Review: Creepy and Awesome!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 21, 2012
This time around, there were a couple stories where the authors decided to pick a topic and both write a story around it.  The first was fireflies.  Fireflies by Jen Wylie surrounds the magic you feel when catching fireflies.  Security by Sean Hayden is about how catching fireflies can have grave consequences.  These stories are both a little weird, but in vastly different ways.  Just a Bear by Jen Wylie is about how sinister or safe a stuffed bear can be, and really made me appreciate the old stuffed animals that reside in my closet.  Mr. McClunkin by Sean Hayden is a steampunk story (which I'm not usually very fond of) and walks a delicate balance between heartwarming and scary.  It's really neat to see how both can take a subject and go in vastly different directions.There were several stories revolving around zombies.  The Zombie Apocalypse, Blue Moon, and Duck Hunting by Jen Wylie all have an undead aspect.  The first is a new take on how it could happen; the second is about a deliciously vengeful witch, and the third is what happens when a writer is woken up from her beauty sleep by duck hunting season.  The Zombie Dialogues is the only zombie related story that Sean Hayden contributed, and it was freaking hilarious.  I would love to see more of the two characters he showed us.Pumpkin Carver, GTMV-219, Bubba Fangs, and In Hell are Sean Hayden's other stories.  The first is both heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time as he writes from his heart; the second is a dark and twisted story about a virus and how it helps a young man get the upper hand; the third is a crazy combination of gross and hilarious as a "Walmartian" meets a vampire while on duty; and finally there's a story that makes you think about your beliefs in a funny way without getting all religious on you.Jen Wylie's other inclusions are Little Devil, Whisperings, and Shadow of Innocence.  The first is a devious twist on what it's like to raise a son by showing how some days are better than others; the second truly disturbed me as someone who frequently doesn't get enough sleep myself and is just really creeptastic; and the last is a fantasy about the darker, yet still noble, side of unicorns.Incredibly well-written collection of short stories, Flashy Fiction and Other Insane Tales 2 is just as fascinating, spooky, and funny as the first - maybe even more so.  Like before, there's a little bit of everything for all reading tastes.  There's a little science fiction, some steam punk, same fantasy, some paranormal, and even a hint of contemporary.  Be ready to sit and read it all because infused with humor and/or horror, every story will hold you breathless with anticipation.**I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.**