Stranded: Stories from the edge of infinity... by Kimberly Raiser
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Book Reviews of Stranded: Stories from the edge of infinity...
Book Review: A great smorgasbord of tales that will satisfy most everyone's tastes.
Summary: 4 Stars
It takes only a few short stories to be captivated and drawn in by the impressive range and styles of Kimberly Raiser's anthology of writings that are crafted in a variety of venues which are included in her first short story collection, Stranded: Stories From The Edge of Infinity...
As mentioned in the Author's Note, some of these twenty-one stories are short "Flash" pieces, some are longer wherein they border on the sillier side of humanity and others thought provoking. Their topics range from science fiction, speculative fiction, horror, and some children's tales. Individually, all have previously appeared in various online sites and print publications and now have been recycled in Stranded: Stories From The Edge of Infinity...
The language of these playful, highly evocative, sometimes quirky stories is to the point and quite original.
What I found exciting about some of these stories is that although at first they seem to be meaningless or frivolous, the more I re-read them the more I was able to relate to them and be drawn in by their vibrant portraits and philosophical musings.
For example, It Comes In Your Sleep the story about the little boy who fought sleep brought back my own memories of my daughter and now my grandson, particularly the last two lines: "Looks like he finally gave in sweetie. Yeah thank goodness, we can all get some sleep now."
Other stories showed a great deal of wisdom as One Minute where Raiser begins with "What would happen if I delayed every deliberate action by exactly one minute? How much of a difference would it make?"
In addition, Raiser has effectively mastered the short story form as well as two of its essential elements with her meticulous concentration on language and imagery.
Her wit and soul-searching reflections are in fine form throughout the stories and while she may be quite comical at times, she steers away from slapstick.
This is particularly in evidence with the story of A Little Town Called Plink where she is hilarious when dealing with the topic of flatulence. This is likewise apparent with The Machine Of Humanity that is summed up in the introduction to the story with the insightful words "What are we but the sum of our memories? Is there truly anything more than this?"
Another gem and one that shows a great deal of introspection concerning our environment is Man Upon A Rock where Raiser introduces the story with "A man sits quietly alone contemplating the universe. He has a funny commentary beneath him."
Stranded: Stories From The Edge of Infinity... is a noteworthy collection of sometimes punchy, off kilter short stories and a downright enthralling read that will provide hours of reading pleasures. And as with most short story collections, the advantage it has over a novel is that if you don't like one story you can always flip to another. With that in mind, Raiser provides her readers with a great smorgasbord of tales that will satisfy most everyone's tastes.
Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures
Book Review: Worth a read
Summary: 4 Stars
"Stranded: Stories from the Edge of Infinity" is a combination of the thoughtful, the quirky, the funny, and the bizarre. Several of the tales are extremely short, or "flash," fiction. The brevity of these stories, far from detracting from their enjoyability, increases the impact of the point each makes. The longer stories in the volume have benefited from the room provided for the development of the characters and the framework within which they have been so skillfully placed. The combination of story lengths make this volume convenient for those who want to be entertained but only have a short time in which to read, and yet is re-readable for those who have the leisure to consider.
Ms. Raiser uses some unusual perspectives and premises in the course of her stories. What if I waited precisely one minute before performing each deliberate act? If I were a rock, what would I think? What if I could consciously completely forget anything and everything that I wanted to forget? She also provides a new take on some old questions. Why is the sky blue? What is "Hell?"
Individually, each story provides something for your brain to chew on. Even the shortest stories made me stop and think for at least a moment before moving on to the next. In a few instances, I decided to re-read the story I had just completed because the point I was pondering seemed too profound to be contained within such a small package. In others, I just didn't get it. Overall, I enjoyed this book.
Book Review: Extraordinary
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is dripping talent and the few dollars needed to make it yours is money well spent.
The insight to the human mind that flows from Kimberly's work is astronomical. You will have a hard time putting this down.
Make sure you book mark the poem, "Man upon a Rock". You will be back to it again and again.
Roger Haller
Cowboy Logic Press
http://www.cowboylogic.net/CLPforum/
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