Saturday Shorts With Joshua Scribner

I have recently become a fan of Joshua Scribner's short stories and flash fiction. I love his style: he dives right into the dark, lures readers in with well-crafted suspense, and leaves us gasping with unexpected endings. Here are some recommendations:

100 is a story about changes. Scribner has a real talent for writing stories with surprising twists, and 100 is no exception.

Bad Marriages is an entertaining flash fiction story about an unhappy husband, but I wish it had been longer...maybe with multiple victims, all connected in their personal lives. I love the killer in this one...completely caught me off guard.

In New World Justice, an unusual society has risen. I certainly was not expecting the supernatural angle, and I definitely haven't read anything like this, but it is more bizarro fiction than horror.

Very Short Very Wicked is only a few pages, but still an incredible flash fiction collection with some variety. The first one is my favorite!

Sometimes curiosity can be both good and bad. Come Out is only a few pages, but it is full of surprises. Just when I thought I couldn't be caught off guard, along comes Scribner.

What's Right In Front Of You is Scribner's best story to date. I read the story's description beforehand, and I was still thoroughly surprised throughout the story. Ignorance is not bliss, it's just sad. There is a level of human darkness within these pages which is far more terrifying than the undead or other supernatural creatures. Scribner delivers a mystery so thick with suspense, readers will be gasping out loud.

These stories are just a fraction of Scribner's work. He has written dozens of short stories, anthologies and novels. Horror fans short on time should definitely check out Scribner's list.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Volume 2

More new releases from flash fiction author Joshua Scribner...

WAKE UP! is a shocking short centered on a man desperately trying to protect his family, but Stan doesn't realize what is happening. Very thrilling piece.

TASTE centers on an undercover detective named Mearl, who seems to share a similar type of intuition with a homeless man. The interactions of the two men are fascinating, making this short story an entertaining supernatural crime drama.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME reveals one hell of a secret! The ending came too soon, even for flash fiction. I wish Scribner would turn this one into a longer story. The premise is a mind-blower.

Joshua Scribner is the author of 13 novels and over 100 short stories, spanning horror, sci-fi and suspense. He currently lives in Michigan, and publishes new stories every month.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 1 of 7

Joshua Scribner continues to be my favorite flash fiction author. Even though I've been featuring the author almost every Sunday, there are still many stories by the author I haven't read yet. I thought a week of Scribner would be a great way to end Summer and prepare for Autumn...

A NIGHT SHIFT by Joshua Scribner is a very brief piece, but conveys several levels of horror. Becky is married to Sam, but having an affair with Tom. She's so self-centered, she disregarded the feelings of others, but someone has been watching her destroy her relationship...and he's not her best friend.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Powerful and Captivating

Two men awake within the confines of an electrified chain-link fence. Machine guns point at them from every direction. Fanged beasts stalk the outside. An hourglass shows they're running out of time. They have no idea why they're here.

CONDUCTORS by Joshua Scribner is food for thought, soup for the soul, and incredibly captivating. The psychological element is intense and the emotional aspect had me in tears. While this story is not like Scribner's usual pieces of horror, this is certainly one of his best.

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I usually try to limit reviewing an author to once a month, but there are many Scribner stories I haven't read yet. The author just released several more this month, so expect to see a lot more of Joshua Scribner in the Lair this year.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Glad I'm An Insomniac

NOT ME by Joshua Scribner is absolutely frightening, and not far from real life possibilities. Anyone disturbed by the amount of hate in society, as well as the overreach of the government, should definitely read the horrifying near-future Scribner has choreographed.

This is one of the stories we'll likely look back on and say, "Joshua Scribner called it." As I've said time and time again, people have the capacity to be the worst kind of monsters.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 5 of 7

THE PAUSE GHOST by Joshua Scribner is the tale of two boys being raised to believe rock music is evil. Despite this, the dad buys them a boombox, with the mother vehemently disapproving.

Not long after they begin using the stereo at night, something keeps pushing the pause button. When one brother decides to unpause the stereo, all hell breaks loose.

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This story is a trigger for me, and I don't care who thinks I'm crazy for writing this: I had a possessed stereo in college. Now, let me be clear, I am NOT blaming Rob Zombie, but I was playing a White Zombie CD when the disc was suddenly ejected. I took out the CD, and looked over the player, AFTER I TURNED IT OFF. Everything seemed fine. AND THEN IT TURNED ITSELF ON.

I unplugged it. There were no batteries inside of it. AND IT TURNED ITSELF BACK ON AGAIN. Understand, I am not one of those people who gets curious about supernatural events. I decided to give away the stereo.

No one believed me. My friends thought I was crazy for getting rid of a perfectly good CD player, until it began turning itself on, EVEN WHEN IT REMAINED UNPLUGGED. The portable stereo kept getting passed onto the next person, only to be immediately passed onto someone else because everyone decided the damn thing was possessed.

I have no idea what happened to the CD player. Maybe it crossed paths with Joshua Scribner and inspired this story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 1 of 7

This week we will be self-quarantining with Joshua Scribner and his short stories...a great way to get in the habit of reading every day.

PULSING by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece about man who exposed to something nasty at his workplace. Without realizing it, he becomes a carrier and infects the children in his apartment building. The ending is horrific.

As always,
AstraDaemon

I Wanna Suck, I Wanna Lick

His ugly best friend just took home the hottest girl in the bar. This should have been a red flag.

TAIL by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece which serves as a warning about one-night stands. This is also one of the very best stories by this author. I had no idea what Scribner would spring on his readers this time, and he managed to creep me out on several levels.

I'd love for Joshua Scribner to write more stories with this kind of suspense.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lies Lies and More Lies

A horrific story about a girl stopped on a quiet highway to answer for her crimes.

Limited Days by Joshua Scribner is a creepy little piece about a chick who gets pulled over by an unusual law enforcement officer. The dialogue is somewhat repetitive and Morgan has about as much personality as a dog turd. The ending is interesting, but I didn't find any of it particularly horrific.

I usually love Scribner's short stories, but this one doesn't showcase the author's trademark suspense. I recommend those new to Joshua Scribner start with Ghost Train and just skip this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: In Your Head

Welcome to another Sunday With Scribner! Joshua Scribner is one of my favorite flash fiction authors and these are three of his newest stories:

DO NOT DISTURB is one of Scribner's best stories, centered on a writer named John. He's attempting to work on a story in a hotel room, but housekeeping ignores the "do not disturb" sign on the door. John made a mess in the bed, but he won't let the maids handle it. The ending is an awesome supernatural shocker.

A DEEP AND DARK PLACE begins with Dalton being woken by a man crying, finding himself naked and confused. Strangely enough, I correctly guessed what is happening with Dalton, but I still enjoyed the story. I definitely recommend this one to readers who enjoy psychological horror.

UNHIDDEN features a man named Rolly, panhandling for a living. The people giving him money start asking him questions. I honestly thought it had something to do with Rolly saying "God bless," but I suppose that detail doesn't matter. The ending is brutal, yet just.

Keep checking back for more Scribner this summer!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner

I'll admit, I'm trying to catch up on all of the short stories by Joshua Scribner, so you'll be seeing a lot of the author in the Lair this spring...

PICTURES FROM THE POOP DECK is a flash fiction short that is a combination of Christine and Alexa. The exchange between characters is clever and suspenseful, but the ending hit me like a reckless driver.

Scribner has definitely upped his writing style this year.

IT STINKS! is another flash fiction thriller from Scribner. I don't know what inspired this story, but it's absolutely fantastic storytelling! The thought of a man developing such an unusual type of superpower is mind-blowing. The ending is a great climactic finish!

ONES AND ZEROES took me by complete surprise. When I hit the twist, the story became quite a wild ride. I thought this would be a purely psychological short, and I enjoyed the plot so much, I'd love to see a full-sized novel featuring Nick at his new job.

This story has raised my expectations for future Scribner stories. The author is going strong in 2019!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Scribner: View and Burn

Joshua Scribner is one of my favorite short story authors. He is a master at making the most out of just a few pages. I decided to check out a few of his flash fiction pieces this weekend...

A Better View is one of those stories that could stir up a debate about domestic abuse. Scribner knows how to make one hell of an impression.

Infinity's Burn is also only a few pages long. I'm not sure if Scribner intended to create a new version of Hell, but this story is a truly horrifying concept.

Blindness needs to be given an award. I'm definitely recommending this story to everyone with eyes. I'm truly amazed at the ideas that come out of Scribner's head.

If you haven't familiarized yourself with this author, get to it...

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Scribner in November: Day 3 of 6

PRAYING FOR A BABY by Joshua Scribner is an original flash fiction piece, but this story is far below the level of storytelling the author is capable of. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Scribner lost a bet and was forced to publish this one.

If this is your first Scribner story, I recommend you start over with IT NEVER DIED, 3AM SMOKE or SYCOPHANTS, to get a better idea of Scribner's true talent.

As always,
AstraDaemon

There's Fault In Our Design

OFF TRACK by Joshua Scribner is western-themed piece of flash fiction with a supernatural element about a bounty hunter and a man with a price on his head. When the two come face to face, a few VERY significant details are revealed about the two men, but it's the dialogue which steals the scene.

Flash fiction is more of a moment than a story, a glimpse of characters, but Joshua Scribner has once again mastered the moment with a one hell of a glimpse.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Tet Has Arrived

IT NEVER DIED by Joshua Scribner is the author's best story, of the 50+ stories I have read by Scribner. I read hundreds of stories every year, and it's been years since I've read anything so original. This isn't just a supernatural story, or a karma/revenge plot, this is the ultimate reincarnation tale!

Most of the action takes place at night, which jacked up the steady flow of suspense. This novella had me so on edge, I jumped when I thought I saw something come down my hallway. There are many levels within, with no clear "bad guy." I felt sorry for everyone involved.

If you only read one story from Scribner this year, make it this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Scribner in September: Day 6 of 7

A NEW LEGEND by Joshua Scribner is centered on bar with a secret which has spanned generations. The story is very original, and the ending is entertaining. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of repetitiveness, which I will chalk up to this being an older Scribner piece.

If you like ghost stories, check this one out because the author definitely gets creative. Be sure to check out Scribner's 2019 short story releases, which are far superior to his previous work.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Bad Company

TORTURED SPIRIT by Joshua Scribner focuses on a young woman who finds herself in a surreal situation with several other women. I immediately suspected the psychological aspect of the outcome, but Scribner still surprised me with a supernatural element.

If you enjoy this story, I recommend Scribner's mini-series, DOCTOR WOLFSTONE'S CLINIC.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Supernatural Thriller

UNIMAGINED by Joshua Scribner is horrifying, especially if you're a parent. I've been stalked, and I'm a mother, so this story really freaked me out. The mom has an anxiety disorder, her daughter has an imaginary friend, and her ex-husband doesn't believe anything she says.

When Scribner reveals the supernatural twist, I was desperately hoping for a happy ending, or a not-so-bad ending, but Scribner takes this one to a really dark place. I'm shook.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Ascension

ARROW by Joshua Scribner is completely freaking awesome. The author has blended science fiction with the elements of a fable, and the result is an inspirational story of working together.

This piece has a mix of Carl Jung, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis in the writing style. I'm honestly surprised Scribner wrote something this wonderful so early in his career. While I mainly a fan of the author's horror shorts, this is one of my favorites Scribner stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Defining Family

NEVER FEAR AGAIN by Joshua Scribner is one of the author's full-length stories, and also one of his very best. Scribner offers readers a family drama in the form of a paranormal suspense-thriller, spilling over with emotions.

The setup is a little on the slow side, but necessary to accurately portray the normal personalities and relationships among the family of four, before everything goes to hell. The alternating POV between Roland, Kim, Nate and Mark gradually unravels the mystery wrapped around the house they recently moved into, without being predictable in any way. Last but not least, Scribner delivers a savage and haunting ending.

This is far more than a haunted house story. This is a tale about the extremes a parent will endeavor for his or her child...even if it's at the expense of another child's well-being, or the cost of a marriage. Spouse vs. child, lust vs. love, will power vs. magic.

As always,
AstraDaemon