Iron Kilt

We publish a variety of fiction.

Website: http://www.scottroche.com/blog
Twitter: @spiritualtramp

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• Double Deal on April 21, 2010
  
  I quite enjoyed Lost Gods, so when I found out Drew was on Smashwords, I sought him out. This is an excellent little story, gritty yet charming.
  
• Tumbler on April 21, 2010
  
  Brand Gamblin is writing the sort of science fiction that I am rapidly becoming very fond of. It takes characters that seem as real as my next door neighbors and puts them in a futuristic world that’s less about ray guns and aliens and more about life on the frontier of space. I'm looking forward to his next work.
  
• Lilith on Dec. 03, 2010
  
  The Bible as it stands tells us that in the beginning God created one man and one woman, Adam and Eve. There is a tradition however, in texts from the Middle Ages, that God created an equal to Adam and her name was Lilith. In the short story, or rightly classified faeirie tale, by Dan Sawyer begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting we get to see what she might have been like had she existed. I first got to hear this story in podcast form. If you’re not familiar with Dan’s podcast work I highly recommend it, particularly Down From Ten. You can find it all at his site http://jdsawyer.net/. Why, you may rightly ask, would I go through the expense, however minimal, of buying a short story I’ve already heard? Well, that’s a good question. I think that some stories benefit from being read in addition to being heard. There’s also the matter of thanking an author for an excellent story by buying it where there’s opportunity. My purchase of Lilith is actually a result of both. There’s a fair amount of sex in this story, though much of it is less about titillation than it is about power. Sexual politics is at the core of this story. The struggle for equality, the different roles and gifts that men and women have, things that have been plaguing relationships since perhaps the very beginning of civilization are played out in these three thousand plus words. Of course all of this is filtered through Lilith’s point of view and like any first person narrative you have to ask yourself how reliable a witness she is. She does, after all, represent chaos and all of the pros and cons that involves. Like any good fiction, this story raises a good deal of questions about our own reality and our relationships with others. Does Lilith fall into the same traps that some men do in achieving her desires? She holds the Voice, the creator of the universe, responsible for the state of things. We strive to do the same with God, hesitant to take responsibility for our own actions. Is that warranted? There’s a lot more I could say, but that risks revealing things about Dan’s story that I’d rather you discover for yourself. If you’re looking for a provocative and interesting tale for your e-reader then I can definitely recommend this one. When you’ve read it make sure you reach out to Dan and let him know what you think. Then drop me a line and we can talk about the rest of the story. I give Lilith four and a half out of five Golden Delicious.
  
• Breakers on Dec. 30, 2010
  
  I’m a big fan of Paul’s. In a world where most fiction classified as “horror” involves an excess of gore/sex or sparkly undead, he’s a breath of fresh air. What fiction of his I’ve read uses a degree of subtlety that I appreciate. It’s also horrific in ways that truly exemplify the word. At four thousand words it goes quickly and the price tag of “FREE” is perfect. A true “review” of this is difficult without going into too much detail. I find that’s always true with short stories. Here’s what I can say. He sets up a world in this story that could easily be the one we’re living in right now. That alone makes this frightening. Check it out and if you like it, I think you’ll enjoy his other fiction. I give it four out of five scalpels.
  
• Invasion of the Orb Men on July 05, 2011
  
  “Orb Men” is a novella clocking in at about twenty-thousand words. It’s not exactly science fiction, so much as it is historical fiction with a pulp sci-fi feel, a touch of the political thrills, and a dash of good humor. Paul’s put a lot of work into this story and it shows. The lead investigator, Creeger, is a well thought out and well executed protagonist and the whole story has the feel of a fifties movie. I’m not sure how he accomplished it, but I could see the scenes playing out in my head in black and white. The dialog is tight and the rest of the characters, including Creeger’s team, are believable. The most satisfying part is the ending (are the endings>) and while I won’t spoil it for you, I can say that everyone gets what they deserve.
  
• Black Velveteen on Aug. 22, 2011
  
  Take Blade Runner and CSI: Special Victims Unit Put in blender Hit Frappe Get delicious story
  
• Angels Unawares on Sep. 14, 2011
  
  I don't give stories five stars very often, but when I do it's for a well told story that you will read more than once. This is one such story. Dan breaks a few of the "rules" that I hear on a somewhat regular basis: "Don't write in dialect." "Don't write in first person." "Don't get involved in a land war in As.." Okay maybe not that last one. Suffice to say this is a touching, haunting, beautiful story and is underpriced at $.99 in terms of how much pleasure I will get out of it.
  
• Cargo on March 21, 2012
  
  Good little piece of military sci-fi.
  
• All Our Tomorrows on April 05, 2012
  
  Black holes, zombies, time travel, this book has them all. This collection of ultra short fiction is like a tray of dim sum. Each little bite is different from the last. You may like some, you may not like others, but as a whole it will leave you satisfied. You may even want more like this down the road, I know that was the case for me.
  
• Stuffed Monster on Sep. 21, 2012
  
  This story was a lot of fun and is one I'll be sharing with my kids!
  
• The Day She Was Born on Dec. 10, 2012
  
  More a vignette than a story. It could benefit from another editing pass, but it was enjoyable.