The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories

by Leon Stevens

The Outer Limits meets the Twilight Zone

13 new science fiction stories and post-apocalyptic tales

A journey to the center of the universe...
A faster than light test with unforeseen results...
A strange midnight visitor...

These are just some of the short stories in this thought-provoking collection, along with some short post-apocalyptic tales and poems, which are sure to kickstart your imagination.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2021

About the author

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the trilogy, The View from Here, The Second View, and The Final View, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and books one and two of a new sci-fi series called The Orion Arm Alliance.

Free sample eBooks at books.linesbyleon.com/Newslettersignup
Instagram @lines_by_leon

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute pleasure this read was. It has truly been my pleasure to consume this work.

The poetry was okay. I did enjoy the different perspectives presented describing an Apocalypse. The flash fiction was gold. Beautifully written, straight to the point, and each story hitting hard between the eyes; an amazing gut punch. The short stories were well written, opening new worlds within the SFF realm leaning more toward Apocalyptic and distopian genres. I highly reccomend this book. I will look forward to reading another flash fiction/short story collection by Leon Stevens. Amazing!

Thanks to Leon Stevens for providing and digital copy of his book in return for an honest review.

[Catherine Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book. Short stories and poems, what better combo than that. The stories had a little bit of fun in them. Some were funny, some were really weird. Poems in the book were great. Poems were my favorite part of the book even though there were only a few. If you are into short stories then this book is for you. I had a lot of fun reading it and making me think.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily leaving a review

[Amethyst Serenity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, started and and finished it this morning while commuting to work. I don't usually read short stories or poems but I really like Leon's writing style so I wanted to give this a try. I do not regret it.

His ability to captive your attention quickly and invest you in the life of the protagonists is remarkable. That is an awesome skill. I have read much longer books that did not immediately hook my attention like this series of short stories. At the end of each I was at the edge of my seat wanting more. Probably why I don't read short story because I enjoy getting involved into the protagonists life.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. It was enjoyable, captivating and vivid. You have just made me realise how fascinating science fiction pieces can be. It is not my typical genre but I enjoyed it immensely. I can see why listening to your dad tell you Sci-Fi stories at bedtime intrigued you so much. It allows you to be creativity and stretch your mind to overlook the boundaries of reality and think outside the box.

The use of illustrations added a nice visual appeal as well. It added to the storyline.

I honestly cannot say which story I enjoyed the best as each was very gripping. I will be thinking about that alien drinking whiskey, what prize the crew got at the end of their journey, what was the jackpot and what happened to the sun? So many questions. I love it.

Is there a guideline to reviewing poems? I don't know but all I can say is that I enjoyed them and understood them. Poems tend to confuse me. What's the rhythm when reading them?

This was a great book, Leon. Thank you. It is 5 out of 5 stars for me.

[Sue Watchorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love short stories, they make you use your imagination, and with these, you definitely had to nearly make up your own ending.
I liked a couple of the stories, found myself just getting into the tale and they ended. I would love to see these in a longer format, they had great basis for a really good book.
I felt a bit ripped off by a couple of the stories, that just didn't end well for me.
Loved the poems.

I received a free copy of the book from Voracious readers.

[Sofe · Rating 5 out of 5]

EBook Review: THE KNOT AT THE END OF THE ROPE by Leon Stevens (13 stories)

(T) rouble... 1- (The Knot at the End of the Rope)
(H) eavens... 2-(The Journey)
(E) mpty... 3- (Lights Out)

(K) ickback... 4-(Fast Forward)
(N) oted... 5-(Reasonable Hand-Drawn Facsimile)
(O) utcropping... 6- (The View From Here)
(T) ime

(A) ccelerates... 7-(00:00:01)
(T) ried... 8-(The Last Breath)


Poems and Tales from the (an) Apocalypse...
(T) ime
(H) ates
(E) veryone... 9-(Found)


(E) scape
(N) othing... 10-(There's No Place Like Home)
(D) ining

(O) ut... 11-(Jackpot)
(F) inale... 12-(Hold Down the Fort)


(T) he
(H) owling... 13-(Home Coming)
(E) ven

(R) otten
(O) ranges
(P) rovide
(E) ffectively...


THE KNOT AT THE END OF THE ROPE,
something to hold on to.

You'll need this for ride about to take,
the unknown doesn't get better
.
Lot's of experiments and guesses plenty to explore,
remember to shut the door.

If you don't get it the first time,
please try again can't hurt.

Try using your imagination like they all did,
then will recognize the destination.

Push on: see it through to the end,
doesn't look so bad now.

Grab a pen and write it all down,
appreciate each day and every moment.

Like riding on swing going up then down,
enjoying as heart skips beats.

Pick up this book: every story's a push,
even if scary want more.

[James Blakley · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Knot at the End of the Rope" is mostly what used to be called "flash fiction": A few hundred words or so stories that thrive on a single character or two, but manages to provide a powerful, memorable, or surprise ending despite the paucity of imagery. When done right, you get such classics as Arthur C. Clarke's "Light of Darkness." When done here, by author Leon Stevens, the results are, well, not enlightening nor particularly entertaining.

The problem is its sci-fi flash fiction: It may be an attempt to return to more soft sci-fi or fantasy roots of the genre, but lacks memorable characters, tech, and satisfying endings. Many of the plots are about doomed or displaced astronauts, the incomprehensible "00:00:01", or an uninspired reboot of "Soylent Green." All fall flat.

Where "The Knot at the End of the Rope" pulls its weight to a respectable level is in its striking post-apocalyptic poetry and short stories. Located fittingly near the end of the book are poetic gems like "Found" and "Found Scrawled on a Cave Wall" stir the reader's imagination with how the world may have ended for each poet. In "Found," it could simply be an interpretation of dying. And in "Found in a Bottle," there appears to be a glimmer of hope for survivors of the end of the world. Even the short story "Jackpot," though derivative of the last man on earth trope, has the dark humor and twist ending seen in classic books of brevity. While the other end time short stories are also Cormac McCarthyesque accounts of a lone survivor's wasteland treks, they still sear fresh haunting imagery and original "what-if" thoughts into the readers memory.

So, if you like post-apocalyptic imagery and poetry aplenty, then there's a glimmer of hope to be found near the end of Leon Steven's book. But like an atomic flash, it fades, leaving mainstream sci-fi fans (soft and hard core) who are seeking more upbeat tales of future high tech with a fate similar to the astronaut in the titular entry "The Knot at the End of the Rope": Feeling detached.

[Honey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories set in the future some including different dystopian events.

This is the first collection that I've read so I was not sure what to expect but I greatly enjoyed this. Each story was just long enough for you to be drawn in, but still had its air of mystery and each was as tense as the last.

My personal favourites have to be, Fast Forward, A View From Here and There's No Place Like Home. All three I wish I could read a full-length book on. 

I greatly enjoyed the little references and tidbits going back to movies or tv shows that I saw as well. 

Since this is a collection of pretty short stories and poems I cannot comment on the plot or characters but, reading this I did experience a sense of wonder at times and slight fear at others. The description is brilliant. I greatly enjoyed this as a whole and now want to read more collections as well as something longer from the author. 

[Ellie Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The highlight was the poetry for me. I could really tell the author has a passion for it, and since that isn't something I normally read, I was pleasantly surprised.

The short stories were also great. I loved a few that had a fun/funny theme, but then there were some that were kind of weird and left me thinking (not necessarily in a bad way.) Several of these stories had a really great storyline that i think if the author wanted to, he could definitely turn them into a full length. I would certainly read them.

I highly recommend.

[Eliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that many of these ended abruptly, and left me wanting more. Some of the stories were very captivating, I just found them to be too short. The themes present were common science fiction themes, and they were done well. The poetry was absolute fantastic. It was creative and I found the storylines in the poetry to be stronger and better portrayed than those of the short stories. This author is a very gifted story teller, and it is a great talent to be able to switch mediums and keep the collection cohesive and interesting.

[Sammithenerd Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer - I was give a free copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed these short little stories. I love how so much was conveyed with so little words and they all left me wanting more.
I particularly liked the dystopian style stories.

I would recommend highly for people who don't have much time or need a break from novels to give these short stories a try.

[Bart O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the stories exciting & funny one had an error which meant the story didnt make sense

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story collection

A collections of very short stories, the whole thing comes in at under an hour. Well-written and interesting stories; I wish there had been more.

[Kyle A Massa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eclectic and satisfying collection. I'm not usually one for science fiction, but I appreciate Leon's approach to the genre. A quick read with pleasing depth and thought.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of sci fi tales. very enjoyable

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely totally awesome short stories. Sf. With some poetry. A page or two. Some a bit longer. But with a twist that makes you think. Or just go......wow......

[Kevin Cannon (Monty's Book Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection that causes the reader to think. I would've liked to see some of the stories expanded a bit as the majority were a bit too short for my taste

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good stories, although somewhat depressing.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories” by Leon Stevens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Speculative Fiction. Location: Everywhere. Time: Every time. Thirteen SciFi and post-apocalyptic short tales in story and poetry form. Don’t read it expecting full stories, back stories, precise endings. It’s not that kind of book. Many stories are short enough to be called Flash Fiction, condensing powerful themes into a few hundred words, usually starting in the middle (no time to set scenes and backstories). Author Stevens gives us a journey to the center of the universe, humanity’s final days, a strange midnight visitor, a faster than light test with unforeseen results, writings found in a desolate world, and more, much more, in very short form. As with all collections of short stories, everyone has their own favorites. Mine include the humorous “Reasonable Hand Drawn Facsimile” about the meeting of a human and an alien, the sweet “The View From Here” about hikers finding a special place, the climate change sadness of “Last Breath”, and the Covid vibes of the haiku-like poem “Graffiti Found on a Railcar”. Much of his dark, twisty prose focuses on post-apocalyptic issues such as climate change, economy collapse, exploration, and survival. Stevens chose to write his series in the imagination-based, early SciFi style (i.e. back before scientific knowledge was king) and I’m really glad he did! Take it for what it is-short speculative vignettes written in early SciFi style, and you’ll enjoy it. I did and it’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to Leon Stevens and StoryOrigin for this ecopy!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short stories! All a little different, all very enjoyable!

[Kevin Cannon (Monty's Book Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection that causes the reader to think. I would've liked to see some of the stories expanded a bit as the majority were a bit too short for my taste