Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite

Can war ever be justified? Can war prevent further wars? Bauder sets out to dissect these questions using a series of short stories. Each reflects an aspect of warfare and prevailing attitudes to it, from misplaced patriotism to the reasons that soldiers enlist and the consequences of their actions. My Father’s Name Is War: Collected Transmissions concentrates on the post-2001 Global War On Terrorism (GWOT), which involves the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has flashbacks to the past to add perspective and some glimpses into what might be with the advent of AI and virtual reality. The End Times Apocalypse is also featured. In many cases, there is a family legacy of service in the armed forces, but the author poses the question as to whether a veteran would want his son, daughter, or grandchildren to serve their country nowadays, given the profound changes to the political and military landscape, with the background manipulation, propaganda, and corruption that have crept in. It also reflects on the question as to whether there is still any uniform set of values remaining in the military. Is there still a warrior class? The notion that perception becomes a reality is expanded on, with the implication that the resulting construct no longer fits the facts. The ethos of warfare has been slanted toward a paradigm defined by business and politics. We are left to search for identity, with the authentic self at odds with the acquired self. A radical revision is overdue.

My Father’s Name Is War is hard-hitting, raw, and at times surreal. It lays bare the predicament of soldiers who have little or no say in their deployment and are at times subject to mortal danger, while the survivors can be maimed or suffer from post-traumatic stress. It also highlights the plight of the local population, who are equally powerless. This book should not be seen as a conspiracy theory, but rather as a critique of modern warfare that highlights injustice whereby neither the troops on the ground benefit nor the luckless civilians who are affected. The reality is that wars are engineered by politicians and that arms manufacturers are the ultimate beneficiaries. In that context, the author aptly refers to “the American business of war”. While written as military fiction, the situations depicted are realistic, giving rise to the disturbing possibility that much of what has been presented is true. Bauder writes with a fascinating style that is provocative, punchy, and will challenge the reader. He maintains a philosophical tone throughout, touching on many pertinent social, political, and military issues. The format is innovative and includes poetry and a play. Its powerful message is a strident call for the population to wake up. However unpalatable the content may be to some, it is an intriguing, perceptive, and thought-provoking work that is highly recommended.

Reviewed by C.R. Hurst for Readers' Favorite

Jane Austen and Regency-era aficionados will, without doubt, enjoy Pride and Perjury by Alice McVeigh. This collection of twenty Austen-inspired vignettes are variations of the 19th-century classics, Pride and Prejudice and Emma. The author delves deeply into Austen’s arguably two most popular novels to uncover threads of plotlines and minor characters not developed in the originals, creating a nostalgic return to backstories that Austen fans would like to learn more about and to characters we grew to love or, in some cases, as Austen herself might have said, grew to have no liking for. With attention to detail and obvious love of her subject, Alice McVeigh creates a wonderful tribute to Austen’s legacy.

Perhaps most apparent is how well the style of Austen is captured by the author: the quaint speech patterns, the subtle humor, and the satirical jabs at high society’s preoccupation with appearances are all on display here. Yet what I liked most about Pride and Perjury was the way it shows how the past of a character can influence the present – such is the case with a story called Mary Rose in which Mr. Knightley, the much older love interest from Austen’s Emma, remembers a tragic incident from twenty years earlier. In this story, Knightley reveals that he had had a forbidden love affair with a young woman named Mary Rose, the circumstances of which may explain why he was so reluctant to declare his love for Emma and why he was so often critical of her. Did he see his own past recklessness and immaturity in her? We, of course, will never know for sure, but variations upon Austen’s classic love stories such as this one make one thing clear – Austen’s novels are unlikely to be forgotten with talented and perceptive authors like Alice McVeigh paying homage to them.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Echoes of the Arcane is an eclectic collection of short stories and poetry by Cody D. Campbell. After years, a young woman revisits the previously quarantined woods near her grandparents' home and discovers that people have yet to learn from past mistakes. When people inexplicably lose their ability to see the color blue, a teenager grows up reminiscing about the world as it was, like everyone around him, until someone comes into his life and gives him a new perspective. A man equates the tumultuous events in his life to facing a pack of predatory wolves. Plagued by guilt over the death of his lover, an artist wakes up from a terrible nightmare with a new resolve. A dream catcher tries to protect a young boy from his nightmares while his parents go through a divorce.

Cody D. Campbell presents short story lovers with a diverse collection of tales in different genres, including science fiction and fantasy, alongside some mesmerizing complementary poetry. The stories in Echoes of the Arcane are tragic, poignant, and sometimes heartbreaking. They move you in ways that you never see coming. Almost all of Campbell's characters face different kinds of adverse situations, and something happens to them that changes the course of their lives. Each story offers readers a fresh perspective on human behavior and the human experience in general. Campbell also excels in seamlessly traversing different kinds of genres, from one story to the other, using their distinct elements to enhance the narrative and craft an enthralling anthology. This book is a must-read for all short story readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't recommend it highly enough.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

An error in programming the nanobots almost causes the extinction of the human race. Can they be re-programmed to save the rest of humanity? A woman investigates the murder of a man of the cloth, only to discover that she was the intended target. Can she solve the mystery? And, more important, will she survive? Dr. Katherine E.A. Korkidis’s The KEAK Anthology has many diverse themes in this collection of short stories, flash fiction, and novel excerpts. Some of the stories can be classified as literary fiction, while others are more clearly defined as mystery, thriller, historical nonfiction, science fiction, romance, and realistic. The author takes an idea and weaves a magical web of tangents and parameters around a compelling plot that captures the reader’s attention.

Dr. Katherine E.A. Korkidis’s The KEAK Anthology: A Collection of Short Stories and Much More is an intense look at this author’s literary career and that of her father, Artemios Korkidis, who wrote some of the stories. Each story is well constructed with a thorough consideration of plot development, characterization, narrative, and dialogue. The book itself is divided into three sections: short stories, flash fiction, and excerpts from five different (already published) novels. The author’s writing is engaging and entertaining, drawing the reader in right from the start. The author has a diverse interest in genres and themes and illustrates her succinct ability in each story she shares. This is a wonderful collection to be enjoyed over an extended period. There is something for everyone’s tastes in this collection.

Reviewed by Astrid Iustulin for Readers' Favorite

Tales From the Texas Timberlands by J. Andrew Rice comprises five short stories inspired by those told on Texas porches. They present very different characters and deal with many themes and situations. In the first story, we are on a farm where we meet Billy and Jim Colter and Billy's sons, Luke and Matt, all busy with the cattle. In the second story, a white man, Matthew Brunson, talks to an elderly Black woman and makes some reflections. Then, we follow Kenneth Howell as he decides to run for county commissioner. The next hero is a young boy named John, who hopes to stay out of trouble (different from his friend, Ike). Finally, we meet Travis Knight and learn about his work in hay fields and his vicissitudes with girls, sports, and bullying.

Reading Tales From the Texas Timberlands was fascinating. I have never visited Texas, but reading this book allowed me to take an imaginary but exciting journey to a place where you can find everything from cowboys to county commissioners. The book's strength lies in the skillful presentation of events that seem taken from real life. J. Andrew Rice created original characters and described them so well that you feel you personally know them. Many times, my only regret was that the story was over, but I will forever remember Matthew Brunson's reflections and the help that young John received. I recommend this book to all lovers of short stories, and I hope they enjoy spending time with these unique and fascinating characters.

Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

A bridesmaid learns that fulfillment of even the most innocent wish has consequences. The spouses cut a good bargain to deal with the unexpected results of using their newly bought microwave. A meeting with a doppelganger reveals the protagonist's life troubles. A mother works hard on her beloved son's Halloween costume, contemplating how time flies. A five-year-old casts a spell on her mother. A love for open fire can be useful when you try to avoid your past at any cost. Death and Other Survival Strategies by Carolyn R. Russell delves into these and many other topics, presenting a delightful short story collection for fans of literary and microfiction, short prose, fantasy, and suspense genres.

Death and Other Survival Strategies stirred a range of emotions in me. I was eager to learn the endings of Carolyn R. Russell's short stories and simultaneously scared to discover how everything had turned out. Full of dark humor, "Fairytale Wedding" became my favorite story in this collection. Although these short stories belong to multiple genres, including horror, many of them explore the issue of motherhood, like "All Hallows' Eve." Survival is another theme this collection surveys. In the intriguing "Border Town," a realtor is well aware of the dark sides of her profession. "Seventeenth and Clay" speaks about the solitude in the crowd and will resonate with psychological prose lovers. Carolyn skillfully crafts her multilayered characters and prepares many unexpected twists in the plotlines to impress us. The author's microfiction reminds me of quick impressionistic sketches, where reality merges with dreams.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

The Healing Book by Dustin Grinnell is a collection of short, slice-of-life stories about people trying to navigate the various absurdities of life. "An Affable Man" follows a young man disillusioned with his corporate career who finally finds meaning in his life after a chance encounter with a captive orca. A mother worries about her rebellious daughter and is pleasantly surprised when her daughter breaks the cycle of being an overprotective parent with her own child in "The Good Parent." In "Cured," a Harvard immunologist working with malaria-infected patients in Kenya finds his belief once again. A grieving husband turns to bibliotherapy as a last resort to cure his dying wife of cancer in "The Healing Book." "The Disciple" follows the experiences of a woman caught in the trappings of a con man's cult.

Through these short stories, author Dustin Grinnell places ordinary men and women in situations where they reevaluate their core beliefs and ideologies to circumvent their circumstances. The Healing Book is a riveting short story collection that forces you to introspect and offers a glimpse of life through the perspectives of people from a wide variety of backgrounds trying to overcome its challenges and hurdles in their own ways. All the characters in these stories feel like real people coming to terms with their own shortcomings and being human in their vulnerabilities. Despite the underlying existential themes integrated into the tales, Grinnell manages to make each story feel distinct and unique on its own. All in all, a brilliant collection for short story readers.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Immerse yourself in an enthralling collection of fifteen short stories with Forest for the Trees & Other Stories. Written by Mathieu Cailler, this collection covers different aspects of the human experience. An Afghan war veteran draws on his years of military training to track down his wife's kidnapper, but not everything turns out the way he envisioned. A woman becomes increasingly exasperated with her husband's behavior at the new diner in town and takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane in remembrance of her former lover. A pregnant woman begins to have doubts over the couple who chose her for surrogacy. Recently released from prison, an elderly convict visits his son's house to see him one last time and ends up stealing a Porsche. A woman is in for a surprise when she asks her six-year-old grandson why he is crying.

Mathieu Cailler explores various facets of the human condition with this captivating collection. Forest for the Trees & Other Stories is an absorbing anthology that takes you on a journey through a broad spectrum of feelings, encompassing the good, bad, and everything in between that comprises the grand tapestry of life. These stories make you think about what it truly means to be human. Emotionally resonant and thematically rich, this is a must-read for short story lovers. Every tale has a surprise or two in store for you, yet each of these stories feels distinct and brings something unique of its own to the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and can't recommend it highly enough.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Duane Simolke's The Acorn Stories: Second Edition is a collection of inter-connected short stories about the inhabitants of the town of Acorn in West Texas. Two lovers try to control the trajectory of their relationship, unwittingly driving a wedge between each other. While swimming in the college campus pool, the narrator goes down memory lane and reminisces about his childhood sweetheart. A deaf and gay high school English teacher stands his ground against an ultra-conservative football coach. A misogynist unable to pay his rent tries to rekindle a relationship with his childhood crush. A landlady's Siamese cat keeps messing up her romantic entanglements. An old man waits eagerly for his loved ones to return, not realizing the passage of time. A talented artist gets another chance to pursue her passion with an unexpected gift from her husband.

Duane Simolke presents an enthralling collection of slice-of-life stories set in a fictional Texas town. These tales shed light on the various facets of human behavior and showcase how seemingly mundane events can change the course of people's lives. Simolke's characters are very well-developed and feel like people you may have met in real life. Becky, Regina, Kyle, and Dirk all have distinctive personalities, and their interactions create drama that is delicious to consume as a reader. There is a sense of authenticity to the town of Acorn itself, which makes the setting immersive and the tales all the more captivating. Some characters and relationships carry on through multiple stories, while others remain as standalones. As a short story lover, I thoroughly enjoyed The Acorn Stories: Second Edition. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Here in the Dark is a collection of sixteen short stories by Meagan Lucas. Plagued by guilt over the death of an addict in her custody, a police officer must make a difficult choice. A woman desperately clings to the hope that her husband didn't intentionally abandon her. Two inmates trapped in the basement of a women's prison resign themselves to their fates as a devastating hurricane comes their way. A mother learns to let go as her daughter's addiction threatens to slowly suck the life out of the rest of her family. After his parents left him alone in this world, a young boy finds sanctuary at the house of the woman his parents resented. A young woman struggling with the trauma of abuse inflicted upon her by her abductor finally gets a chance to escape his clutches.

This is a captivating short story collection with various women from diverse backgrounds as protagonists. Meagan Lucas explores some of the darker facets of the human experience in this absorbing anthology that will leave you wanting more. The tales in Here in the Dark will break your heart in many ways, all while keeping your eyes glued to the pages. These stories are tragic and, at times, even twisted. They provide readers with a view into the darker aspects of the human condition while showing the vulnerability of being human. The author also touches upon some relevant social issues with these tales. If you're a short story lover, this book is a must-read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and you should too!