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In Two Hundred Squared Words
A collection of two hundred stories, of two hundred words. These micro-stories are of mixed genre. A drabble is a term used for one hundred word stories, making these double drabbles. Some of these pieces are whimsical comments rather than stories by any strict definition. The book is designed for dipping into rather than for the sustained read, and for being read on all types of reading devices. Most readers will find content they enjoy, making this a suitable gift book.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2016
2 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Richard Bunning
19 books90 followersMost often, I write speculative fiction.
My speculative books are "Another Space in Time", the originally titled "Another Space in Time, Returns" and "Spiderworld"
I have two collections book of flash fiction out, out that despite their titles have absolutely nothing to do with cooking- "Fifty Egg Timer Short Stories" (Mixed genre) and the originally titles "Fifty More...
My latest book is "In Two Hundred Squared Words", which is a book of Double Drabbles, ie 200 word stories. This is suitable as a gift book. Another work is totally unsuitable as anything other than a gift item, a very silly novelty one. It is "Understanding Women: A guide for male survival" by Jennings, Bunning and Lebel.
I have some earlier works, which are reworked neoclassical plays. These will be of interest to those who wish to read Jean Racine in prose English. Not everyone's cup of tea, but handy if one's French is lacking.
I am an advocate of independent, vanity, and small press authors, and with this in mind I regularly review.
Above all, I like to be read. Even if my works don't attract your interest I hope that you look at my GR reviews to find books you are interested in.
Thanks for wading through this.
My speculative books are "Another Space in Time", the originally titled "Another Space in Time, Returns" and "Spiderworld"
I have two collections book of flash fiction out, out that despite their titles have absolutely nothing to do with cooking- "Fifty Egg Timer Short Stories" (Mixed genre) and the originally titles "Fifty More...
My latest book is "In Two Hundred Squared Words", which is a book of Double Drabbles, ie 200 word stories. This is suitable as a gift book. Another work is totally unsuitable as anything other than a gift item, a very silly novelty one. It is "Understanding Women: A guide for male survival" by Jennings, Bunning and Lebel.
I have some earlier works, which are reworked neoclassical plays. These will be of interest to those who wish to read Jean Racine in prose English. Not everyone's cup of tea, but handy if one's French is lacking.
I am an advocate of independent, vanity, and small press authors, and with this in mind I regularly review.
Above all, I like to be read. Even if my works don't attract your interest I hope that you look at my GR reviews to find books you are interested in.
Thanks for wading through this.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 26, 2017
Writing two hundred stories, each containing two hundred words, is quite a challenge for a writer and it's one Richard Bunning meets with imagination, humour and intelligence. As Bunning admits himself in the introduction, some stories are better rounded than others but there's such a vast array of styles crammed into the 200 pages that every reader will find something to enjoy. While this is part of the book's charm, it's also its main weakness as things shift about so much that it's hard to keep up and some chapters just wash over you. Bunning switches from historical musings to science fiction at the drop of the hat and even turns philosopher in many chapters. The only book I've read that had a similar approach was Mi Siglo by the great Gunther Grass, where each chapter marked a year from 1900-2000 in German history. While Grass' beautiful prose made every story enjoyable in isolation, there was only a tenuous thread linking them together and after reading two or three chapters you had already forgotten about what went before.
This book suffers from the same thing but it's still well worth checking out and some of Bunning's writing does linger long in the memory, such as the self-obsessed yellow-clad cult that takes over the world and orders executions for those who choose intercourse over masturbation. The main theme of the book seems to be the writer's fears for the future as lots of the stories deal with dystopian worlds and the damage wrought by technology and capitalism. Bunning clearly feels a sense of loss for the erosion of the society he grew up in and skilfully weaves this into many of the short stories while warning future generations about what lies in store for them. But it's often when he keeps things more simple that the best of his writing comes out. Creating a fully rounded story in 200 words is a daunting task but he pulls it off beautifully in some chapters that bring characters to vivid life. My particular favourite was The Snowman, a story fools you into thinking it's a simple tale about a boy desperate to get out and play in the snow then takes a dark twist that completely changes your perspective.
This book suffers from the same thing but it's still well worth checking out and some of Bunning's writing does linger long in the memory, such as the self-obsessed yellow-clad cult that takes over the world and orders executions for those who choose intercourse over masturbation. The main theme of the book seems to be the writer's fears for the future as lots of the stories deal with dystopian worlds and the damage wrought by technology and capitalism. Bunning clearly feels a sense of loss for the erosion of the society he grew up in and skilfully weaves this into many of the short stories while warning future generations about what lies in store for them. But it's often when he keeps things more simple that the best of his writing comes out. Creating a fully rounded story in 200 words is a daunting task but he pulls it off beautifully in some chapters that bring characters to vivid life. My particular favourite was The Snowman, a story fools you into thinking it's a simple tale about a boy desperate to get out and play in the snow then takes a dark twist that completely changes your perspective.
November 16, 2017
Different Doesn’t Begin to Describe This Book
I have never read anything like this. Rather than a book, this is plugging a USB port directly into the author’s mind, a very fascinating mind, I should add. Bunning has managed to write 200 stories, each 200 words long.
Some are humorous, some are poignant, some are tragic, some are stream of consciousness, but all are intriguing. I’m reminded of the bar bet in which Hemmingway wrote a story on a napkin. “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” A skilled storyteller can pack enormous meaning into very few words. Bunning has this talent.
In this modern world of social media and shortening attention spans, Bunning has written a book that can be read in 60-second intervals. I, however, polished it off in two sittings, always eager to see what came next. The structure of the book grabs the reader by the collar and constantly pulls forward. I felt no sense of time commitment consuming these tasty nuggets of prose, knowing I would reach the next stopping point in just a moment. I only stopped once, though, and that was to get some sleep.
This is a must read!
I have never read anything like this. Rather than a book, this is plugging a USB port directly into the author’s mind, a very fascinating mind, I should add. Bunning has managed to write 200 stories, each 200 words long.
Some are humorous, some are poignant, some are tragic, some are stream of consciousness, but all are intriguing. I’m reminded of the bar bet in which Hemmingway wrote a story on a napkin. “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” A skilled storyteller can pack enormous meaning into very few words. Bunning has this talent.
In this modern world of social media and shortening attention spans, Bunning has written a book that can be read in 60-second intervals. I, however, polished it off in two sittings, always eager to see what came next. The structure of the book grabs the reader by the collar and constantly pulls forward. I felt no sense of time commitment consuming these tasty nuggets of prose, knowing I would reach the next stopping point in just a moment. I only stopped once, though, and that was to get some sleep.
This is a must read!
August 28, 2017
Short stories at their best.
Great buy for short stories fans full of snappy stories , social commentaries and wordplay. I recommend this book. My favorite is "Diss" so true about how language changes but teachers can't change how they teach.
Great buy for short stories fans full of snappy stories , social commentaries and wordplay. I recommend this book. My favorite is "Diss" so true about how language changes but teachers can't change how they teach.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews