What's in YOUR trunk?

I've finally read all the short stories mentioned in my previous post, and they were definitely fun to read.

Given the common premise and the fact that the authors all know one another, I didn't expect as much variation as there was.  I was pleasantly surprised!

I've written up my thoughts of the stories, but be sure to check them out for yourself!

These were all fun to read, but I'd be nervous to be in a room alone with any of these authors. ;-)

Here are my random thoughts about the stories, listed in order of my favourite to least favourite:

State Trooper Joke by Duane Swierczynski is a fantastic story. Good flow, interesting plotline, and very well-written.  Gimme more!

Dave White's Negative Lottery is told brilliantly from the perspective of a soon-to-be retired State Trooper. He's a wonderfully flawed yet sympathetic character. The story flows well and wraps up with a killer ending.

Bob Tinsley, who authored Moby Dick in a Can, can sure write.  This story sucked me right in, and impressed me with wonderful descriptions (like "a man so indescript he could disappear in an empty room") and colourful yet believable characters.

I really liked She Stole My Fortune! by Dave Zeltserman. Strong plot with a great ending.

John Rickards offered up Four Billion Funerals and a Wedding as his story, and I found it strange, funny, and very good.  Fantastic last sentence, too!

Bonnie and Clyde's Last Ride is Graham Powell's story, and it reads like a polished piece of writing that deserves more of an audience than it can get in the blogsphere. Thumbs up for the plot and characters.

Jennifer Jordan's story, I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts, is quite good. Great main character and fun plot twist. 

Soft Sell, by Gerald So, reads like a light, fun story until the great dark twist at the end. A very good read!

Pat Lambe's Dummy Receipt is a good story with a great ending.  Great tone, too. I could see this as the opening of an interesting novel.

Aldo Calcagno wrote The Anniversary, which is a well written story with a good ending (always important!).  There were a few sentences that seemed out of place, but they didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story.

Ray Banks' Delia's Gone is written in a style that I'm not used to, but it definitely works. The majority of the story is very funny, but there is a part near the end that just turned me right off. I won't say too much (don't want to ruin it for you!), but if you read it, you'll know to what I'm referring. Nevertheless, I'm convinced that I need to read more by this author.

I loved the name of Sarah Weinman's story (Rulebreaker), but thought the story could have flowed a bit better. There were some sections of the story that seemed forced or awkward, but I liked the way the story wrapped up and came full circle.

No Cure for Cancer is Jon Jordan's contribution, and while it could benefit from the services of a good proofreader, it's an interesting story. I have a real weakness for flawed characters, especially if they're sympathetic bad guys. I would have preferred it if the ending had been a bit more dramatic or surprising, but the idea behind it was definitely a good one.

Trunk Shot by Bryon Quertermous is a short hypertext story, and is very different from the other stories.  It was not much more than a character's rambling with links and pictures mixed in.  I've been much more impressed by the author's writing on his blog, so while I didn't care for this story, I'd be interested to read other efforts by Bryon.

Comments

[Bob Tinsley]

Thanks a lot for reviewing all the stories in this little experiment. And special thanks for your comments on "Moby Dick in a Can." This whole experience was a lot of fun.

[Gerald So]

Glad you enjoyed "Soft Sell", Tania. I echo Bob's thanks.

[Dave White]

Thank you very much! Glad you read and enjoyed 'em all.

[Duane Swierczynski]

Wow, Tania--I'm thrilled by your reaction to my story, and the others in the "trunk." Thanks for taking the time to read and comment like this.

[John R]

What they all said. :-)

[Aldo]

Tania,
Thanks for taking the time to read my story. This was great experience and I feel fortunate to have been invited to contribute with this great group of people.

[Ray]

I can't imagine what you found off-putting about the end of the story... It was the gin, wasn't it? You don't like gin.

Musta been.