (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
61. Noumenon by Peter J. Michaels (Horror/Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
62. Forgetting Life by Daniel Wallock (Literary Fiction/Romance) ⭐⭐⭐

19 December
63. Of Piss and Tobacco by Thea Atkinson (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
64. The Trouble with Tribble by Lisa Grace (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
65. Pencil by Matt Ryan (Science Fiction/Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

20 December
66. The Million Colors of the Sea by Vanna Smythe (Fantasy/Science Fiction) ⭐⭐
67. One for the Boys by Geraldine Evans (Young Adult/Humor) ⭐⭐⭐
68. Non Si Muove by MeiLin Miranda (Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐

21 December
69. Something Worth Keeping by Beverly Farr (Romance) ⭐⭐⭐
70. Deadly Beauty by Sarah L. Carter (Fantasy/Fairy Tale) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
71. What I Wasn't by Tony Bertauski (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

22 December
72. Tongue Tied by Edward M. Grant (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
73. Indy-San by Misti Wolanski (Urban Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
74. Life Goes On by Eric Feka (Humor/Contemporary Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

23 December
75. Outlandisher: A Short Tour de Farce by Dee Gabbledon (Historical Fiction/Humor) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
76. The Sirens' Song by Becca Price (Fairy Tale) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
77. Telling Your Story with Misty Rose by Arrington Flynn (Science Fiction/Fantasy/Religious Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

24 December
78. The Frog Prince by L.E. Parin (Fairy Tale/Fantasy/Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
79. The Last by Darrin Perez (Science Fiction/Dystopian) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
80. Martians for Neighbors! by Frank Zubek (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

🎅25 December 🎄
81. Hit and Run by Rachel Elizabeth Cole (Women's Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
82. Lamron Ot Emoclew by Matthew W. Grant (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
83. Twin Souls by Michael Coorlim (Paranormal) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

26 December
84. Kiribati by Maren Hayes (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
85. Showdown on Lyndale Avenue by Tony Held (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
86. Workplace Hazards by Allan Körbes (Science Fiction/Cyberpunk) ⭐⭐⭐

27 December
87. Into the Ether by Tiffany Cherney (Action & Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
88. Life Without Them by Landon Porter (Science Fiction/Post Apocalyptic) ⭐⭐⭐
89. Welcome Home Mrs. Lee by Kathy Molyneaux (Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

28 December
90. My Last Moment by Drew Avera (Dystopian/Science Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
91. The Eternal Gateway: Blades by SB Jones (Fantasy/Steampunk) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
92. Words by Bob Summer (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

29 December
93. Death Sentence by E.A. Linden (Mystery) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
94. The Witching Well by Sarra Cannon (Paranormal/Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐
95. The Tipper by Carol Kean (Literary Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐

30 December
96. Anywhere Else by Kristy Tate (Women's Fiction) ⭐⭐⭐
97. Love Salutation by Jos Van Brussel (Romance) ⭐⭐⭐
98. The Spirit Talker by John March (Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐

31 December
99. The Witch in the Woods by Nadia Nader (Paranormal/Young Adult) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100. Death's Door by R.M. Prioleau (Fantasy) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
101. Living Bride by Joel Ansel (Horror) ⭐⭐⭐

[Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always think rating anthologies is rather unfair. Some of the stories I thought were great. Some I thought were poor and others I disliked due to personal taste rather than lack of finesse. I'd love to say I have the dedication to review all 101 stories but I just don't. The following contains most of the comments I did make while going along.

The Highs

- Monica La Porta's Eternal Bounds - loved it! A ghostly romance between slaughtered slave and ageing princess.
- Phrases like "the infinite blackness that moths seek on the far side of flames"; "Her name wasn't Cathy, but she had come home."* (Kates - Coming Home, one of the few horrors I enjoyed); and "Harvey succumbed to the cancer one fall day when he himself was a dried stalk in a golden slant of afternoon sun through the dirty window." (Hayes - Kiribati)
- Authors that aren't afraid to explore difficult choices (Ellisa Barr) or situations (Bob Summer - Words - a very poignant and compassionate story about homelessness. This is one of the highlights of the collection.)
- Wanda in Moone's The Little Chill "All day, every day, she flips burgers in a strapless gown and tiara. Sure, that's a strange outfit - but then burger-flipping's strange work for a vegan. There's nothing predictable about Wanda, except that she's always working."
- Schnitzel in Moone's The Little Chill
- Ok, let's be honest - the whole story Moone's The Little Chill
- Normoyle's Last Words
- Halloran's Henry and Tori - a little bit Warm Bodies
- Berger's Hudson and Hailey - what a strange little love story
- Campbell's Masked Attraction
- Quirky romances and meet cutes
- Strange humour (Harris' Cag) and stranger sci-fi (Molyneaux - Welcome Home Mrs Lee)
- Rolindeaux's Virtual Vampire and all its charming geekery. This is one of my favourite stories.
- Howey’s A Father’s Fist - this captures a child’s love of and longing for a father so well, despite being one of the shortest stories.
- Dwiggins' The Green Stones
- Wolanski's Indy-San
- Stories in which characters are self-aware, hop between authors and series and play with tropes. In other words, Gabbledon's Outlandisher
- The salmons' already epic journey back to their birthplace made into a rather beautiful legend à la Becca Price in The Sirens' Song
- Almost any fairytale retelling
- The exploration of twins' supposed psychic link - Michael Coorlim
- Grammar Nazis (Linden - Death Sentence)
- Unexpected heroes (Kean - The Tipper)


The Lows

- The sheer amount of horror. I understand that a short story needs to be in some way provocative to stand out, but opening with a zombie chowing down on someone's face is just too much.
- Anachronisms and stories that weren't stories, but mere parts of scenes. Case in point Rowland's Suzanne Valadon: A Woman who Dared
- Phrases like "Come to me, my little Honeysuckle, and let me taste your nectar once again." (Curington) I cringed, even if it was said sort-of in jest.
- Authors who STILL haven't learned to use the past perfect. This is one of my pet hates. Grammar is the foundation of any piece of writing so for the love of god, please get it right. And on the same note, poor comma placement. *cough*Ela*Lond*cough*D.D.*Parker*cough*Matt*Ryan*cough*
- Oh, and authors who haven't learned the conditional (Anya Kelly)
- Harper's Buck Hunt - I'm sorry, but that was just depraved.
- Stories about cheating, full stop. Most specifically stories about cheating in which the blame is lain more on "the other woman" than the person who cheated. (Vix)
- TSTL characters and "bimbos", whether exaggerated for comic effect or not. I don't find morons very funny.
- WTF moments
- Cannibalism. In so many stories. Eww, eww, fucking eww.
- The verb ejaculated.
- People who describe former friends as "clearly only cream cakes had been kind to them." What a bitch.
- Stories which are not properly proofread. (You really should notice missing words, Jennifer Lewis.)
- Guns.
- Clunky phrasing like "The moment of walking into Sean's apartment to see him bent over some other girl broke me." Could that possibly have been phrased in a worse way?
- "Built like a true man" - this is ridiculous as 'real women have curves'. No. All men/women are real men/women. Shape is irrelevant.
- Stories about child abuse
- Romance novelists' fascination with men who clearly are addicted to steroids

*Nice little Wuthering Heights reference there.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

38th Street by Micah Ackerman (Horror) ★★☆☆☆
Suzanne Valadon: A Woman Who Dared by Caddy Rowland (Historical Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Eternal Bounds by Monica La Porta (Paranormal) ★★★☆☆
Coming Home by Sam Kates (Horror - Paranormal) ★★★☆☆
Purple Passion by Lanette Curington (Paranormal - Romance) ★★★☆☆
Crescent Moon by Ela Lond (Urban Fantasy) ★★☆☆☆
Buck Hunt by Livia Harper (Mystery - Thriller) ★★★★☆
Flashlight by Griffin Carmichael (Horror) ★★★☆☆
Wild by Selina Fenech (Paranormal) ★★★☆☆
Chip Assassin by Mark Gardner (Mystery - New Pulp) ★★☆☆☆
Choose Peas by Ellisa Barr (Literary Fiction) ★★★★☆
Payback’s a Witch by Marilyn Vix (Paranormal - Romance) ★★☆☆☆
Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton by Jean Louise (Women’s Fiction - Action/Adventure) ★★★★☆
The Man Across the Room by Sheryl Fawcett (Women’s Fiction - Romance) ★★★★☆
The Gambino Theater Gambit by Nathan Williams (Action/Adventure) ★★★☆☆
Witch in Space and Other Mishaps by K. D. Hendriks (Humor - Science Fiction) ★☆☆☆☆
The Oak Tree EelKat’s Twisted Tales by Wendy C. Allen aka EelKat (Paranormal) ★★★☆☆
The Little Chill A Three-Minute Mystery by Lindy Moone (Mystery) ★★★☆☆
The Fiar by Andrew Ashling (Gay Fiction - Humor) ★★☆☆☆
Last Words by David J. Normoyle (Dystopian) ★★★★☆
Found in Space by Jack Lusted (Science Fiction) ★★★★☆
A Deluge of Demons by H. S. Stone (Horror) ★★★★☆
Henry and Tori by Craig Halloran (Science Fiction) ★★☆☆☆
My Master Got a Raw Deal by Cherise Kelley (Literary Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Hudson and Hailey by George Berger (Literary Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Masked Attraction by Jamie Campbell (Young Adult) ★★★☆☆
The Birds of Winter by Amelia Smith (Romance - Women’s Fiction - Young Adult) ★★★☆☆
Perfect Blue Sunset by H. S. St. Ours (Science Fiction - Young Adult) ★★★☆☆
Justice For Rogue Incubators by Melisse Aires (Science Fiction - Romance) ★★★☆☆
Heiligenloh by Cora Buhlert (Romance) ★★★☆☆
Cag An Almost True Story by Philip Harris (Paranormal) ★★★☆☆
A Phone Conversation by Emily Martha Sorensen (Fantasy) ★★★★☆
One in the Eye by Raquel Lyon (Women’s Fiction) ★★★★☆
One Depressed Angel by Samuel Clements (Black Comedy) ★★★★☆
Virtual Vampire by Dulce Rolindeaux (Paranormal - Romance) ★★★☆☆
Bad Karma by Julie Ann Dawson (Horror) ★★★★☆
The Valentine’s Day Before We Met by J. T. Hall (Gay Fiction - Romance) ★★★☆☆
The Snow Patrol by Roz Marshall (Paranormal) ★★★★☆
Rage by Vincent Trigili (Fantasy - Space Opera) ★★☆☆☆
Abyss by J. E. Taylor (Young Adult) ★★★★☆
A Father’s Fist by Hugh Howey (Literary Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Trauma Room by Samuel Peralta (Science Fiction - Thriller) ★★☆☆☆
Final Exam by Daniel R. Marvello (Fantasy) ★★★☆☆
Tricky Chestity goes to England (Chapter 7) by John L. Monk (Humor) ★☆☆☆☆
Einstein Stayed Here by Hudson Owen (Historical Fantasy) ★★☆☆☆
The Witch and The Wolf by Stella Wilkinson (Paranormal - Romance) ★★★★☆
Kitty Nightmares by Susan C. Daffron (Romance - Humor) ★★★☆☆
The Vampire’s Prey by Anya Kelly (Paranormal - Romance - Erotica) ★★☆☆☆
Beer, Bugs, and the End of the World by Rachel Aukes (Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Another Point of View by Anya Allyn (Horror) ★★★☆☆
Mab by Zelah Meyer (Romance) ★★★☆☆
Buttrock by Nicolas Wilson (Urban Fantasy) ★★★☆☆
Grace and the Green Card by Jennifer Lewis (Romance) ★★★☆☆
The Green Stones by Toni Dwiggins (Mystery) ★★☆☆☆
Oz by Derek Neville (Mystery - Thriller) ★★★★☆
Quiet on Set by D. D. Parker (New Adult - Romance) ★★☆☆☆
Beyond by Keith Rowland (Dystopian) ★★★★☆
Embracing Sorrow by Ruth Nestvold (Fantasy - Magic Realism) ★★★★☆
Reading Material by P. D. Singer (Gay Romance) ★★★☆☆
Mechanical Advantage by Quinn Richardson (Science Fiction) ★★★★☆
Noumenon by Peter J. Michaels (Horror - Paranormal) ★★★★☆
Forgetting Life by Daniel Wallock (Literary Fiction - Romance) ★★★★☆
Of Piss and Tobacco by Thea Atkinson (Literary Fiction) ★★★☆☆
The Trouble With Tribble by Lisa Grace (Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Pencil by Matt Ryan (Science Fiction - Young Adult) ★★★★☆
The Million Colors of the Sea by Vanna Smythe (Fantasy - Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
One For The Boys by Geraldine Evans (Young Adult - Humor) ★★☆☆☆
Non Si Muove by MeiLin Miranda (Fantasy) ★★★☆☆
Something Worth Keeping by Beverly Farr (Romance) ★★☆☆☆
Deadly Beauty by Sarah L. Carter (Fantasy - Fairy Tale) ★★★☆☆
What I Wasn’t by Tony Bertauski (Science Fiction) ★★★★☆
Tongue Tied by Edward M. Grant (Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Indy-San by Misti Wolanski (Urban Fantasy) ★★☆☆☆
Life Goes On by Eric Feka (Humor - Contemporary Fantasy) ★★★☆☆
Outlandisher A Short Tour de Farce by Dee Gabbledon (Historical Fiction - Humor) ★★☆☆☆
The Sirens’ Song For T. by Becca Price (Fairy Tale) ★★★☆☆
Telling Your Story with Misty Rose by Arrington Flynn (Science Fiction - Fantasy - Religious Fiction) ★★★☆☆
The Frog Prince by L. E. Parin (Fairy Tale - Fantasy - Young Adult) ★★★☆☆
The Last by Darrin Perez (Science Fiction - Dystopian) ★★★☆☆
Martians For Neighbors! by Frank Zubek (Literary Fiction) ★★★★☆
Hit and Run by Rachel Elizabeth Cole (Women’s Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Lamrom Ot Emoclew by Matthew W. Grant (Paranormal) ★★☆☆☆
Twin Souls by Michael Coorlim (Paranormal) ★★★☆☆
Kiribati by Maren Hayes (Literary Fiction) ★★☆☆☆
Showdown on Lyndale Avenue by Tony Held (Literary Fiction) ★★★★☆
Workplace Hazards by Allan Körbes (Science Fiction - Cyberpunk) ★★☆☆☆
Into the Ether by Tiffany Cherney (Action/Adventure - Fantasy - Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Live Without Them by Landon Porter (Science Fiction - Post Apocalyptic) ★★★☆☆
Welcome Home Mrs. Lee by Kathy Molyneaux (Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
My Last Moment by Drew Avera (Dystopian - Science Fiction) ★★★☆☆
The Eternal Gateway: Blades by SB Jones (Fantasy - Steampunk) ★★☆☆☆
Words by Bob Summer (Literary Fiction) ★★★★☆
Death Sentence by E. A. Linden (Mystery) ★★★☆☆
The Witching Well by Sarra Cannon (Paranormal - Young Adult) ★★★☆☆
The Tipper by Carol Kean (Literary Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Anywhere Else by Kristy Tate (Women’s Fiction) ★★★☆☆
Love Salutation by Jos Van Brussel (Romance) ★★☆☆☆
The Spirit Talker by John March (Fantasy) ★★★☆☆
The Witch in the Woods by Nadia Nader (Paranormal - Young Adult) ★★★☆☆
Death’s Door by R. M. Prioleau (Fantasy) ★★★★☆
Living Bride by Joel Ansel (Horror) ★★★★☆

[Brandon Shire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of gems here... many new authors to explore, as well as several old friends

[Hannah stressedreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

These were good to read while lying in bed but I skipped a lot because I didn't like the genres. Some stories were ok but nothing great. Good to fall asleep to lol

[Kath Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology is ideal for times like the Christmas holidays when I read it in circumstances under which I couldn’t have given my full attention to a complete novel. The upside of an anthology is that with a collection of stories of around a thousand words each, you get to sample a lot of new authors. The downside, naturally, is that you will find that not all genres are those you’d normally choose. I read them all and found most of them enjoyable and satisfying. I still don’t think Paranormal Romance is for me, though. The result is that I now have a few authors bookmarked to go back to.

This was a good and varied collection and really would have something for everyone. As it’s billed as an indie showcase, I would have liked to see more rigorous editing and there were a few annoying formatting blips. It’s a very good way to introduce yourself to a greater variety of authors and stories.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors by Hugh Howey and 100 more. This had very, very short stories that many were so short it was hard to get much out of them.

[Jaq {Gwen} · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** ITA/ENG ***
Raccolta di storie da diversi autori 'semi-esordienti', i generi prevalenti sono Horror, Paranormale e Rosa, passando per storie a tema LBGT, qualche giallo e vari altri.

Come spesso accade in questi casi, il libro contiene storie molto buone, ma anche qualcuna 'sottotono' e molto legata agli stereotipi del genere. Certo non è facile scrivere racconti così brevi, per cui va sicuramente apprezzato lo sforzo.

Anche per questo, lo consiglio anche per chi è alle prime armi con l'inglese.
**************

There are a lot of short stories in this book, from more or less experienced authors. Many are from the Horror, Paranormal and Romance genre, but there are also LBGT and a few other themes.

They vary a lot in quality, some are very cliched, but I think the effort is admirable, it's not easy to write very short stories and keep the balance between characters and plot interesting.

Letto per le sfide
1. Trim your TBR - Libro #12, per la task Una raccolta di racconti.
2. Alphabet 2020 per Un libro il cui titolo inizi per S
3. Babele 2020 - Modalità difficile (6/15)

[Alisia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So nearly a year later... I'm finally finished with this! I gave this a 3/5 although I probably should give it a 2/5. I wasn't excited to return to reading this, which is why it took me so long. There were some stories that caught me by surprise but mostly the stories were pretty terrible. I've made a list of the short stories I thought were decent, not necessarily good (though some were), but decent.

The Ok to Good:
Buck Hunt
Wild
Choose Peas
The Oak Tree
Last Words
Found in Space
A Deluge of Demons
One in the Eye
Virtual Vampire
Bad Karma
The Valentine's Day Before We Met
The Snow Patrol
Abyss
Beer, Bugs, and the End of the World
Another Point of View
Oz
Quiet on Set
Embracing Sorrow
Pencil
Something Worth Keeping
Deadly Beauty
Showdown on Lyndale Avenue
Workplace Hazards
Welcome Home Mrs. Lee
Words
Death Sentence
The Witching Well
The Tipper
Anywhere Else
Love Salutation
The Witch in the Woods
Death's Door
Living Bride

[Nicole Normand · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Found the book for free on Amazon; this is my honest review.
- The editing of this collection is done professionally and it shows. Thank you.
- The collection pushed me go outside my box of comfortable readings. I usually don't read horror, NA, or even Gay romance. Since the stories are so short I didn't have time to be either bored or scared from the story.
- I read them all and didn't hesitate to dive in. I used the book when I knew I didn't have time to get into a regular-sized chapter.
- Like any other collections, you don't love them all but you also don't hate them all. I actually didn't "hate" any, just that I didn't like them as much as another.

[A.M.]

Well, with a 101 authors, this is gonna mess up my database, eh? I shall put it under Andrew Ashling, as the editor.

A lot of these are not actually proper short stories, with a beginning, a middle and an end. They are a tiny sample of their work; written to encourage you to go read more of that work, but most of them do not actually stand alone. They might pass as a reader magnet; the thing you send out to someone when they sign up to your email list, but they aren’t really short stories. Some are frankly, awful.

I am nearly a quarter of the way in, and two are okay. I’m giving up.

Did not finish at 23%

[Sariah Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... some of these I really liked, and some of them were meh and I couldn't remember minutes after finishing. They seemed to get worse as the book went on, but there were those several that I loved and will definitely be re-reading. It seemed like most of them were Science Fiction. There were several fantasy and paranormal sprinkled in, and lots of romance.
All in all, I really liked it. Do note that one or two of the romances should have been labeled for adults, but were not. Each story is about four pages (on kindle).

[David Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Like the title says these stories are short and most of them are outstanding. 101 stories means there is something for everyone in here. If you love short stories as much as I do, this is a must read.

[Sony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It definitely was a varied collection, it helped me get through a reading slump. It felt pretty good to read and finish little stories. I recommend it as a way to continue reading when you have no idea of what to pick up next.

[The Modest Verge · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://themodestvergebookblog.wordpr...

[Cynthia Rodrigues · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book of 101 really short stories in a variety of genres was a great read. Some of the genres were things I wouldn’t pick, so it’s a great way to sample a new genre and decide if one likes it. The fact that the genres were mixed meant that one didn’t quite know what story to expect next. Some books belonged to multiple genres.
The cover image of a smartphone in the back pocket of someone’s jeans indicates both the short length of the stories and the flexibility of reading them on-the-go. And the blue looked good.
The genres were (in alphabetical order) Action, Adventure, Dystopian Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humour, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Thriller, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult
Some stories that worked for me:
Trauma Room (Science Fiction)
Abyss (Young Adult): An excursion turned into a nightmare
Buck Hunt (Mystery/Thriller) was a good example of a short story.
Flashlight (Horror) was a take on the zombie apocalypse. It made me fearful about the fate awaiting the unnamed female protagonist.
Found in Space (Science Fiction): The kind of rescue no survivor might wish for.
One in the Eye (Women’s Fiction): a sweet story about how a plain looking girl gets the handsome guy that the pretty ones had a crush on.
Choose Peas (Literary Fiction)
The Gambino Theater Gambit (Action/Adventure) was a good story about a few seconds of action on the part of 11-year-olds.
Purple Passion (Romance): This one was sweet and clever at the same time. Romance is not a genre I read.
Crescent Moon (Urban Fantasy) was well written but not a genre I care about.

38th Street (Horror): There wasn’t anything new, considering the surfeit of zombie plots around these days. But it was well written.
Coming Home (Horror/Paranormal): This story built the atmosphere very nicely and created a suggestion of dread, leaving us at the tipping point.

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. This collection of short-short stories of 1,000 words or less read pretty much as I had expected it would. Some were good, but most were mediocre and a few were downright bad, which is what I expected from a free collection of indie flash fiction. Some pieces had definite story arcs, but most were mere scenes or vignettes. Many of the writers need to work harder at honing their craft, or at least need to read and reread and revise and proofread their work more before publishing it. (For example, something that caught my attention was the large number of sentence fragments. I realize a sentence fragment can be used deliberately for effect, but when fragments are overused, I suspect it's more from ignorance rather than intent. I was reminded of when I taught composition to college freshmen and constantly had to tell them a comma splice is an error, not a stylistic device.)

Taking the title literally, I downloaded this anthology onto my phone, and read many of the stories when I would be waiting in line somewhere or otherwise unoccupied for a few minutes. The brevity of the submissions made the collection the perfect reading material to have at those times. In fact, the shortcomings of much of the writing made a virtue of the short length; if many of the pieces had been longer, I would not have wanted to finish them.

I also liked the wide variety of genres represented. Again, while I have no interest in reading a romance novel, I found reading short snippets of romance writing tolerable and even enjoyable.

[Chris Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction

As an introductory anthology, this book showcases the writing talents of a range of authors and, in that, it is both successful and an enjoyable read. On a personal level there are genres which didn't necessarily appeal (although that would be as expected in such a book) but, generally, the quality of writing produces stories which are entertaining and worth taking the time to read. Admittedly there are a few (most notably some Sci-Fi and some YA) which are a little formulaic; and this is highlighted by the quality of the more 'unique' voices. There is biographical information about each author (which is interesting) and links which are useful - although some lead to sites which no longer exist (the book is a few years old) which is frustrating.
A few too many stories, perhaps, but worth dipping into.

[Lampard]

101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors is a vibrant and eclectic anthology that celebrates the creativity and diversity of the indie writing community. Conceived by Hugh Howey and born from the Kboards forum, this collection offers bite-sized tales—each under 1,000 words—that span a wide range of genres. Whether you're into sci-fi, romance, thriller, or literary fiction, there's something here for everyone. Perfect for reading on the go, this anthology is a fun, low-commitment way to discover fresh voices and maybe even step outside your reading comfort zone. A true testament to the power of indie storytelling.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent collection of very short stories

I downloaded this collection to read while exercising on an exercise bike. Very short stories of a variety of genres mad this fun and interesting. Obviously I preferred some stories to others but generally the whole experience was worthwhile and served its purpose. I haven’t followed up on any of the authors but not because they lacked merit but because I have loads of other stuff to read at present. Very good.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a few of these stories in bed every night before going to sleep. Easy to read, being very short and to the point. However, I guess because of the length, the stories (with only a few exceptions) has no substance and rarely went anywhere.
The variety of stories was also both a strong and a weakness. The variety was fascinating but some of the genres were simply not for me.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

101 stories by 101 authors, some authors are well known, but most were unknown to me, probably because of the genre they write in. Wildly varying in quality, both in content and in actual writing style. I was looking for very short, non-traditional stories for my ESL high school students, but found few here that would be useful for me.

[Brandi Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book! Some stories weren't that great, others were good, others were just okay. I loved the fact that there were so many different genres, and with every story being 1000 words or less, it was easy to just read a few stories here and there without taking too much time!

[Akeiisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of micro stories by independent/self-published authors across a variety of genres. A nice way to sample new to me authors. The quality of writing was mixed with some stories leaving no impression at all, while others stuck with me for a few days. Overall 3 out of 5

[De Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

I’m really really not into short stories. As such, I’m not sure why I attempted to read this book. If the stories went together, I would have loved it. Alas, it ain’t for me.

[Woodfin Billingsly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these stories. They have almost every king of story you can want.
Some of my favourites are:
-The Fiar
-Choose Peas
-Purple Passion

There are so many to love, and overall this is an amazing selection of short stories.

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection

I found this to be an excellent collection of short stories. There is every genre in here so there is something for everyone. I found several authors whose other works I will have to look for.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very mixed bag. Some were excellent, while others weren’t. It has inspired me to perhaps write my own book of short stories in the near future. I wasn’t sure what to give it rating wise, but I’ll go for 4*

[Ruthsidra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always liked short stories - small filling bites!