Crisis of Faith | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD by Julio Miranda is bland compared to the other short stories in the Horror You Crave series. A priest is summoned by organized criminals to pray over an unexpected horror. This opens up the priest to a test of his faith. The ending doesn't offer any resolution.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Uncertainty | Short Story Review | AstraDaemon

GET OUT OF MY HEAD! by Joshua Scribner is a guessing game: is the main character experiencing something supernatural or is having a psychotic breakdown? In either case, Scribner keeps readers hooked from beginning to end.

I've been enjoying Scribner's shorts for years, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Extended Warranty | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

DEBT by Joshua Scribner doesn't seem like a complete story, even for flash fiction...more like a brief chapter from a longer tale. Nothing to really make it stand out from the "sold my soul" trope.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Snap Decision | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

A TIMELESS PLACE by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece with a great build-up, but rather abrupt ending.

I really enjoy Scribner's take on the connection between dreams and waking life.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Wild | Science Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

Billions of years in the future, the Earth is but a distant myth. The sun had become a red giant at some point and had swallowed the inner planets, but even that was only a memory. Now it had shrunk again to a white dwarf. The civilization, which had moved to the outskirts of the solar system, was forced to capture the last bit of the precious radiation and moved closer again. There a surprise is waiting for them...

FACING THE CREATION by Sebastian Steffens is a wild sci-fi ride. The narrator is an intriguing character, and the reveal at the end left me wanting more.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Silent But Deadly | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

IN THE AIR by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece centered on the capture of a biochemist accused of murder. Everything about this story is quite a surprise.

As always,

AstraDaemon

One Minute Review 6 of 6 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS WAIT by Julio Miranda is a mix of bizarro and horror...could even pass for sci-fi, depending on your perception of events.

Kind of boring compared to some of the other Horror You Crave stories.

As always,

AstraDaemon

One Minute Review 5 of 6 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE THANKSGIVING MONSTER by Julio Miranda is horrific, but quite entertaining. I think I'm going to burn for liking this story so much.

As always,

AstraDaemon

One Minute Review 4 of 6 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

DOGGIES IN THE BASEMENT by Julio Miranda is extremely disturbing...too believable for comfort. People always make the scariest monsters.

As always,

AstraDaemon

One Minute Review 3 of 6 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

I'LL NEVER FORGET BEATRICE by Julio Miranda took a turn I didn't expect. Chilling ending. Highly recommend.

As always,

AstraDaemon

One Minute Review 2 of 6 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT, MILLIE by Julio Miranda is an excellent horror story about consequences. I hope Saul and his partner are given another story of their own.

As always,

AstraDaemon

One Minute Review 1 of 6 | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

THE GOAT KILLER by Julio Miranda introduces readers to something much worse than Chupacabra.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Wait...What? | Flash Fiction Review | AstraDaemon

BOOM GOES THE LONG GUN by Julio Miranda is non-stop action written in a way...I honestly thought this would turn out to be some virtual reality game for a teen. The ending surprised me. Unfortunately, this is not as good as some of the other shorts by Miranda.

Instead, I recommend THE GIRL-THING AT THE TRAIN STATION in the Horror You Crave series.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 7 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

ONLINE FRIENDS by Julio Miranda is nothing like what I expected. The story revolves more around the parents than the internet-addicted daughter. The ending is somewhat graphic.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 6 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS by Julio Miranda is horrifying in the most freakish way.

Recommending this one.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 5 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

SHE COULDN'T SEEM TO SPEAK by Julio Miranda isn't much of a story. A woman gets fired, and freaks out afterwards because she's been living beyond her means.

Honestly, I disliked the character, and I was hoping maybe she'd finally tap into her creative side...no suck luck.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 4 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE THING IN A FOREVER DREAM by Julio Miranda is difficult to follow. The wife is dropped off at the airport, and then the story has her back in bed without an explanation. Not sure if there is a time jump, if she really left...not sure if the husband is having night terrors, losing his mind or if something supernatural has invaded his home.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 3 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

ANDRZEJ AND THE FRIENDLY SNOWMAN by Julio Miranda is extremely dark, and I'm glad I didn't read this during winter.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 2 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE SKELETON IN THE MIRROR by Julio Miranda is an absolutely horrific family drama with a touch of ancestral folklore. The ending is terrifying because the POV isn't reliable.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Flash Fiction Review 1 of 7 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

ALFRED'S MUSINGS by Julio Miranda appears to be a psychological horror short, but the ending will have you second guessing everything.

As always,

AstraDaemon