Short Sharp Shocks

by Simon Wood

SHORT SHARP SHOCKS is a twenty-tale collection of horror, sci-fi and crime stories that barely stretch beyond a page, with the shortest tale being only two words long. These sixty-second tales will force you to make a verbal exclamation, which might be one of humor or disgust or surprise. Whatever your reaction, take it personally—that’s the point of flash fiction.

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Simon Wood is a California transplant from England. He's an ex-competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional private investigator. He shares his world with his American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats. In the last ten years, he's had over 150 stories and articles published. His stories have been included in “Best of” anthologies and he's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest. He's the Anthony Award winner and a Crime Writers Dagger Award finalist. He's the author of Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper, Terminated, We All Fall Down, Deceptive Practices, The Fall Guy, Hot Seat and Did Not Finish. His latest thriller is, Saving Grace. He also writes horror under the pen name of Simon Janus. Those titles include The Scrubs and Road Rash.

Reviews

[AmyKatherine1974 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated with flash fiction- Tony concise yet complete bite-sized stories. This book is filled with many such stories- including one just two words long! Many are scarcely more than a page- maybe two at the most, the stories in this book focus on the shock of the story's plot regardless of he genre (horror, crime and some sci-fi as well). These stories may be short in length but they will likely surprise and dare I say shock some readers at their crux. Because all of the stories are short in length it's easy to finish a whole story in just a few minutes. Perfect for fitting some reading into the busiest of schedules!

Of the stories in this book I junk my favorites are "The Believer" "That Baby Smell" and "Baited"!

Go ahead- I dare you to just read one!

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, to the point.

Great, fast read. Gets to the point quickly. Cuts like a knife, before you know you are bleeding. Looking forward to more from this author.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Well Now, Short And Strange"

This is a short collection of short stories often called Flash Fiction. These stories by my favorite author really give you a punch! They'll give you the energy to get you through lunch and continue your workday. Well, maybe not during lunch. Maybe in a quiet place, like the loo (British term for toilet)! Watch out though, you might fall off the pot in fear!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I like a story that is longer so that I can get to know the characters, etc. However, it was amazing how much punch could be squeezed into these tiny little stories. Bravo!