Six Word Stories - A Review

 

Six Word Stories

Edited By

Doug Weller

A Review

Review:

Six Word Stories -

Imagination Starters

Doug Weller has provided a fun collection of stories - each six words long. The first half of the book contains 200 (?) stories consisting of six words each. Some are funny, some are serious, some are thoughtful, all are current - with one exception. The oldest story included in this collection comes from William Shakespeare, “To be, or not to be.”

The book is divided into three main sections:

1. The first section is a collection of stories written by and submitted to the author.
2. The second section is a tutorial on writing six word stories - included are more examples of this new art form.
3. The final section is an invitation and instructions for entering a contest with prizes (including publication) for submitting original six word stories.
   
   

I enjoyed reading the many stories included in the first section - coming from around the world, they represent many of the details of life - from childhood to death. Several picked up the very modern theme of the COVID-19 virus. Each was a complete thought (though not always a sentence) that further inspired this reader's imagination. Section two serves as a set of instructions on writing six word stories. It could more easily have been offered as a web page or site, rather than occupying one-half of the book’s pages. It would seem that its purpose was more motivation, rather than instruction. The third section was an invitation for readers to submit their own stories for inclusion in a future volume of this series of books. The current book is the third in the series.

Many of the stories could stand alone, others served as open doors to the reader’s imagination. The result is a five-star book that I enjoyed sharing with my wife and son.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

All-Star Batman Vol. 3: The First Ally - A Review

All-Star Batman Vol. 3: The First Ally

by

Scott Snyder

A Review

The world knows the early history of Batman, the man whose parents died one evening when out for dinner. Bruce Wayne would be raised by the families faithful butler, Alfred. What most of us do not know (this reader at least did not) is the early history of Alfred Pennyworth and his connection to British Intelligence. This edition of All-Star Batman provides some of that backstory.

The story moves back and forth between flashbacks and current history, occasionally making the story difficult to follow. But even with that small flaw, the story is fun and kept this Sexagenarian's interest. The artwork (both for images displaying the past and that displaying the present) appears to show a somewhat aged set of characters. I might expect the modern set of characters to show aging - but it was disappointing to see some of that same aging to appear on the historical Batman et al.

I expect those who are fans of DC Comics or Batman, whether earlier generations of the story or of the current generation will find the story and book of interest. I know I did.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.