Oscillating Olaf

by Jason Werbeloff

Olaf is an unlikely superhero.

A deaf immigrant from Moscow, he can barely get through the day. Besides negotiating his abusive boss and a vindictive food printer that sprays boiling orange juice, Olaf is spurned by women immune to his dashing youth.

But when he tinkers with his hearing implant, Olaf begins to hear strange messages.

Messages from the future.

Plunge into Oscillating Olaf , a mind-bending science fiction short.

Genres: Science Fiction

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2017

About the author

Human. Male. From an obscure planet in the Milky Way Galaxy. Sci-fi novelist with a PhD in philosophy. Likes chocolates, Labradors, and zombies (not necessarily in that order). Werbeloff spends his days constructing thought experiments, while trying to muster enough guilt to go to the gym.

He's the author of the sci-fi thriller trilogy, Defragmenting Daniel, two novels, Hedon and The Solace Pill, and the short story anthology, Obsidian Worlds. His books will make your brain hurt. And you'll come back for more.

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**Amazon Author Page - download all of Werbeloff's fiction from Amazon.
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**Website - read about the author, and the philosophy behind his fiction.

Reviews

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another entertaining short set in the world of the Bubble (along with the Defragmenting Daniel trilogy, Investing Isobella and Manufacturing Margaret). I highly recommend all the listed stories if you have an interest in speculative sci-fi/fantasy with a touch of horror. Oscillating Olaf is a bit lighter in tone than the aforementioned works, but still very engaging and while I figured that something wasn't going to go as expected it kept me guessing til the end. 4.5 stars.

[PJ Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read a book set in the Bubble I know that events are going to take unexpected turns.
As soon as I began to read my mind was full of thoughts about what Olaf could achieve with his 'gift' but, as always, Mr Werbeloff surprised and delighted me. Olaf's ideas, the dilemma of whether to stay within the law, the build up to his final act, and the outcome that had me smiling and shaking my head at the absurdity.
This is the most lighthearted of this series, yet still has serious tones and leaves me wondering what I would do in Olaf's shoes.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

[Eric Jewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read the earlier "Bubble universe" stories and enjoyed them all. This one doesn't need the others to set the stage, though there are oblique references. Others have mentioned the basics of the plot. Werbeloff's stories can be counted on for a Twilight Zone-style twist or irony and if you watch carefully, some exquisite imagery, sometimes juxtaposed with the grotesque. I recommend all of his work, both as a reader and to potential writers.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of underdog Olaf, a Russian immigrant, who is deaf. He uses a hearing implant which relays text captions across his vision in order for him to understand what people are saying to him. The English translations of his Russian curses are hilarious.

I could relate to Olaf totally, being disabled myself. I have the opposite problem though as I am sensitive to sound and vibration, and have to wear earplugs to provide a barrier/wall between me and the world. I actually could hear, feel, and experience the frequency changes and the vibrations through the descriptive writing. Werbeloff Audience Participation©, indeed!

Another great story from the Bubble, and Werbeloff is not scared to take any taboo subject (particularly relevant in the current era), and play around with it. He always makes you think deeper. This begs the question, would everyone - given the chance - become a criminal if they absolutely knew they could get away with it?

[Happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining as hell. I have read all of Werbeloff's novels. They are all extraordinary fun, gritty and awesome. He is writes consistently interesting stories. I have to read a story all the way through because it's so catching and just plain old good! I don't want to put it down until I'm done. This book was really neat. The ideas of the oscillation and the parallel realities were extremely fun. Once again, Werbeloff succeeded in terrific character development, intriguing story, and a his little bit o' humor to boot. I am so excited and looking forward to his next installment of the Bubble.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just something special about the Buibble series from Jason Werbeloff. Having read all the past stories, I feel like I know the characters and that I have visited the Bubble. And the subtle hints he adds to tie the events together from past stories make me feel like an omniscient viewer who can see all the events happening simultaneously.

I received an advanced copy of his short story and was in no way obligated to provide a review. This review is my honest feedback based on what I read.

But what I love the most about the series is that there are always two things I can expect from his stories: 1. There will be some kind of plot twist; 2. There will be a moral question asked of the main character and, as a result, the reader. Werbeloff's stories are no mere distractions from the real world. They are questions that we have to ask ourselves: if we were in the position of the main character, what would we do?

In Oscillating Olaf, we are introduced to a young computer geek named Olaf, a deaf immigrant from Russia. He is abused by his boss, ignored by women and barely able to afford to survive. One day while messing with his hearing implant, he stumbles onto a mysterious event that will forever change his life.

[shannon Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad

I really enjoyed this short. While things are happening in other places in the bubble, from other stories, Olaf makes an interesting discovery. He can see one hour into the future. The ending made me chuckle a little.

[Robin Dix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good concept. Just proves that stupid people always think they can get away with something even when they can see into the future and the possible outcome.

[Tricia Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok story

Unusual short story and quite amusing to read. If you want a short story that is easy to read, this is it

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing. A more light hearted story about a young man with problems, problems that maybe cloud his judgement a bit, who has his own ideas about how to sort his life out. Having a dead end job doesn't help you think about your future.

[Karen Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oscillating Olaf is another great story in the ever expanding world of "The Bubble."

Anchored by the Defragmenting Daniel trilogy, this tightly constructed world includes three additional short stories - Manufacturing Margaret, Investing Isobella, and now, Oscillating Olaf. All are gems which continue to give "The Bubble" more heft, more weight, making it a place. All the stories delight as they twist and turn back on themselves revealing their previously unseen connections to one another.

In "Olaf," we follow the story of a deaf maintenance man for Bacchus Mall. A brain implant allows him to overcome his lack of hearing. Somehow, combined with the effects of his tinkering on his Phase Modulator, the implant is sending him snippets of what he is going to hear an hour in advance of when they will actually occur. The story is how Olaf will use this phenomenon.

Readers will get a better feeling for how the phases in "The Bubble" work. Start with the trilogy but don't forget to continue with the additional short stories. You'll be glad you did.

[Fred Bosman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olaf is a deaf mechanic with a malfunctioning hearing aid, enabling Olaf to “hear” into the future. Tinkering with his phase modulator, Olaf can literally walk through walls. Olaf now can reconsider an alternative career. What would you do with capabilities like these?
In Oscillating Olaf Werbeloff conjures up a debate about free will and determinism, but in a lighthearted way. This story has less depth than the first two installments of this series of Bubble stories, but is still very enjoyable. Olaf’s petty thoughts and clumsiness makes you laugh out loud.
I received an ARC copy of the book, and I was not obligated to write a review. This is my honest feedback.

[Gnondpom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the same universe as his Defragmenting Daniel trilogy (and other short stories like Manufacturing Margaret or Investing Isobella), Oscillating Olaf is a great new short story by Jason Werbeloff.

As usual with this author, it is at the same time entertaining and well thought-off, in his typical subgenre of philosophical science fiction.

If you liked his other stories, you'll enjoy this one as well. If you haven't read any of his stories yet, it would be a good starting point, especially since it doesn't contain as many gory details as others, so it would appeal to more diverse readers.

Disclaimer: I received a free advance reader copy of this ebook from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

[Allan Ashinoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd and compelling premise that kept me interested.

[David Cain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quick vignette set in the world of the Defragmenting Daniel trilogy is an interesting exploration of how one's present actions might be influenced by partial foreknowledge of future events, and the implications for free will vs. predestination. In fact, the story is more a consideration of that theme than any sort of detailed character study, and the plot is basically a secondary consideration. I loved the concept but wanted this to be a bit more fleshed out. Still, this is another great entry in Werbeloff's fast-growing catalogue of short fiction.

[WILLIAM WILSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Olaf

Well written . Entertaining story. I love a good twist at the end of a story. Sometimes good guys do finish last....