Review: The Ultimate Recluse Tale
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 27, 2014
All I can say is "That is one amazing novella".  Luke Smitherd is a master at cleverly building the layers of suspense and revealing just enough of those juicy tidbits of plot at the same time, that it becomes very easy to hang on his every word, suspending belief in reality and plunging directly into the world of Table Ten. I was gasping for breath by the end because I was so involved with the characters and the story. What is better than that?The entire story revolves around an eighty year old man sitting at table ten at a bar along with his waitress. He acts strangely and she worries that he is deranged. At one point, he begins weeping, and because she has a big heart, and her boss tells her to, she walks over to the old man and asks what's wrong. In doing so she opens up Pandora's box, by hearing his spine chilling tale. I won't go into detail as I don't want to give away any of the best parts, but let me say this; the story of the old man and it's aftermath were some of the finest writing and plotting of any genre that I have read in some time. I am now putting Smitherd on my favorites list of authors, and that is a very short list.I think the thing that fascinated me the most about this story was the moral dilemma of the Old man and how much it made me think about what I would do if I was in his shoes. After the story was complete, I was also contemplating what I would do if I was the waitress. These are not easy positions to be in, but Smitherd gracefully set out the entire progression of the phases of the Old man's life.There are few characters in the story, but the protagonists were beautifully portrayed as flaws and muti-faceted human beings. The waitress could be any college student you meet. The old man would be an independently wealthy geriatric. The other characters in the story such as the roommate and the boss add structure and color to the story. Primarily, the story revolves around the two protagonists and the hidden Them. Won't go into details about that. Needless to say characterization is masterclass in  Smitherd story.Even though the two people stay in the bar, for the most part, the reason is the story and it's results are key. This story messes with you brain. It's not even a full novel and it can do that. Smitherd at full strength would be mind blowing.Bottom Line: To say I loved this novella is an understatement. I have found a new favorite author who writes like the old masters of science fiction. It is a good day for me. He has more books for me to read. Bravo Smitherd! You not only stand out in a crowd, you are by yourself in a field once populated by many. Thank you so much for writing this novella. 5 stars