Pardon Me for Moonwalking

by Patricia Q Bidar

Dive into the bittersweet, beautifully peculiar world of Patricia Q. Bidar's Pardon Me for Moonwalking, a collection of short stories that illuminate the offbeat, the tender, and the painfully human. Each story offers a glimpse into the extraordinary moments of seemingly ordinary lives, from fleeting encounters with strangers to lifelong battles with identity and connection.

Bidar's characters grapple with isolation, unspoken longing, and the complex tangle of relationships in settings that range from suburban living rooms to shadowy city streets. With sharp prose, wry humor, and poignant insights, this collection explores themes of love, regret, and the elusive search for meaning in a chaotic world.

Pardon Me for Moonwalking is a literary kaleidoscope of modern life, showcasing the subtle beauty of human resilience and the power of small, unexpected connections.

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2025

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars = I liked it.

I would like to have given this book a 5-star rating, as other reviewers I know and respect have done. But while about a third of the book was outstanding, another third of the book left me baffled. I am an avid flash reader, so I know that I am part of Bidar's target audience. But I found myself getting to the end of a number of stories and not understanding what just happened, or what I was meant to take away from them. Your mileage may vary on this, so I recommend you read the other reviews in addition to my own before deciding whether or not to read this book. Better yet, just dive in and draw your own conclusions.

Stories that confused me included "Gone Baby Gone", which I think was a victim of bad editing, because even though I read it more than once I couldn't figure out who was inside and who was going to be pounding on the door. In "Ties that Bind", the names Richard and Ricardo are used interchangeably for the same character, and I couldn't figure out why.

But now let's talk about the really great stories. I had to stop a couple of times to search out the original publications of stories so that I could post about them on Bluesky. "In the Midst of a Global Pandemic, Your Washing Machine Gives Up the Ghost", originally published in FlashFlood Journal, was a stunning meditation on the need for human connection. "Chalk Outline", originally published in BULL, was so compact and surprising and perfect. There's a story about a chimp who has lost his "peers' respect and his amour fou with [his] soul's twin." The opening story contains this unexpected line: "I crack the front door to reveal an old man with a drooping mug ache. Beside him is a pony, brown and white. A horseshoe of synthetic red roses hang from the pony's neck." There are a lot of great gems here to be discovered!

TL;DR: recommended.


A note on the Kobo edition: this doesn't affect my rating, but the Kobo edition of the book is not well designed. The stories are presented one after another with no white space, when each new story should begin on its own new page/screen. There is a proper Table of Contents, but that's not what's linked to the ToC button on the bottom of the screen, making it very difficult to navigate around the book. At the top of the screen, where the story name should be displayed, the section number is displayed instead. Also, in a few places towards the end, such as in the story "In the Back Yard," there are words underlined that turn out to be links to websites explaining the ideas mentioned. Hormone treatment, chemo, and targeted therapy all lead to cancer.org. I feel like this is maybe something left over from a working copy of the manuscript, and should have been removed for the published version.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. DNF at 26%. I won this book in a giveaway, but I was highly disappointed in it. They are really more micro stories or just scenes, as opposed to short stories like they are described to be. The writing is crass and disjointed and very underwhelming. The characters are underdeveloped and forgettable. This book was a huge miss for me.

[Timothy Boudreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Bidar's work--and this did not disappoint. Her ability to create rich, vibrant worlds with a minimum of words always astonishes. Recurring themes unite this collection of stories and give it depth and momentum, reaching a fitting climax with the final, longest story. Highly recommended!

[Ani King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m such a fan of Patricia’s work - there’s an undercurrent in this collection that makes each piece feel distinctly connected by “vibe” for lack of a better word, and for me this is character driven flash at its best: arresting in language, and sometimes absolutely devastating in such short spaces.

[Dianaehardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection. Stories are smart and engaging. Bindar get right to the meat of things and delivers every time. If you go to Unsolicited Press’s website, you’ll find a playlist for the book. Very cool.

[Jacqueline Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unforgettable array of vividly described characters and environments, evoked with depth and sensitivity. Pardon Me for Moonwalking demonstrates just how much can be done in flash-length stories.

[Kokechii · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decided to read this short story collection because of the title, to be perfectly honest. However, I sadly did not like most of them.