Another week of fantastic stories from some old faces and a new one in JB Mulligan.
Welcome JB.
It’s not always easy to find a common thread linking five stories together. This week has seen us travelling through several continents. Graveyards, hospitals, tattoo parlours, lost in the woods. We even found time to go to the pub.
Five very different stories from five very different writers.
And the common thread? High quality writing.
It is an opinion held by many that there are no new stories in the world. There are merely endless variations on a set of themes. New ways of making them felt.
We reinvent. We deceive. We tell stories.
Everything in life is said to be separated by so many degrees, six, or is it seven? Something or someone is in some way connected to someone or something else such that you discover Genghis Khan is inextricably linked to your Aunt Mabel.
Uncanny, isn’t it?
No it is not uncanny.
Anyone who has followed the progress of Literally Stories over the past seven months will testify to the fact there are no specific genres or themes favoured above any other in the choice of stories we have published. No subject matter has taken precedence over any other. There is no writing style which is de rigueur with the Editors of the site. Just good stories. At any rate, we, the Editors, like to think so. Not that every story is to everyone’s taste. You can please some of the people all of the time…
Water featured prominently on Literally Stories this week with three of the five writers navigating a course over, across, and even through it, in yet another flange of diverse stories and storytelling styles.
This weeks literary litany of the talent on show at Literally Stories is brought to you in a random round-up style and begins with Monday and Thursday’s stories.
No shortage of venues for Literally Stories authors this week as the narrative landed readers on two beaches, Hawaii and the south coast of England (probably), the streets of Vienna, a hellish dystopia on the cusp of apocalypse, and Kipling’s Rottingdean study via Afghanistan.
Once again Literally Stories was delighted to welcome three newcomers to the site this week.
Charles W. Bigelow, Frederick K Foote and Paul Griley.
Before I get to this week’s clutch of writers a small mention for tomorrow’s ‘In conversation with…’ slot, the second of which is entitled Tobias Haglund in conversation with Nik Eveleigh. A certain Mr. S. Crow puts in a guest appearance, too. Storming!
Three new authors graced Literally Stories with their literary talent this week: Patty Somlo, dm gillis and Alex Rezdan.
Patty kicked things off on Monday with Dead, a wryly observed tale from beyond the grave. Richard Ardus commented: “I enjoyed reading this thought provoking piece. The Magic Realism twist makes it one to remember.”
On Tuesday Tobias Haglund’s tragic love story Before Hitting the Ground had June Griffin remarking: “It may be a sad story, Tobias, but it’s also beautiful, moving and memorable.”
Off the wall – anarchic – satirical or just plain funny – take your pick from any of those or read what Vic Smith had to say about Wireless by another LS newcomer, dm gillis: “Funny, witty, disturbing; this is great stuff. I love it.”
What I am about to tell you should come as no surprise; yet again Hugh Cron is worthy of his ‘dirty realism’ tag with this story of an apparently reformed alcoholic, in Revelation. Vic Smith agrees no doubt when he says: “Quality, not quantity. Not a bad idea. Who wants to live forever?”
Friday saw the third and final newcomer of the week to Literally Stories, Alex Rezdan. Alex might have won the prize for longest story title of the week with A New Perspective or That Time I was Allergic to Wussing Out but he will have to wait to this time next week to see if he has won the much-coveted accolade of Story of the Week. Diane Dickson seems keen on Alex chances as she says: “Very nicely constructed. An entertaining story with a perfect mix of humour and horror.”
A Dave who did poll well this week is Dave Louden. Not a soap box in sight in this week’s Story of the Week, Ultra-Belfast.
Super.
If you missed that contest never fear here’s another one.
Literally Stories welcomed a new author – Ashlie Allen – onto the site in week 22. We also saw the return of an ‘old boy’ in Dave Louden.
Newcomer Ashlie gave Wednesday a real chill with The Violin He Played Downstairs – keep an eye out for that kid Abramo folks, he’s a bit special.
In an alternative Ulster known as Ultra-Belfast Dave Louden’s protagonist was seated at a card table with a rather unsavoury bunch. Texas Hold’Em was their game. You got to hand it to Dave, it was a fine story.
Sandwiched between these diverse horrors we found Hugh Cron, who dealt readers another unsettling hand when he gave us The Choice. Hobson only knows what to make of that one?
Sweden is a wonderful country full of peace loving, pine furniture admiring Nordics. Erm – not according to Tobias Haglund it isn’t. Well, wasn’t, back in the day when Sadistic Justice got metered out here, there and ‘bloody’ everywhere, in his gory tale of valour and revenge and how not to form a queue at IKEA.
If your appetite wasn’t fully satisfied by Tobias’ smorgasbord of Scandinavian mayhem then no doubt you easily digested the Bread and Chicken Diane Dickson served up on Friday. Not a culinary delight but a literary one nonetheless.
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