MoratGurgeh

I'm a reader, have been for close to half a century and I'm both voracious and discerning.

It's a tough combination to keep happy, so bear that in mind if you didn't like my reviews here.

In general I won't rate down a good and well-told story for a few spelling mistakes. Without paying for a good editor and proofreader, it's not a sin. However I will rate down a story for

a) Easily spotted inconsistencies in the plot.
b) Anachronisms that could be easily researched*
c) Repeated use of clichés.

* I'm not an expert in anything, but I've read and know a *lot*. If I spot it then you can be certain that any expert in the subject will laugh at your story.

I love reading, and I love being told stories. In general I won't read anything that I don't think I'd like (who would?), and I won't pan something that's truly dire even if I was suckered into reading it, I just won't review it. The only time I'll rate down a story is if I liked it, but...

Which is a compliment. I wouldn't have bothered to type all that if I thought it was crap ;)

And one thing I will never, *ever*, do is give away the plot. I cannot begin to describe how annoyed it makes me when I see drooling idiots doing that in reviews.

Spelling notes for authors -

A roof can be peaked, but the voyeur peeked because his interest was piqued.

A mirror is shiny, not shinny. You should probably delete 'shinny' from your spell-check, I've never seen the word except in a dictionary.

Enervated is the opposite of energised.

Puss is a fluffy ickle putty-tat, but pus is the icky stuff.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/33-hilariously-terrible-novel-sentences-you-need-to-read/

Facebook: Facebook profile

...and 25 more

• Disequilibria (A Horror Collection) on Aug. 09, 2013
  
  Absolutely outstanding. If beautifully (even, at times, lyrically) written, thought-provoking stories are your cup of tea, then look no further. This is horror at its absolute best, the kind that engages you and makes you *think*. I'll get goosebumps from maybe one or two stories in a typical 20+ story Best Of The Year horror anthology, but the stories in Disequilibria scored 100% hit rate. They're *disturbing*, and unless you're looking for nothing but a splatterfest, what more could you possibly want? (not to say there aren't some truly nasty splattery parts, but they're not gratuitous). Even more astonishing, this is J C Paris' first published work, and, at least from the stories here, he already has a very distinctive style. My only complaint is that I can't find more of his work to read *right the hell now!*. Then again, I'll likely be re-reading Disequilibria again within a week. I really can't recommend this book highly enough.
  
• Paradise Denied on Aug. 10, 2013
  
  This is so much better than it sounds, and so much more of a smörgåsbord. Bearing in mind that the writer is/was a real-life CSI, there's quite a different viewpoint on these stories. Definitely recommended.
  
• 13 Drops of Blood on Aug. 10, 2013
  
  Good stories, and a wider selection of plots than may be apparent from the blurb. Very well written, and, I'm ashamed to say, the last two had me cringing whilst also ROTFLMFAO. Definitely recommended.
  
• Dead(ish) on Aug. 10, 2013
  
  Everyone in this nasty tale is a bad person. There's neither homophobia nor misogyny except *in* the characters. What poo! (previous reviewer) Very well told tale of common folks striving to better themselves, with some moral limits removed. And an awful lot of PMSL humour, big kudos for that. FWIW I read everyone as a South London (UK) character, and it was spot-on. Funny how that worked out :) Highly recommended for the not-easily offended.
  
• What the F*ck is a Christian Anyway? on Aug. 10, 2013
  
  As an unbeliever in any God, I have to say I appreciate the authors candor. Personal belief is quite a different to organised religion. Well said.
  
• The Hanging Tree on Aug. 10, 2013
  
  The description is the story. But... it's very well written and you're *there*. Recommended.
  
• The Watchers from within moments, Revealed on Aug. 14, 2013
  
  Excellent. Well-written, fast-moving, plausible and rather chilling. Highly recommended.
  
• The Queen of Carrion on Aug. 16, 2013
  
  Ugh. Truly nasty, and sadly all too believable. Nice job, sir! Highly Recommended for the *genuinely* non-squeamish.
  
• The Variant Effect on Aug. 17, 2013
  
  Excellent and original! Very well thought out, logical and detailed background, which the author uses to great effect in almost subliminal tension-raising throughout the story (is that an Effect? Or a mannerism?). Personally, I can't stand the standard zombie dreck - Oh noes! Virus! Mutation! Cannibal corpses! Blech. The Variant Effect is NOTHING AT ALL like that (there aren't any zombies for a start, although.... there are some similarities, but the Variants are *much* more insidious than boring old Zed), and just goes to show what a really good storyteller can do with a genre one may have thought played out. Great characters, too. Although as mentioned below they're not exactly nice people, their histories give good reason for it. The writing is also well above par. Plus some that's truly great. Several times I LOL'd inappropriately at carefully phrased sentences, or grinned at a throwaway (but oh, so apropos) comment. You got to be *good* to get me to do that ;) Overall, this was a genuinely unputdownable page-turner. I started reading it about 11pm and it's now 4:30 am :) I have to say I'd have been more than happy if I'd bought this book as a full-price paperback, and I'll definitely be buying the sequel (The Variant Effect: GreenMourning) without any hesitation, not to mention checking out more of G. Wells Taylor's work. Exceptionally highly recommended!
  
• The Variant Effect: Painkiller on Aug. 17, 2013
  
  An excellent short that follows on from the novel The Variant Effect and before The Variant Effect: GreenMourning. It's readable as a standalone story, but a lot of the references will pass you by if you haven't read the first (and highly recommended) novel.
  
• The Blinddust Collection on Aug. 17, 2013
  
  Great stories, told well. Genre can be hard to pin down sometimes, and these stories are very much like that. A soupçon of horror, a dash of fantasy, a teaspoon of humour... regardless, here it makes for a most tasty meal. Sadly, the whole book could do with a good editing, but most especially the last three stories. There are a *lot* of spelling mistakes (almost exclusively where an inappropriate but similar sounding word was used) and some of the tortuously constructed sentences would be much easier to read if simply changed around a little (mainly in Abandon). Still, the stories are very good indeed, and if you can ignore the needed editing, I'd definitely recommend this book.
  
• Outside the Wire on Aug. 19, 2013
  
  Wow! An excellent collection of extremely well-written and captivating stories. All the stories are good, but I particularly liked Gift of the Bouda, B.E.K.'s, Dougie's Hand (made me LOL) and Virtual Huntress (made me think about something that had never occurred to me before). Although the author doesn't have any other books available on Smashwords, he has two novels on Amazon based on two of the stories in this anthology - Succumbing to Gravity and Gift of the Bouda. Based on this anthology I'm putting both of those at the top of my to-buy list. Highly recommended.
  
• Till You Drop on Aug. 19, 2013
  
  Absolutely brilliant! I can't believe no-one's reviewed this book here yet. Ranging between amusing and ROTFLMAO, I didn't stop smiling the whole way through. Exceptionally well-written, with great characters that you can't help but like. If you're not a fan of zombies or vampires or werewolves (I'm not), don't worry, you've never met them like these before. If I'd read this without knowing the author, I'd have guessed Terry Pratchett at the top of his form, it's *that* good. Unhesitatingly recommended for everyone.
  
• Frozen Dinner on Aug. 20, 2013
  
  Wonderful! A tasty little story indeed :D
  
• Deepest Quiet: A Short Story on Aug. 20, 2013
  
  I think we've all been there at one time or another. Great story, told well.
  
• Caroline: A Short Story on Aug. 20, 2013
  
  That was... uh....um..... I'm speechless. Romantic, bittersweet and body parts. Stunningly good.
  
• High Art: A Short Story on Aug. 20, 2013
  
  Lovely! Short and to the point.
  
• Unbecoming on Aug. 23, 2013
  
  A beautiful little short that left me with a tear in my eye. Mr. Crowder is a pro.
  
• Elixir of Life on Aug. 28, 2013
  
  A very good story, indeed. However the writing feels stilted, almost as though it was forced. Nothing actually *wrong* with it, but it didn't flow for me. I'm intrigued, though, and will now go and read more :)
  
• From The Sky on Aug. 29, 2013
  
  Nice! Well-written, concise and to the point. Disturbing, too.
  
• Monsters on Aug. 29, 2013
  
  What an awful lot of atmosphere crammed into such a short story! Go read it now, it's really good.
  
• The Beach Scene on Aug. 29, 2013
  
  A brand new (to me, anyway) riff on an old theme. Very well done, too, smacked me right out of the blue :) Highly recommended.
  
• Derelict on Aug. 29, 2013
  
  Genuinely creepy. Mr. Berg does an excellent job of tension building.
  
• Two Fates on Aug. 29, 2013
  
  Very neat. Not what I was expecting.
  
• Burn In on Aug. 29, 2013
  
  Disturbing, increased by the protagonists deadpan delivery. You might want to take the Adult-content rating seriously for this one.
  
• In A Season Of Dead Weather on Sep. 04, 2013
  
  Quite excellent collection. All the stories gave me a shiver and are likely to stay with me for quite some time. I agree with the reviewer below, I was also strongly reminded of Thomas Ligotti (which is rather high praise). Clean and beautifully written with not a word more than necessary. Highly recommended for anyone.
  
• All Roads Lead To Winter on Sep. 04, 2013
  
  I confess that I only read this novella as I enjoyed In A Season Of Dead Weather so much. Normally anything tagged as erotica, let alone *furry* erotica would have had me skipping straight past (add Science Fiction, too, and I'd have run screaming). I'm *very* glad I didn't. The 'blurb' is accurate, but the depth and complexity of every aspect of the story is quite astonishing, not to mention the consummate skill Mr. Dillon has in presenting so much, both so seamlessly and so concisely. A beautiful, poignant, and truly outstanding example of a master-storyteller at work. Highly recommended.
  
• The Dread Dimensions on Sep. 06, 2013
  
  I'm a huge fan of Lovecraft being brought into the modern world, and this is a most excellent example of how it can be done.
  
• We Stand at the Gate on Sep. 06, 2013
  
  Wonderful story! Well told, with great characters and believable conversation. Highly recommended.
  
• Partners on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  A neat weird horror story, a bit like Law and Order meets The Twilight Zone, very well told. An extra star for the puns ;)
  
• When Cthulhu Met Atlach-Nacha on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  Don't be put off by the fact that this is a play. Really, truly, don't be. I was, but the premise was irresistible, so I read it. It's *excellent*. From the throwaway horror of the apocalypse as seen on a trip to a coffee shop to the completely believable but almost dysfunctional relationship between the characters, it's a play I would *love* to see performed. Not to mention the metaphysical ending which I found both startling and thought-provoking. I cannot recommend this play highly enough.
  
• Fresh Flesh on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  Not quite what I was expecting from the blurb, but a very good first novel. Some scenes are outstandingly well-written (our introduction to Torque springs to mind, you can feel the madness burning through your screen), and all-in-all it was unputdownable. Like others, I also felt that some of the characters were a little flat, but I read it (and visualised it) as an action/horror movie, so that's hardly unusual for the genre. If action/horror movies appeal to you, you'll definitely like this.
  
• Dead End Train on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  Hed Geek below nailed it right on the head. Definitely worth a read.
  
• Restless Highways on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  Please note that with one exception, this is a Flash Fiction collection. In other words they're all ultra-short short stories. Flash fiction is pretty hard to do, but Ms Webb is up to the challenge. This is a very mixed bag of stories, but there's something for everyone. My personal favourites are His Dark Ink (a very plausible explanation for a trend I've never understood) and Domestic Disturbance (so banal it creeped me the heck out *after* I read it). Recommended.
  
• They're Calling for You on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  What an original view of the end of the world! Very short, straight to the point. And quite funny. Highly recommended.
  
• Backwoods on Sep. 18, 2013
  
  Pretty darn good 'naughty military' horror movie (which is how I visualised it whilst reading). If it had been a movie, and made as well as the book is written, it'd be a 4/5, so... Recommended.
  
• Felis Dirus on Sep. 19, 2013
  
  Only three stories, but quite a variety. I loved Mother of Crawly Things, Lovecraftian but not in a way I expected. Recommended.
  
• Rushed on Sep. 23, 2013
  
  A darn fine novel. It reminded me a little of Peter Straub, more in the story itself than anything else. Decidedly creepy. Highly recommended.
  
• This is a lie on Sep. 24, 2013
  
  Quite wonderful. The author describes this himself as based on H.P. Lovecraft and Philip K. Dick, and although that seems rather a daunting task, I have to say that's precisely what Mr. Bailey has achieved. A genuinely great story. Although the text badly needs editing for spelling and (especially) punctuation, if you can ignore that I'd thoroughly recommend this story for a fun and entertaining read.
  
• North Black Asylum on Sep. 25, 2013
  (no rating)
  Unrated. You might want to get someone else to take a quick look at this, there are so many spelling and grammatical errors on the first page that that's as far as I got. Let me know if you do and I'll re-read and rate the story.
  
• Never What It's Supposed To Be on Sep. 29, 2013
  
  It's a shame that I saw the review below before I read this story. Is it really necessary to take away the entire well-hidden surprise of the story just because you didn't think? Great story.
  
• Monstrosities of the Freeze on Sep. 29, 2013
  
  Great horror. Creepy, nasty, and very, very weird. My only criticism is I wanted more.
  
• Making It Work on Sep. 29, 2013
  
  Not nice, not politically correct, but I think you may identify just a little with Lundy.
  
• Blue Sky/Red Ice on Sep. 29, 2013
  
  Mr. McAllister has a talent for weaving tales that haunt you. This one is no exception.
  
• Yankee Doodle on Sep. 29, 2013
  
  Horrible, violent....yet also funny and apropos. If only all flash fiction were this good.
  
• CoffinCam on Sep. 29, 2013
  
  Ignore the review below, I must assume it's based on some 'Rules for writers' written 50 years ago. A truly vile idea, turned into a nasty and well-written story. It's got a lot going for it ;) The funny thing is, the genuine monster is all too human. Not desperately gory, the true horror is much more psychological.
  
• Automatons on Oct. 02, 2013
  
  Both starkly beautiful and profoundly disturbing, BP Gregory's Automatons is a novel of a dystopia that's just around the corner and all too plausible. With characters that you can't help but like despite their many flaws, and a very Australian setting and dialogue (coffee ruined a perfectly good keyboard the first time I encountered 'nose-goblins'), I cannot recommend this story highly enough.
  
• Cacophony: Collected Short Stories Volume One on Oct. 02, 2013
  
  The only word I can think of that would cover all these stories is 'unique'. If you have a mind, and you like to use it, just go read the book.
  
• Strangers on Oct. 04, 2013
  
  Read the story before the reviews. Read the story, watch it unfold. I give 5 stars for a reason.
  
• A Life On Fire on Oct. 07, 2013
  
  A remarkably powerful story, a little like (and I know it's a tired cliche) an R-rated Twilight Zone episode that would never in a million years be shown on TV. Damn fine story, Mr. Bowsman. Thank you.
  
• Dog Food on Oct. 07, 2013
  
  I found this whilst browsing horror, and I have to admit I didn't much care for the way it was written (it seemed very stilted), but the last page more than made up for it :D Totally unexpected and I LOL'd.
  
• Into the Strange on Oct. 07, 2013
  
  The stories are a bit hit-and-miss, but there's a few good short-shorts in here, and it's well-written.
  
• Last Cigarette on Oct. 07, 2013
  
  Agreed. A tasty little short thriller.
  
• Identikit on Oct. 07, 2013
  
  Very well done tension building.
  
• The Four Ringtones of the Apocalypse on Oct. 07, 2013
  
  Lovely! A little Robert Rankin-esque interlude :D
  
• Cons on Oct. 09, 2013
  
  I guess I must be sick and twisted, coz I *love* this story. As has been said below, the described violence is so utterly over the top that it's beyond shocking, and the twist is masterly. Wholeheartedly recommended for those that aren't squeamish :)
  
• Johnny's Demons on Oct. 09, 2013
  
  A fun and amusing little megalomania story :) Although the math for the demons is waaaaay off.
  
• The Place Of The Shoggoths on Oct. 09, 2013
  
  A whimsical Lovecraftian poem. What's not to like? :)
  
• Night Sentry on Oct. 13, 2013
  
  A perfect example of when less is more. No unnecessary backstory, just the bare-bones of a rather chilling encounter.
  
• That Stupid Kid on Oct. 13, 2013
  
  I read this after reading Night Sentry, and although both are very short stories, Mr. Hall has done the written equivalent of a very talented portrait artist. The characters are barely sketched in, but you recognise them instantly. And *that* is what makes this a powerful story, a serious accident brought right into where you live.
  
• The Water Peddlers on Oct. 13, 2013
  
  Wonderful story, great characters, tightly written. This should definitely be in someone's Best of the Year anthology.
  
• Easy Money on Oct. 13, 2013
  
  A fantasy setting with a realistic political background, dirty tricks, and characters that feel real. All in an adventure story of less than 4,000 words? You, sir, are being favourited. :)
  
• Now Recruiting on Oct. 13, 2013
  
  Ah! Short, and very much to the wickedly sharp point. Nicely done, sir!
  
• Undermeat on Oct. 14, 2013
  
  Not even vaguely Lovecraftian (review below), much more dark Clive Barker. Pretty good, too.
  
• Kadaverdisciplin on Oct. 15, 2013
  
  Absolutely stunning Steampunk novella. I can't recommend this highly enough.
  
• Just One Day on Oct. 15, 2013
  
  I usually avoid zombie stories, but zombies in space...OK, I'll give it a try. I'm glad I did. As the other reviewers have said, Mr. Prytherch does an absolutely wonderful job of building suspense all the way through the story. Thoroughly recommended as both SF and horror.
  
• Dreams: A Trio of Flash Fiction Tales on Oct. 17, 2013
  
  Three great shorts. Down Deep left me wanting more of the story, but that's a good thing :) Highly recommended for the discerning reader.
  
• Spiders in Your Mind I on Oct. 17, 2013
  
  A refreshing collection of well-written shorts. No zombies, no vampires, and not *too* much gore. I was expecting the title story to be all too predictable, but it was actually very, very creepy. I particularly liked The Kids from Snape (a no-brainer for the Sorting Hat, and who hasn't wondered where the little monsters came from?).
  
• Black Treacle Magazine (October 2013, Issue 5) on Oct. 17, 2013
  
  I've read all 5 issues of Black Treacle so far, and I have to say that the stories are never less than good, and sometimes excellent. I'd highly recommend the magazine.
  
• Outpost on Oct. 27, 2013
  
  Remote lake, group of friends, nasty doings - we've all seen and heard that one many, many times,so what's different here? It's frickin' *creepy*, that's what. A writer that can take a general scenario that's so familiar that it's a cliche, and then make it fresh and interesting again... That's a talented person. Great story, and (for a short) believable characters.
  
• The Claverhouse Emails: Still Waters on Oct. 27, 2013
  
  I like The Claverhouse Emails, you're never quite sure exactly what you're going to get with each one. This one is particularly good. 'Nuff said, go read it.
  
• Search and Destroy on Oct. 28, 2013
  
  Very tense and claustrophobic, with a wealth of incidental detail that brings the story alive.
  
• Untruths on Oct. 28, 2013
  
  A great and varied collection, ranging from black humour (my fave, And Then I Woke Up. So true, so true) to tongue-in-cheek alien Royals. Not to mention a dash of SF and some good old-fashioned horror. Margaret's God, although an alternate history story, is also disturbingly plausible to anyone that lived through the period. Definitely recommended, especially if you like stories with an unobtrusive English 'feel' to their characters.
  
• The Lamb of God© and Satan's Hairy Scrotum on Nov. 04, 2013
  
  This story is utterly without any redeeming features whatsoever. It's vile, sick, twisted, gross, and blasphemous beyond belief. But it's also quite absurdly amusing. Jolly good show, old bean.
  
• Duval Street: A Short Story on Nov. 04, 2013
  
  I disagree with the previous reviewer. I found the descriptions to be the heart of the story. Very odd and very evocative.
  
• Infinite Limits on Nov. 04, 2013
  
  I'm not a fan of zombies, but zombies and SF can be interesting. It is here. This is really swords and sorcery fantasy, but with an SF underpinning, and it works very well. An interesting and well-written novel that was good enough for me to also read the two (currently) sequels.
  
• Limits @ Infinity on Nov. 04, 2013
  
  A great follow on to the somewhat confusing Book 2. This is much more like Book 1and if you liked that, then the story continues here.
  
• Saving Fiona on Nov. 13, 2013
  
  Great story! Fun and unexpected :)
  
• Grand Theft Planetary & Other Stories on Nov. 13, 2013
  
  More of a mixed bag than solely science fiction, there are some really good stories in here, some of which made me LOL (I was so there for 'A Theoretical Question' ). Definitely worth a read.
  
• Poisoned Bluestripe & The Machine and Her Mahout on Nov. 14, 2013
  
  Very good indeed. Two well-written, old-school SF stories. Don't be scared off by the 'hard' SF bit, they're not full of techie gobbledygook, just realistic science.
  
• Gingerbread House & Joey's Undead Dog on Nov. 14, 2013
  
  Wonderful! Two stories that make you shiver while you're smiling. It's a difficult thing to achieve, but, as the author says in an afterword - "I also wanted... to hit the difficult middle mark between humor and horror." Spot on, Ms. Cheek, spot on.
  
• The Clock on Nov. 14, 2013
  
  A neat short-short, straight to the point.
  
• Touch on Nov. 19, 2013
  
  Great story! And the game sounds more than a little plausible. Interesting philosophical short with humour. Highly recommended.
  
• Winter Cat on Nov. 20, 2013
  
  Beautiful, bleak, poignant and goosebump-y.
  
• Horror Story of The Heart on Nov. 24, 2013
  (no rating)
  No offence, but I gave up on page one and a 'corroded' artery (it's carotid). Spell check it, message me on FB and I'll re-read and either rate or delete this comment.
  
• Heaven Below Us on Nov. 29, 2013
  
  I have to agree with the previous reviewers. A damn fine story, told excellently.
  
• Escaping on Nov. 29, 2013
  
  Eloquent riddle is a very apt description. An apparently odd little story with unexpected depths.
  
• Now and For Always on Nov. 29, 2013
  
  If you're at all introspective, at some point you've probably wondered what your life would be like if you knew it all in advance. It *could* be like this. And it may not be at all what you're expecting. 5 stars. 'nuff said.
  
• The Circular Logic of Space Exploration on Nov. 29, 2013
  
  Perfect title, and a perfect analogy of how SF works.
  
• Plasma Frequency Issue 7 on Nov. 29, 2013
  
  Rather a good and varied collection of stories. I'd definitely recommend it, and I shall be reading past issues
  
• The Slow Descent on Dec. 03, 2013
  
  Perhaps this hit me closer to home than previous reviewers, but I found it quite profoundly horrifying. Funny how the absolute worst things can sometimes be so commonplace as to be invisible. Not a story I'll *ever* forget.
  
• Plasma Frequency Issue 6 June/July 2013 on Dec. 06, 2013
  
  I started reading from issue 7 and worked backwards. The editing markedly improved over time (although it wasn't *bad* to start with), but the variety and quality of the stories is good to excellent throughout. Most definitely one of the better online magazines around, and not only on Smashwords. Highly recommended, especially if, like me, you enjoy good SF, horror and fantasy, but you also like to not know exactly what kind of story you're reading in advance.
  
• Plasma Frequency Magazine Issue 1 on Dec. 06, 2013
  
  I started reading from issue 7 and worked backwards. The editing markedly improved over time (although it wasn't *bad* to start with), but the variety and quality of the stories is good to excellent throughout. Most definitely one of the better online magazines around, and not only on Smashwords. Highly recommended, especially if, like me, you enjoy good SF, horror and fantasy, but you also like to not know exactly what kind of story you're reading in advance.
  
• The Fourth Treatment on Dec. 06, 2013
  
  Shorter than you might expect (there's a novel excerpt included), but a rather unusual look at the possible ramifications of rejuvenation. I found it interesting, thought-provoking, and memorable. Definitely recommended.
  
• Matchmaker on Dec. 06, 2013
  
  Excellent. Simply excellent. As a computer geek who's exclusively internet dated for well over a decade, I have to say this story is 100% spot-on in every single respect. It just takes it one logical step further. Bravo, sir!
  
• Of Little Faith on Dec. 07, 2013
  
  I'm a sucker for mythology meeting the modern world, and this story didn't disappoint.
  
• The Census Makers on Dec. 20, 2013
  
  Neat story, with believable characters and a clever premise. Oddly satisfying, too, which is pretty good going for such a short story.
  
• Jupiter 39: Hegemone on Dec. 21, 2013
  
  Very, very good indeed. I came to Smashwords from Lightspeed.com magazine via Lovecraftzine.com and several others. This is the first time I've heard of Jupiter (despite it having been published for 10 years), and it's very much worth your time to peruse.
  
• Turing's Revenge and Other Stories on Dec. 21, 2013
  
  Interesting, varied and very well-written. Farewell To Arms is wonderfully deadpan (I pictured Arnie), and the vicious little alien bastards in Wise As Serpents felt quite astonishingly real for a short story. My only criticism is that I wanted more stories :) Unreservedly recommended.
  
• The Significance of Snowflakes on Dec. 21, 2013
  
  A fun tale that sneaked some thought-provoking under my radar. I have the urge to immediately read the story again, and short stories just don't *do* that to me. Refreshingly different, highly recommended.
  
• Socks on Dec. 21, 2013
  
  I agree with the previous reviewers comments. A short story that manages to be both whimsical and gritty at the same time. I suspect it's also one whose imagery will stay floating around in my mind for quite some time.
  
• A Slightly More Civilized Game on Dec. 21, 2013
  
  That was extremely well done. I've rarely been quite so blindsided by a plot twist (I had to read it twice to make sure I'd read it right), and the credit for that goes squarely to Mr. Pearson. Bravo, sir.
  
• The Ghost in the Machine on Sep. 02, 2014
  
  Excellent.
  
• Easy Reading for Difficult Devils on Sep. 06, 2014
  
  Easily on a par with the better paperback horror anthologies, and with an unusually wide range of stories. This is *much* better than the blurb may indicate. Highly recommended.