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Severing Sidney

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In the Bubble, marriage is the literal merging of two bodies. So when Geppetto receives an invitation to his daughter’s wedding, he’s devastated.

He must find a way to stop the ceremony, or lose her forever. And if the wedding goes ahead … He doesn’t want to think about that, but Geppetto has his scalpel on hand. Just in case.

Slice into SEVERING SIDNEY, the latest sci-fi horror from the Bubble.

ebook

Published May 10, 2017

6 people are currently reading
38 people want to read

About the author

Jason Werbeloff

60 books326 followers
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.

Subscribe to his newsletter to receive a free book, and a lifetime of free and discounted stories.

**Amazon Author Page - download all of Werbeloff's fiction from Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Shell.
635 reviews13 followers
May 18, 2017
Holy Jeebus! Another short set in the land of the Bubble(s), which began in the Defragmenting Daniel trilogy and has been visited in several short stories since then. If you haven't checked them out do yourself a favor and seek them out. THIS story in particular is my new favorite. Horrifying and heart-breaking at the same time, horror and science fiction fans alike should find this a highly satisfying read. I received a copy of this book from the author, and I am happy to be able to write a review, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Profile Image for Sherry Fundin.
2,305 reviews162 followers
May 31, 2017
Jason Werebeloff writes some wicked horror, science fiction stories and I am happy to share the latest…about a marriage in the Bubble. But, it’s not like any marriage you’ve ever heard of before and the tools Gepetto brings to the wedding are scalpels, staplers, anesthetics, and more.

He’s not happy about the marriage, but his daughter is very happy. Should he intervene? Is it true that Father Knows Best?

The events take place in the future. Jason weaves good and bad elements in his world of the future making me think I don’t want to live there, but as I read on…well, maybe it’s not so bad.

His descriptions are gruesome and humorous.

I think it’s hard to create suspense in a short story, but Jason Werebeloff manages to do just that. I know something is coming…And I am eating up the pages to find out what.

Uh oh…I see a problem. And boy was I in for a surprise.

How creative and thought provoking the premise. The possibilities…

What an ending! Wonderful job, Jason.

To see more visit fundinmental
Profile Image for Kay.
1,722 reviews18 followers
May 28, 2017
Firstly, the father's name being Geppetto just made me giggle out loud. You know, the man who created Pinocchio? He is still pulling his daughter's strings, despite being apart from her. It made me also think of 'apron strings' and how close you are/aren't to your parents. Simona's life is in Geppetto's hands...absolutely.

A very entertaining and intriguing 'Bubble' short. As usual, Werbeloff makes you think. This time about the term 'marriage' and what it actually means to the people involved and, somewhat differently, to those outwith with the relationship. Have you lost the essence of the 'true you'?

The fact that parents had to give their final condolences to the bride/groom before their Merging, as they would never 'see' them again as they knew them before. Unique and scary. The relationships between Geppetto and Lorenzo, his ex-wife Lilly, and Simona are more than they first appear.

Loved this. Not just a fantastically well written and highly enjoyable story, but also the aspects from here which tickle the back of your brain and annoy the hell out of you until you have to discuss them with someone else...or is that just me?

Werbeloff writes to such a high standard not even a champion pole vaulter could reach him! Can't wait for the next story.
Profile Image for Happy.
430 reviews6 followers
May 21, 2017
Fantastic! Be ready for a mysterious encounter in the Bubble. Not mysterious because of a crime, well... maybe...but a curious family interaction - or invasion? Many questions arise as to relationship responsibilities between parent and adult child. Does a parent still have a say in their adult child's life, or just an opinion and stop at that? This story was also dear, sweet, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Well, enough of that talk! The gore was awesome. Just enough, and very well described. It kept along the story lines and served (or severed) a purpose. Can one say "tasteful"? It was good - not overboard. The idea of what happened in this story is staggering. Could this happen someday in future medical science? Consider what we have these days, like organ replacement, and stretch it into the far future. How will people use new medical advances? Are they advances or liabilities? That is for you to decide.
This cyberpunk short was extraordinary, as are all of Werbeloff's works. It is amazing how consistent he is. All of his books and shorts are mind boggling.
28 reviews
May 28, 2017
Another of Jason's stories in which life goes horribly wrong for someone. You can tell that Geppetto is making a terrible mistake, that he should trust his daughter, but he thinks he knows best. Geppetto's memories of banana ice cream and rodeos were so poignant, but as an adult, his daughter can make different choices. There is humour as well - a rollercoaster whizzing through an ancient monument, and the sentence 'We're lactose intolerant.' And the idea of marriage as a union of two people....
Profile Image for PJ Lea.
1,064 reviews
May 28, 2017
"Sometimes a father knows best. Sometimes a parent is obliged to step in, and prevent a tragedy."
Does he know best? Will he prevent or create a tragedy?
Poor Geppetto fears losing his daughter now that a marriage means more than a merging of souls and it broke my heart reading what they all go through because of his love for his child.
With each story the Bubbles become more disturbing, yet they compel you to read because the characters feel so real and you hold out hope for them.
Profile Image for Karen Siddall.
Author 1 book115 followers
June 21, 2017
As always, the latest tale from the Bubble is ghastly and imaginative!

When Geppetto (the Gutter surgeon and 'parts' dealer from "The Organ Scrubber") receives the "Save the Date" (awesome touch!) announcing the Merging ceremony of his only child (only daughter) Simona, he leaves his home outside the New York bubble and travels back to his home country, the Roman Bubble. The announcement has taken its time finding and getting to him in the Gutter and he must leave immediately as the ceremony is to take place in 2 days time. Arriving in his former home, he discovers the ceremony has already taken place and Simona has already "become one" with her intended, Neville. To recognize their new relationship and state of being, they have taken a new name, Sidney, a melding of both their birth names. But Geppetto cannot find the true essence of his beloved daughter in the new being and sets about to rectify the situation as only a surgeon from the Bubble World would do!

This slice of life in the Bubble World adds to our knowledge and understanding of author Werbeloff's universe and we get to see some of the backstory of characters that appeared in the very first story: Geppetto and his niece, Florenza. I particularly was surprised by the introduction of Geppetto's ex-wife, Lilly White. I was suitably horrified by this latest installment in the Bubble World saga and look forward to more.
Profile Image for J. Blackshear.
Author 9 books9 followers
June 20, 2017
Well written story with interesting ideas and a satisfying end. It's the sort of work that I've come to expect from Jason Werbeloff. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Fred Bosman.
35 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2017
The horror, the horror

Welcome back, Geppetto! Gepetto is one of my favorite characters in the Defragmenting Daniel series. It’s great to read some more about him. But – oh boy – the way he is tested in Severing Sydney is really heavy on him! I wished for a happier return.

Geppetto’s daughter Simona is getting married. In the Bubble a wedding is not (only) a symbolic joining but a literal and physical joining of two bodies. Geppetto tries to prevent this from happening but is too late: Simona and her husband are already joined together.

Sometimes you wish you can turn back time. Geppetto’s brother Lorenzo has found a way to just do that. Geppeto brings his daughter and lets time do its thing.

The uncoupling of Simona and her husband is a stomach turning feast for horror and gore loving readers. It is the absolute pinnacle of this story; and one of the more memorable pieces in Werbeloffs writing.

They say in marriage, you don’t lose a daughter but gain a son. For Geppetto both seem to be true and it is more than he can bear.
Profile Image for Славена Илиева.
10 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2025
Review translation in English coming soon.
Сидни Разполовена (Severing Sidney)1 е разказ от Джейсън Вербелоф, съвременен независим автор, чиято работа съчетава научна фантастика, киберъпнк и хорър. Историята служи като въведение в света на Балона(the Bubble) от трилогията Даниел Дефрагментиран (Defragmenting Daniel). В тази вселена отглеждането на органи за трансплантация е само върха на айсберга на това какво са способни медицината и технологиите.
Какво може да се обърка в едно футуристично общество, в който вечната младост е сбъдната мечта, а времето тече с обратен ход?
Денят в който Джепето получава покана за “сватбата” на дъщеря си Симона, е най-страшния момент в живота му. В този невероятен нов свят бракът е преминал следващата фаза на сливането между двама души. Не случайно родителите и близките получават съболезнования вместо поздравления. Симона и годеникът й Невил ще бъдат събрани в едно тяло и ще продължат да съществуват като обединен организъм. Самоубийство или свободен избор, лудост или пълно отдаване?
Джепето не може да приеме избора на дъщеря си, не и преди да се е опитал да я убеди да не се погубва. Но поканата стига при него със закъснение и когато отчаяният баща пристига в новия Рим, вече е твърде късно. Симона и Невил са преминали зловещата процедура и от техния съюз се ражда Сидни, същество родено от най-добрите им части. Джепето не разпознава своето малко момиченце.
Той е готов на всичко да си я върне и разполага с необходимите средства да обърне процеса. Скалпел, уменията си на хирург и търговец на донори, както и малко помощ от брат му Лоренцо, обитател на Долината, в която времето съществува по собствените си правила.
Дали Джепето ще види отново дъщеря си или намесата му ще доведе до фатални, кървави последици?
Лична предистория: Историите, които ме привличат често са мрачни и зловещи, дори и да не попадат под чадъра на готиката, макабрата или романа на ужасите. Но до този момент не съм имала допир с т.нар. боди хорър. Основната причина е че предпочитам литература, която е фокусирана върху атмосферата, сюжета и героите, психологията, която се крие зад мрачната завеса. Но ще си призная, че не съм най-големия фен на кървища или gore.
Дали защото като малка изгледах порядъчно количество евтин�� филми на ужасите или просто не ми стиска да се посветя на пълното потапяне в мрака? Или с течение на времето психиката ми стана по-крехка. При всички случаи, се старая да прекрачвам извън зоната си на комфорт. Когато прочетох анотацията на Severing Sidney, реших, че може да е добър начин да тествам границите си. Историята е достатъчно кратка, за да се прочете за един-два часа и да ми даде представа дали си заслужава да продължа да изследвам този жанр. (Ако някой от четящите блога ми е фен на боди хоръра и по-крайните му варианти, приемам препоръки.)
Сюжет: Разказът е магнит за читатели. Често в света на съвременното онлайн публикуване подобни истории служат като безплатен подарък, за да може автора да привлече нови фенове. Вербелоф открехва прозореца към създадения от него свят и създава усещане на читателя за това какво може да очаква от историите в Балона. Виждаме достатъчно от вселената и оставаме жадни за още от тази странна дистопия, интересни персонажи, философски дилеми и… да си го кажем честно, порядъчно количество кръв и вътрешности. Книгата няма и 50 страници, но светът в нея е достатъчно добре изграден, за да накара подходящите читатели да искат още от него.
Въпреки че една от целите на автора е да шокира и отвращава (особено на финала), под слоевете слуз и органи прозира една универсална трагедия. Като общество още сме много далече от въображаемата технология на Вербелоф, но повечето от нас могат да почувстват болката на един баща от загубата на любимото му дете.
Джепето е лишен от възможността да се сбогува със Симона и да приеме необратимата промяна в живота й. Всичко, което му остава след Сливането са шепа спомени и проблясъци, вкуса на любимия й бананов сладолед, моментите, които е споделял с малкото си момиче. Тези ценни мигове са третирани от света като ненужни органи, изрязани със скалпел и захвърлени в мръсна алея. Отчаянието тласка стария хирург по тъмен и опасен път, който може да води само до трагичен финал.
Сюжетът засяга много теми, от личната автономия и родителския авторитет до медицинската етика. До каква степен можем да позволим на технологията да контролира живота ни? Съществува ли граница след която да знаем, че сме стигнали твърде далеч? Оправдана ли е намесата на родителя в живота на вече порасналото му дете? Кога бракът, любовта и сливането се превръщат в чудовищна зависимост?
Разказът е прекалено кратък, за да даде отговор на тези въпроси. Може би зададените в него теми се разгръщат и задълбочават в другите му истории от същата вселена. Но това не намалява въздействието на сюжета. В основата си, Severing Sidney е мрачна, гротескна и ужасяваща история с биещо сърце и болезнени нервни окончания. Четях всеки ред с нарастващо чувство за безпокойство, увлечена от този необичаен свят, а финалът бе прецизен като удар с хирургически скалпел.
Герои: Събитията са пречупени изцяло през гледната точка на скърбящия баща Джепето и той е най-добре развития персонаж. Дори ако изборите му са поставени под въпрос, е много лесно за читателя да го разбере и да усети светогледа и болката му.
Останалите герои бяха колоритни и интересно написани, особено бившата съпруга на Джепето и брат му Лоренцо. Но тъй като сме заключени в гледната точка на главния герой, на моменти ми се струваха твърде карикатурни.
Разбираемо е защо не научихме много за Симона и Невил. Това, което са били е вече незначително за тях, след Сливането им. Предишните им “аз” отшумяват, защото вече са “ние”. Но историята щеше да е по-дълбока и многопластова ако знаехме нещо повече за мотивацията им.
Силни страни: Компетентно изграден свят и описателен, дързък стил на писане. Работата на Вербелоф не е за всеки, но той определено знае как да нарисува картина чрез думите си. Дори и параграфите, целящи да пробудят отвращение и да пробудят най-първичното чувство на ужас, бяха написани почти като поезия. Запомнящ се главен герой, болезнена дилема и постепенно нарастване на съспенса.
Слаби страни: Историята е построена върху концепцията за Сливането, но не научаваме твърде много за самия ритуал. Каква е логиката зад желанието да се слееш с половинката си и напълно да се отречеш от личността си? Как е възникнала идеята? Има ли социална причина зад този ритуал или е просто прищявка и модна тенденция, родена от едно свръхзадоволено общество? Именно поради това ми се искаше да знаехме повече за решението на Симона. Надявам се темата да продължава своето развитие в другите книги от поредицата.
На кого бих препоръчала: За всички фенове на боди или екстремен хорър, които искат качествена история в комбинация с кървища. Определено не бих препоръчала на читатели с по-чувствителна психика или на хора, които лесно се отвращават.
Заключение: Severing Sidney ме заинтригува достатъчно, за да посетя отново света на Джейсън Вербелоф и Балона. Надявам се останалата част от биографията да даде отговор на въпросите, които си задавах след прочитането на този разказ.
14 reviews
May 30, 2017
Another excellent short story set in the Bubble world. It is centered on a minor character from Defragmenting Daniel, Gepetto. The story does entirely stand alone, but it is probably more enjoyable if you know the world already. A warning though: there is quite a lot of gore, as often with Jason Werbeloff's stories. So if you can't stand reading any graphic description of gore, this story is probably not for you.

Its main theme is love, but not in the sense of romance: it is more of a philosophical questioning about paternal love (Gepetto and his daughter), former love transformed into hate (Gepetto and his ex-wife), and above all marital love.

What can people do for love, and what should they do? Should you lose yourself in your partner, until you literally merge into only one person (marriage in this world is the merging of two people)? Does a father always know what is best for his daughter? This story doesn't really give answers but allows the reader to think about these themes.


Disclaimer: I received a free advance reader copy of this ebook from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
125 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2017
A solid story with a twisted premise. The usual genre labels don't fit Werbeloff well, so I'll go with entertaining and thought-provoking. He blends elements of science fiction, drama, the grotesque, and humor. You can also plan on an ending that isn't where it is clearly headed.

If I spent each of my reviews of this author's work (I did receive an advance copy) giving individual call-outs, you could read the book. I will say that his writing is image-ful, with a true voice, and he keeps things moving. This is part of the universe of Defragmenting Daniel and a growing collection of short stories. They aren't necessary to understand - this could be your first entry into the "bubble" universe and you would not be lost. You will, however, want to explore further.
Profile Image for David Cain.
492 reviews16 followers
August 19, 2017
This story takes place after the events of the Defragmenting Daniel trilogy, and features one of the characters from early in that narrative. This is a heartbreaking exploration of a man's inability to accept a new development in the concept of what marriage is, when his daughter forms a literal union with her new husband. The father comes up with a plan to put things back the way they were, but his plan doesn't quite work the way he hopes it will. This was a fascinating study of what a person loses - or gains - after marriage.
Profile Image for Darryl Johnson.
24 reviews
June 21, 2017
This is a weird story, but it is typically Werbeloff. The author has the awesomest (is that a word?) sense of strange that I have ever read. Jason sent me an ARC hoping for a review. I am happy to oblige. Great story from the Bubble world. :-D
Profile Image for Aisha-Kimberly Hashmi .
157 reviews14 followers
July 8, 2017
An amazing brief story...

I always wanted to be part of my husband. To be with him 100 percent of the time. This story kind of took care of that longing, lol... Well written but too short, ending kind of silly...
Profile Image for Joel.
136 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2017
Outstanding adventure

Great side path from the characters you already know. Wonderfully cruel and fresh. A quick page turning adventure. Thanks and keep it up!
Profile Image for SA.
168 reviews24 followers
May 26, 2018
wickedly creepy
Profile Image for Kay Oliver.
Author 11 books197 followers
February 23, 2018
Be ready for your mind to be blown. The world creation in this book is outstanding and the idea of marriage within in this world will chill you to the bone. Very well written and simply blew me away.
Profile Image for Jakob Hessius.
183 reviews5 followers
March 1, 2019
Interesting idea.

Liked the main idea about marriage in the future. The characters were likable and interesting.
Over all an enjoyable book.
Profile Image for BookzBookzBookz.
Author 12 books73 followers
April 11, 2018
If you've read anything by Jason Werbeloff, you know you're not just receiving a story. You're receiving a piece of your morbid self. You're receiving science and fantasy with lots and lots of blood...

Returning to The Bubbles, Severing Sidney tells the story of a favorite character of the Defragmenting Daniel stories. Poor, ancient Geppetto's daughter is getting married. The process is called Merging and it's a disgusting thing. Many still feel marriage-merging is a beautiful thing. Most from any of The Bubbles call it a travesty. If you knew what it consisted of, you'd think the same.

Well, Geppetto decides to go to his daughter, Simona's merging. To Stop It. What happens is a grotesque, terrible mistake. It's absolutely fantastic! You have to read it.The story is one that you'll never forget- but that's how all of Werbeloff's works are. Unforgettable.

Check out Severing Sidney; I'm moving on to the next read. Cheers!

Full Review: bit.ly/BodyPartsGaloreSevering Sidney
Jason Werbeloff
Amazon Digital Services, May 2017
39 Pages
Science Fiction/Anthology/Fantasy/Horror
387 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2018
This is a short story book.

It is a book that should make you stop and think.

There are some elements that I did not agree with-I think you will know what I mean when you read this short story.

Profile Image for Robin Dix.
729 reviews
September 29, 2017
Interesting story. It just goes to show that what you want and desire the most isn't always the right thing to do. Sometimes its easier to accept what you cannot and should not change. Very well written and heartbreaking.
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