Supernatural Fiction Readers discussion

Some shameless self-promotion for my new fiction, Afterlife:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1439237433/guysmithshomepag



After death, one soon discovers that every theologian was right. The afterlife offers too many inconvenient options including the chance at reincarnation, a boring existence as a ghost, the ultimate demise of oblivion or a short walk into the great unknown on the other side of The Light.

AFTERLIFE is a humorous yet tragic tale that forces everyone rethink their postmortem prejudices. If you think life is frustrating, try death.

“Afterlife delivers a story crawling with heart, humor and hope. Packed with a cast of characters who surprise with insights, integrity and insults, this book made me more curious about life’s after-party. We can all hope that Guy’s vision can light the way, because we’ll be laughing and learning on that path while we wait for our turn at care that’s critical.” – Ron Seybold

“… imaginative, funny and smart.” – Heidi Springer

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Early reader reviews on Amazon
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Guy Smith's story of a newly dead ghost's travails is told in such a witty way that it seems impossible there could be any poignancy to the book. But on the contrary, it's a sort of Texas-style, stiff-upper-lip telling that attempts to mask, but can't hide, a very moving and vulnerable story. Sounds just like how we often try to gloss over the most profound issues and challenges in life. And it is just like that. Funny and moving, it's a great read.

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I enjoyed reading the book Afterlife by Author Guy Smith [...:]It was a fun read, great writing style, yet hugely thought provoking. It sent me off on a Google search of "Purgatory," a term I recollect from a past life as a Catholic and brings a new perspective to the saying "Walk towards the Light".

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The book has a lot of humor considering the dark subject matter. What got me was how the humor and love story kept me reading until the protagonist's afterlife is ripped apart at the end of the book. Short enough for a weekend or a business trip. I strongly recommend this book.

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Page turner. Amazing look at what no one has ever reported seeing. An enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

Darn it, Guy! My to-read pile is something like 6' long now & this looks very interesting. Thanks for telling us about it.

Conundrum of the finest kind - what to read first!

Afterlife here's the link to your book here.

Here's a link to your profile, Guy Smith. It's pretty thin. You might want to let us know what you look like & a bit more about yourself.

Glad to know that I am not the only person who measures their unread books by the yard. Hope you enjoy this AFTERLIFE.

Litblog reviews have started purcolating about AFTERLIFE.

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Amberkatze: “Guy Smith has give us yet another fresh alternative look on the afterlife and given it a little humour and alot of ghosts. The little twists and turns in the story kept me reading and finding out how things really ‘end’ also make me want to read to the last word. There is something for everyone in Afterlife and it made for a nice quick read. In a whole it left me hoping that if there is an Afterlife, hopefully it will be a little like the one in this story.”

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Pagan Book Reviews: “I think I just found one of the best works of fiction I’ve been sent since I started this review blog-and I’ve reviewed everything from self-published works to mass-marketed offerings from major publishing houses. In just over 100 pages, Guy Smith managed to captivate me with a story that grabbed me more firmly than most of the novels I’ve read-and that takes talent.

“The nature and experience of being a ghost, the limitations being dead gives you in this world, and even pondering what the true nature of the Light in this fictional Universe is, are all explored in the context of a fast-paced, gripping plotline. Make no mistake-it’s a highly streamlined book, and every word counts for a lot.

“Not only was I emotionally engaged in the travails and experiences of a snarky dead guy, but the ending just wrenched the hell out of my heart. This writer’s good at what he does, let me tell you.”

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Temple Library Reviews: A humorous, slightly sarcastic, and dynamic exploration of the afterlife in a manner that strays away from tradition and offers a fresh glimpse to how life after death may develop.

I am partial towards humor and sarcasm, both of which are largely uncharted waters in literature, since the sense of humor manifests and branches out in a highly individualistic way in every human being. “Afterlife” managed to make me chuckle.There is a certain air of anonymity regarding the main protagonist. He remains unnamed at large, which is quite easy as the story is delivered through a very skillful first person point of view and apart from his professional experience in marketing comes off as a regular person. He is a hard-working man, devoted husband and a good guy. As a character he doesn’t stand out with a unique trait, because this isn’t the author’s intent. “Afterlife” documents what an average person would experience as a ghost and Smith succeeds with a realistic depiction of the average man, which in turn makes it easy for the reader to identify with the character’s fate.

Sarge and Old Thomas are what I like to refer as tutorial-characters, who ease the reader and protagonist alike in the world of the not-yet-departed dead through their own experience. Both characters are a joy to read in conversations and reveal different aspects of the afterlife in a way that doesn’t betray realism.

Dialogue I think is the strongest aspect of the novella as it added a very vibrant, up-beat and electric dynamics to the story. The concept of the afterlife here is fresher in a sense that it’s funnier and yet more logical than what society has imagined it so far. I understood why ghosts would be agonizing in boredom and how they would move in this world and be repelled by matter.

… the story itself has a bit of everything, essentially mimicking life itself. There is love, which in these circumstances can be viewed as the impossible variety. There are the bonds of friendship involved, betrayal, some action and excitement, enlightenment, laughter and tears. “Afterlife” is a tragedy within a comedy, which manages to end on a positive note and certainly aspire hopes that death is as interesting in real life as it is here.

Got a rather interesting plug for AFTERLIFE today. The entire Sunday edition of the Day by Day cartoon was a plug for the book. Many thanks to Muir, the Day by Day cartoonist for the bump.

http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2009/11/08/

That's great, Guy!