Review: STUNNING AND THOUGHTFUL - WHAT A GOOD TALE SHOULD BE.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 1, 2011
Well, "the end of the earth as we know it" and "last man standing" books are certainly nothing new.  I remember reading my first one in the early, early 1960s (or perhaps it was the late 190s...I am old and get my dates confussed), when I happened upon a copy of the granddaddy of all this sort of literature, George R. Stewart's `The Earth Abides."  Folks, I have been reading books and stories in this genre every since -many of them, the good, the bad and the ugly.  Yes, the theme has been around for quite awhile now (Earth Abides was written in 1949), but I have to tell you that even though it has been used some, it most certainly is no worse for the ware, as can be attested to by this short work by Allison M. Dickson.As one reviewer here has so well pointed out, there is a big difference between a short story and a novel.  In many ways the short story, if it is done as it should be done, is a more daunting task than the novel.  Plot, character development, the all important "hook" line and lasting impact upon the reader must be accomplished using very little space; all the elements of a long novel must be compacted and presented in a very brief format.  The author has done this and pulled it off in spades with this short offering.I can tell you right now that this is not a happy read.  This is not a story of the sort that will offer the reader the hope of a wonderful new beginning - a brave new world, if you will.  No, this story is rather pragmatic when all is said and done, and I must say there is great sadness found in these lines.But this harsh look at what will probably be closer to reality, in one form or another is the sort of story that will grab you, and it is the sort of story that will stay with you.  That is what good story telling is all about when you really stop and think about it.  Bet you did not like the ending of `Romeo and Juliet," or `Old Yeller," did you. But by golly I bet both have stuck with you...haven't they!This is a fast read, it is a good read and it is a free read.  There really are few excuses for not giving it a shot.  Glad I did and I most certainly can be numbered among those who will be searching out more of this author's work.Don BlankenshipThe Ozarks