Review,  Writing Resources

Review On Spec #77

A little late in reading this one as I just finished it before #78 arrived but I had to clear a backlog of other stuff first. Wish I hadn’t waited so long because this is certainly one of my more favorite issues of On Spec in the last while.

The Resident Guest By Sandra Glaze
A young woman working in a hotel grows up under the watchful eye of a ghost (a World War veteran) that lives in the hotel. This was a fascinating story, hitting the reader on several levels. Really enjoyed this one.
The Far-springer by E. Catherine Tobler
One of medusa’s sisters tries to survive in a hostile world. Though a monster, Euryale the gorgon is still a sympathetic character and read this story with great interest.
Surveillance by Jonathan Cresswell-Jones
This is a short-short, too short in fact to really say much about without spoiling things, but it was a good read.
Case 143 by Robert Piotrowski
A good story but I’m not a fan of the whole detective thing. Still this one was funny and enjoyable.
Emily’s Shadow By Al Onia
An older man who has an ability that lets him repair motorcycles (and perhaps other things) helps a young woman repair an old bike. The main character was gruff but likeable and develops believably as he is faced with changes to his world. Liked it.
The Exchange by Karen Keeley
Another short-short, this one didn’t work for me as much as Surveillance.
Angel in the Corner by Benjamin Gleisser
I don’t want to spoil this very cool story, so I’ll try and tread carefully with what I say. The concerned narrator slowly unveils a cast of characters, centered around a school, and the situation they have gotten themselves into regarding a teacher who might (or might not) be teaching religion in class. I really liked this.
The Gospel Truth by Rhonda Collis
An old woman wandering comes across something strange during her vacation in New Zealand. A good story… I thought I knew where it was heading but was surprised to find myself wrong.
Left-hand Turn by C. Burger
A rather odd character knows that the world is about to end and is unable to convince anyone of it. We get to experience his rather odd journey as the world rapidly changes around him. Bizarre, but entertaining.

Former lead designer at BioWare (Dragon Age: Origins, Neverwinter Nights). Creator of Raiders of the Serpent Sea.

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