Deliberate Acts of Random

by Jon Nikrich

Deliberate Acts of Random is a collection of stories about slow zombies, distracted spies, trainee ninjas and neurotic ghosts. It also features Shakespearean actors, scrambling politicians, daredevil dodos, practical jokers, squabbling jewel thieves and Santa.

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 14, 2015

About the author

I am an author with a serious face, a silly brain, an inconsistent personality and a fondness for everyone who tolerates my existence.

Reviews

[Laura Koerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful!

Cleaningly written, dashed with apt metaphors and witty asides, each story focuses on an interesting concept or idea that is off-tilt from the usual way to thinking. I loved the discussion by survivors of a zombie apocalypse on what a group of zombies should be called:

"What is the collective name for a small group of zombies?

"A shamble?" Kelly suggested. "A moan? Oh, how about a rot?"

"I thought it was a hoard," Jess added.

The characters go on to argue about terminology for awhile, I like this sort of writing--quirky and funny in a way that flows naturally with the plot and characters.

HIghly recommended if you want to be amused and entertained.

[Ann Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Deliberate Acts of Random by Jon Nikrich is a fun, and at times sarcastic, collection of short stories that left a warm smile on my face. I particularly enjoyed the tongue in cheek style of writing that the author has gone with, which very much resonated with my sense of humor.

Overall the book is very well written and although it's possible to read a couple chapters at a time when you can, I had no trouble reading the entire book in one setting as some of the short stories connect and lend to a smooth transition from one to the next.

If you're looking for a nice little break from your ordinary reading list, I highly recommend this set of short stories. Nikrich provides a very entertaining break from reality.

[Christina McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliberate or not, these stories are certainly random, but in a good way. This is an interesting collection of tales ranging from flash length to a full novella, that show off the author's variety of style. I found myself partial to the snipetts pertaining to the ghosts and the mundane details of their afterlife, though I have to say, the idea behind ninja school was quite brilliant. Overall, an enjoyable read. I'll be on the lookout for more from this author and his serious face.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. The stories were entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed them. I wanted to see what else the book had to offer me and I was not disappointed. The first story "The Introverted Dead" was a very different ghost story. It made me want to read more and see if the other stories were just as magical. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Jon Nikrich]

When I choose a new project, I always try to attempt something I have never done before. When I wrote this, I had finished several novels and published two. Short stories seemed like a new, interesting direction because it would allow me to write in genres I wouldn't typically attempt. It also allowed me to explore ideas that wouldn't support a longer story. The end result was a collection of tales about zombies, ninjas, spies and Santa.
My favorite characters are the ghosts. They started out as a short story for a friend's website and eventually appeared in four chapters of this book.