The Man on Table Ten

by Luke Smitherd

It's a story that he hasn't told anyone for fifty years; a secret that he's kept ever since he grew tired of the disbelieving faces and doctors’ reports advising medication. But then, he hasn't touched a single drop of booze since one, fateful day, and alcohol loosens bar room lips at the best of times; so today, his decision to have three drinks will change the life of bright young waitress Lisa Willoughby forever…because now, the The Man On Table Ten wants to share his incredible tale.

It's afterwards when she has to worry; afterwards, when she knows the unbelievable burden that The Man On Table Ten has had to carry throughout the years. When she knows the truth, and is left powerless to do anything except watch for the signs...

This is an alternative cover edition. The original ISBN (ASIN) is ASIN: B00CXFH4MC.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2013

About the author

Luke Smitherd is the author of The Stone Man (shortlisted for Audible Book of the Year 2015) and its sequels as well as several other novels. A former singer and guitarist, he now writes full time, hosts the comedy music-discussion show Cracker Juice, and performs around Los Angeles as a stand-up comic. He divides his time between the United States and the United Kingdom.


www.lukesmitherd.com

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Man on Table Ten is another example of Luke Smitherd's imaginative writing and one that takes the "what if" question to a startling conclusion from an ordinary beginning.

A normal working day at the bar is what Lisa thought she would be doing when she woke up but the meeting with the man at table ten, the three drinks and plate of fried food she brings him lead to a story that will change her life (and yours) forever.

Luke Smitherd has an incredible knack to take something we can all relate to within our normal lives and then twist it into a story that grabs your imagination and never lets go until the final page is turned. The Man on Table Ten is another superb example of this and if you are new to his work then it forms a great place to start. If your teetering between buying this and not buying it then the decision is a no brainier - press buy now!!

Recommended!!!!!!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a slow-burn creep factor for me. It wasn't until I had finished and was thinking about it after that the little hairs on the back of my neck started to prickle. Interesting concept.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how this man manages to come up with so many weird and wonderful plots and stories, but I really hope that he continues to do so. I am now up to date with Luke's back catalogue, and have enjoyed them all.Luke makes his characters very real and believable, and writes in a very down-to-earth way that is easy to read, but also has depth. This story is a short one, but packs a lot of punch. I had kind of twigged what was going on fairly early on in the story (which may mean, worryingly, that I am on the same wavelength as Luke!), but the execution of the plot and the way that Luke keeps explanations to a minimum (leaving the reader to fill in the blanks and try to fit what is happening with their own experiences) keeps me coming back for more (if only there WAS more!). I will definitely keep an eye on Luke's writing, and hope that he keeps raising his bar and bringing us the very best of Weird Fiction (if that isn't a category, it bloody well should be!). Looking forward to the next one!

[Joanna Chaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap. Sometimes a Kindle Daily Deal impulse buy of a self-published author does land you with a gem, if a short one. I had predicted the broad strokes of the plot from the blurb, but it did not compare to actually reading it. The point-of-view character, Lisa, is incredibly human and incredibly lifelike. I found myself thinking "I've seen people do that, I've felt that way". It takes an observant person to write people like this. The creeping horror and reveals are just wonderful. There's almost no action, but that's the kind of horror I as a reader prefer. I don't think it would be to everyone's taste, but it captured me in a wonderful way.

[Natalia Rox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am quickly reading through all of Luke Smitherd's work. He takes all those odd What-if's and crafts an amazing story around them.

The Man on Table Ten both entertained and gave me a bit of anxiety. I am not sure I would have let the man drink, you know... just in case. I loved each minute spent unraveling this Man's unbelieveable story and as I am seeing in all of Smitherd's work I ask myself what would I do in that situation?

Great thinking stories.

On to the anthology of short stories: Tales of the Unusual

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A waitress stressed from studying for exams, waits on a man sitting at a table, serving him alcohol and food. Having observed him behaving rather oddly, she kindly asks if he is alright, whereupon he decides to tell her his story,one he hasn't told in over 50 years. In doing so, he describes the rules he has sworn to live by and the burden he cannot share with anyone.

The story that unfolds is a dark, tense and horrifying piece of science fiction that's sure to enthrall all readers.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kindle novella - slightly bizarre, but intriguing

[Anthony Puyo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average.

After a few recommendations I decided to check this book out. The plot was ok, but the story was rather flat. It never rose past just ok. Then at the end you feel even more duped because literally half the book is advertising for Luke's other books. The price was cheap, so I don't feel it was wasted, but I feel I could have bought something else in its place. My advice, cut back on the advertising in your book, give the customer at least 95% of pages of story. But to be fair, I should note, it is an older work of his.

[Kathleen Meacham · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a novella this should have been a quick read, and yet with every page I kept wondering if the book was ever going to end, was it actually going anywhere, and did I want to continue. I only finished because it was so short. Quite a number of typos which is a personal pet peeve, and I could have done without the f bombs. It just was not my cup of tea.

[David Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange story to me. You sorta gotta make up your own mind about what is happening because the book never really comes right out and tells you. (I'm gonna keep my ideas to myself). Real short and very well written.

[Tara Dempsey-robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am now an official Luke Smitherd fan. I will be buying more of his works for my kindle shortly. I love a good sci go novel.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, but not one of Luke's better stories in my opinion. I do like how the story unfolds as we slowly learn exactly what the man on table ten knows; but his story to the waitress did seem overly verbose. Yes as a "story" I understand why the details are there but as a vocal recollection being told to someone else in a restaurant the language used didn't seem appropriate. The bottom line is - how good you find this book depends on what your opinion is on the secret he shares. For me, I was not entirely convinced by it.

[Marie DiCocco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Kindle freebie. Somewhat interesting story with a unique premise, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it. Thankfully a quick, short read - but even though it was short, I kept waiting for the plot to go somewhere. I could see this as a Twilight Zone episode though!

I have one of this author's other books also as a freebie and will see if that one is any better.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this story is primarily the tale of one man, I found it compelling and couldn't wait to see what would happen. Those who like action will hate this book. If you like a good tale and descriptive story I recommend it. I loved the ending. You may think early on that you know what will happen in the end. Trust me, you don't.

[Daniel Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another bit of great writing from Luke. The underlying creepiness and otherworldly storytelling were just great. I like those stories where you look back and are surprised how the story moved from point A to point B organically, no clunkiness. Good quick read.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. It was a fast easy read and it kept my entertained. Sci/fi type book with a touch of suspense and horror. I would recommend to anyone looking for a fast easy read.

[TheBedouin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing book. As Always Mr. Smithered has done it again. Mr. Smitherd is actually a nice change from the testosterone-laden most American best sellers who resort to the usual bad-guy-good-guy-secret-organization, blah blah, with no mental challenges such as what Mr. Smitherd offers.
Keep up the good work Luke.
Your awesomeness is showing more and more as you keep publishing which is not usually the case with most author.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I thought that such a short book couldn't possibly have a lot going for it, but this one was truly a great read. I read the first pages of the story when it was a Kindle Short a few weeks ago, and I thought it was really good. So I paid the .99 or $1.99, whatever it was, because it made enough of an impression that I wanted to finish it. I was reading something else at the time, so I put it aside until I was done with that. I picked it up again today and couldn't put it down until I was finished. I was absolutely bowled over! I was drawn into the story that the old man told, as surely as was Lisa, the waitress, that he waited 50 years to tell his story to. And what a fantastic story it was! I wanted to believe him and I wanted to think he was just a crazy old man. I can't say more for fear of saying too much. However, his tale will effect you in the same way, if you let it.

I would recommend this novella to anybody and everybody. I enjoyed it so much that I will definitely read it again. It was disturbing as well as thought-provoking. The editing, like on most e-books, could use some work, but that didn't detract from my getting engrossed in the story. The author, Luke Smitherd, is someone that I want to keep an eye on. I will most definitely be picking up his other books and praying that they are half as good as this one. I think I am in for some great reading.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first story I read by this author and it left me with a sick feeling in my stomach, just wondering, "What if..." The queasy feeling came from knowing that if it was a true story (which it hopefully isn't), there would be absolutely nothing I could do about it.

It's like people who are afraid of flying and would rather drive, even though there is a much greater chance of death while driving. People don't like the sense of not being in control that flying brings and that is exactly what this story makes you think about--not really being in control of your life.

The story itself is very eerie and and disturbing. As mentioned above, it makes you think about fate and destiny and who or what is really in control of our lives. You feel for The Man on Table Ten and what he has lived through, but you also worry about him--a lot.

The waitress in the story is really a stand-in for the reader. She learns the story as we learn it and my emotions were pretty much the same as hers as she listened to the man. "Is this man crazy?" "Is he telling the truth?" "Do I really want to know?"

Highly recommended.

[Bonnie Gleckler Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old man… Well into his 80s. He's alone and he is sitting at the very last table in the back of the bar. When his waitress arrives, he orders sausage and potatoes and three different distinct liquors. His waitress fills his order and then he begins to talk to her. She'll hesitant to listen at first, but then becomes compelled to listen to his entire story. Freaky, yes. Boring, no. A very fast read... If you've enjoyed trading Luke Smitherd before, you'll enjoy reading him again.

[Sandi Layne]

Acquired this story on the recommendation of a friend. :)

The premise is intriguing, but I felt that the presentation wasn't as gripping as it could have been. I kept waiting for the "telling" part on behalf of the eponymous subject of this work to be over to get to "the rest of the story". I was reminded of H.G. Wells' work, however, and this felt like it could have gone nicely into such a genre.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

is he crazy? is he sane? just another drunk homeless guy? the waitress doesn't know, but there is something captivating and sad in the story he tells her.

overall it was an intriguing short story, although the end was a little contrived. not sure how i' d wrap it up if I were. to write it either though.

[Friedrich Harborth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story telling

The author is very talented and paints the picture well. The story is intriguing and has a very coming of age feel to it. The ending leaves a very interesting predicament, but I'm not going to spoil anything, so hopefully you're the analytical type and see what I'm talking about.

[Tim Petersik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable short-story/novella with a touch of science fiction. The main character encounters a man who believes that the survival of humanity depends upon his own continued existence. Reminded me of Ursula Leguin.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my 1st Sci-Fri book that I read. It's interesting and the man does have a story to tell. There are definitely great quotes in this book. There are moments when it held up my attention and there are moments that are dull. Over all, not a bad book but not in my list of genres.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Man on Table Ten by Luke Smitherd is a short powerhouse of a story! This reads like an episode of The Twilight Zone. I am amazed at how quickly and completely I was sucked into this tale. Fantastic! I am ready for more.

[Taggerung · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun book to read, in a semi-creepy sort of way. Makes you think about how you're not actually guaranteed a future with a long life, and how the world and the things in it aren't always what they seem to be.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd little short story. I did enjoy it but it certainly won't float everyone's boat. This man on table ten is ready to share his story about what makes him such a critical human. I enjoyed the ending and hope for the main character, Lisa (i think), to enjoy her new perspective!

[Stanley Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has a lot going for it, but in the end it was lacking for me. Too simple of a tale. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy Smitherd's prose and imagination and I expect to read some of his novels.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short story. Imaginative and chilling. Very well written. I'll certainly be search for more books by this author.