Location: Australia
Member Since: Nov. 13, 2011

Jack A Benson

Smashwords book reviews by Jack A Benson

  • A Letter to Parents about Sex and Your Kids on Nov. 13, 2011

    Straight talking, sensible, practical advice. This is an excellent essay that should be read by all parents and by all teenagers. Bravo. I'm going to try out your advice with my kids. Thank you.
  • The Heat Wave of '76 and Other Award-winning Stories from the Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award on Dec. 01, 2011

    Nothing sleazy about this book. This is erotica through and through. Great work!
  • I Love You on Dec. 11, 2011

    This reads like a plastic soap opera. All cliche and no substance. The explanation at the end, does the story no justice whatsoever. If you wish to read blacmange then this is the story for you.
  • A Visit from the Duchess and Other Award-winning Stories from the Stringybark Speculative Fiction Award on Dec. 11, 2011

    This is an edgy science fiction/fantasy collection. Some awesome stories here. Well written, gritty plots. Some good sexy stuff too without losing realism. I'm very pleased with this purchase.
  • A Christmas Miracle on Dec. 11, 2011

    How is this inspirational? God provides kids who are happy, healthy, fed but fails to touch the starving in the world? This is pap for the soul. Well written pap,perhaps, but pap nonetheless. Odd how one candle can heat an old wooden farmhouse in the middle of a snowy field. Odd how a mother can work until 3am every morning and get up a mere 3 hours later to work. Odd how the God-fearing woman had her kids out of wedlock. Too many oddities and impossibilities.
  • Fall for You on March 29, 2012

    This would be quite a good story if it didn't have basic spelling errors in it and sexual action that beggars belief. Remarkable how our fellatrix can get his cock into her mouth without removing his pants and why is she wearing a bra in bed? Anal sex without any effort? She might have been relaxed but not lubricated. A bit of verisimilitude would be helpful.
  • Between Heaven & Hell and Other Award-winning Stories from the Stringybark Flash Fiction Award on March 29, 2012

    I enjoy flash fiction - it's great for reading on the bus and train on the way home and so to read a well-written, entertaining anthology was quite a treat. This is a well edited book with a most interesting selection of stories. Very few duds - most of them quite brilliant. I'll read more Stringybark in future.
  • The Hunt on April 16, 2012

    Gems on Smashwords are as rare as diamonds. This is one of those few diamonds that make this place worthwhile. Beautifully written with marvellous description. It is a haunting tale. Admittedly I'm not sure I 'get it' yet, but the writing is so lovely, it hardly matters.
  • The Umbrella's Shade and Other Award-winning Stories from the Stringybark Short Story Award on April 16, 2012

    One of my big bugbears has been the difficulty in finding quality contemporary short stories for e-books. I seemingly don't have to look any further. This is a beaut anthology of excellent stories. Well laid out with nary a typo to be found. Like Sean Lee (below), I now have a completely new relationship with salad greens!
  • Zombie Mine Forever on June 24, 2012

    Quaint. Nice ending. Good be much longer and this would give you more options to try.
  • The Bridge — 21 Short Stories from the Stringybark Fiction Awards on June 24, 2012

    I very much enjoyed this anthology of short stories. "The Bridge" itself is powerful but also has a lovely humorous undertone which makes the story a delight to read. The other tales all just as good and vary varied. I found one or two typos but given what is published today I'll give the publisher the benefit of the doubt. This is an excellent collection and obviously part of an on-going series which I will read.
  • I Accidentally Ate The Whole Thing on July 25, 2012

    As the writer puts it himself - this is an absurd conversation; and therefore an absurd story. The italics, bold and plain text made it most irritating to read. Absurd.
  • Yellow Pearl - Eighteen Short Stories from the Stringybark Australian History Awards on July 25, 2012

    Top class anthology of historical fiction stories relating to Australia. For anyone with even a passing interest in history these stories will entertain and inform (an unusual combination on Smashwords). As Dorian Grey states below, the production quality of this e-book is high. No typos or layout errors in my download. Great work.
  • An Indian Slave Capture and Breaking on July 25, 2012

    I read to paragraph four and gave up, Words misspelt and grammar missing. For example: thru instead of through; beet instead of beat; stipend instead of stripped. If you can't spell, don't write. Writing is about communication. Ernest Winchester in his review below was spot on.
  • Scarlet on July 25, 2012

    Empty - nothing here - zip
  • Our Name Wasn't Written - A Malta Memoir (1936-1943) on Aug. 19, 2012

    I enjoyed this book simply because of the inter-generational perspectives given by the authors (Mother, children and grand-children). This makes history live. An excellent memoir of the terrible suffering the people of Malta endured from the Nazis during WWII. An excellent read.
  • FLAMING HOT - Erotica Romance Short Story on Aug. 19, 2012

    Gramatically incorrect garbage. "Sheer red patties." Really? No wonder it is free - nobody would pay for it. Sexy as a dead dingo on a hot road.
  • Marngrook and Other Award-winning Stories from the Stringybark Australian History Award on Feb. 28, 2013

    Never judge a book by its cover. I saw the cover and I thought, nah, but I've read a few other Stringybark publications so I gave it a go. There are some gems in this collection. The title story Marngrook is just poetic - as well as fascinating. Australian history comes alive in this collection. Well worth a read.
  • Hitler Did It on Dec. 04, 2013

    This is a fine collection of stories. The variety of subjects covered is broad and the styles of individual authors satisfying. Stephen Atkinson's story, "Dining by Moonlight" would delight any afficianado of horror, whilst David Wilkinson's tale, "Hitler Did It," is a highly satisfying mystery story. But all these stories are well written and worth reading, again and again.
  • Notes on May 31, 2015

    Another use for JK Rowling's Time Turner. A fine story if one doesn't think about it for very long. Some of the writing is a bit clunky.
  • Stew and Sinkers on May 31, 2015

    I'm very fond of both historical fiction and short stories and so to find both combined in this neat little anthology was a great prize. The winning story. "Stew and Sinkers" is a real doozy, but all the stories chosen for this anthology are a great read. I hope Stringybark will do another history collection soon.