Tag Archive for: Short Story

Shorty: A Mech Warrior’s Tale

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Bravery isn’t built. It’s forged.

On a planet plagued by perpetual war, where a mech is a prerequisite for survival, there is one simple rule: Be bigger than the other guy or get your ass kicked.

At just seventeen measly tons, Shorty doesn’t measure up. His enemies can level cities and punch holes through mountains. They can reshape the world on a whim. They wouldn’t be caught dead in an overgrown trashcan like Shorty.

But Shorty isn’t interested in the rule of size.

He knows heart isn’t measured in pounds of steel. Bravery isn’t found in the finest machined parts. Glory isn’t just for giants.

Shorty has a new rule, and he’s about to teach it to everyone.

Ass-kicking doesn’t have a size requirement.

Amazon

My Rating & Review

If mech on mech violence disturbs you, then don’t read. But if you like mechs duking it out on a planet battlefield littered with the dismantled carcasses of the losers, then this short story is for you.

It begins with a runt of a mech, affectionately nicknamed Shorty, and a mech pilot that has learned to navigate the turbulent waters of a planet battlefield. The years he’s spent on planet has given him keen insight into the situation he’s facing. And that’s what makes this an enjoyable story. It’s the personality the author (Scott) has given the pilot. He’s brash (the mech pilot, not the author) but vulnerable. In every decision made, his life is the ultimate price to pay. He knows that, and even faced with that grim reality, marches on.

Scott does a good job of developing his story and characters through some nice world-building. I would’ve liked to have seen more, but then it probably wouldn’t be a short story anymore. There’s cussing sprinkled throughout and a couple of slightly suggestive moments. And of course, there is mech violence.

Pick up this quick read. For the mere pennies it costs, you’ll receive more than double the return in the way of entertainment.

Night of the Bunnyman

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In the deepest heart of rural Kentucky, there is a community of “plain people” even more separatist and reclusive than the mainstream Amish. They are the Amish of the Amish—the Rebel Amish—and they hide a murderous secret disguised as a myth.

Night of the Bunnyman is an 8,000-word novelette.

Amazon

My Rating & Review

As a teenager growing up in the Central Texas woods of twisted mesquites, prickly pears, and brutal jumping cactus, I’ve hunted my fair share of rabbits. I’ve skinned a few, too. I vividly remember hanging their hind legs off a gnarled limb with a bit of baling wire, then exposing their thin, red bodies as I stripped their fur off in one long sheet. As I read Bunker ‘s Bunnyman those memories came flooding back to me. Other than this, my memories have nothing else to do with the story. I digress.

I’ve read several of Bunker’s stories, and have appreciated them all, in one way or another. This one also delivers. In it, Bunker’s storytelling tone is conversational, which is nice. Plus, the story held my attention to the end. Lately, I’ve found my mind wandering when trying to read. That’s frustrating as I thought I was doomed to never enjoy a story again. Turns out I was just going through the motions. Or something.

Anyway, the story has some violence, but it’s necessary for it to be told. it is horror, after all, so there’s that.

What I appreciate most about Bunnyman is it blurs the line between legend and reality. It’s a make-believe story that seems believable. Plus, broadfall pants makes a cameo appearance. You cannot have a proper Bunker story without broadfalls.

That’s pretty much it for this review. Bunnyman’s a good story. Buy it and read it. And never kill what you don’t intend to eat.

A Font Refresh for The Invariable Man Short Story

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TheInvariableMan_SSI recently finished a font refresh of my short story cover for The Invariable Man. The previous cover had three different fonts (I think at least three), and the title was an awful yellow. I’m not sure what I was thinking…

This redo uses two weights of Bahn Pro (Regular and Light). I applied a texture to the letters and some drop shadow for some added depth. It’s simple and to the point, and with the awesome artwork of Michal Jelinek as the background, I think it comes together good. The story is only .99 cents, and if you’d like to check it out on Amazon, hit the button below.

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Diatomic Quantum Flop

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Sure, the experience of the trip is euphoric, but what if you actually broke through the doors of perception? When four colleges friends are promised a psychedelic adventure that mirrors the Tibetan Kalachakra Time Travel Tantra, they discover the transcendental cost of tapping the wheel of time.

Amazon

 

The Charm Bracelet – A Cyborg Story

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So while working on my current novel, Samuel Peralta got a hold of me and asked if I wanted to contribute a story for his upcoming short story anthology, The Cyborg Chronicles. I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.

Sam is a compelling author that I’ve known for the past year or so. He’s also the series producer for the Chronicles (check out the Facebook group), a series of short, speculative fiction. He surrounds himself with excellent talent and produces excellent anthologies. This means that somehow I’ve managed to fly under the radar for now…

Anyway, as I thought of a worthy cyborg story, I began to wonder if there’s room in my American Robot (AR) Universe for cyborgs.

I’d say most definitely.

The story that I’m planning is going to challenge my concepts of AR. It’s going to push me even further in what I envision: a world where androids are an everyday occurrence but are revered like gods. It’ll provide fertile ground for me to continue to develop. I’m excited for the story. Now I just need to write it…

So in The Charm Bracelet (I reserve the right to change the title) you’re going to hear of something called “BattleSat” and learn about “nail guns.” You’re also going to find out more about Dynamo Robotics, Dynamo’s EMTs, and their never-ending quest for salvage bodies. And you’re going to read of one man that has lost everything, except for his memories of what he once was.