Four Strange Stories = One Great Book

This is a collection of three short stories. Each of them makes you ask yourself what you would do if you were in these situations. The answers aren't easy. The decisions made can be questionable, but that is what makes these stories so relatable. The characters are just like us. They are human, with all the good and bad that brings. We try to do the right things, but sometimes things don't turn out how we expected.

1. Hold on Until Your Fingers Break asks the question: How far would you go to avoid certain death? The consequences of that decision determines the fate of the characters.

2. The Man on Table Ten - I immediately thought of this as a Twilight Zone episode as I read it. The question asked here: Is the old man in the pub crazy or does he really know how the world will end? Or both? Do we want to know the answer?

3. My Name is Mister Grief - This is the most emotional of the three stories. It will haunt you after you read it. The question asked here: Would you do anything, regardless of the consequences, to end your grief? If you could eliminate that pain and emptiness, would it matter if others were hurt or if you lost yourself in the process? You will be asking yourself those questions long after you've finished this story. There is also a story-within-a-story that tells the tale of two boys with special "gifts" and the different ways their gifts are used. That story could be expanded into a book itself and would be fascinating.

I highly recommend this book. These stories will stay with you long after you've finished them.

The narrator is British, but I had no problem with the accent or those strange words that we use differently even though we're both speaking English. I also think the emotions of the stories are intensified if, as you listen to the stories, you close your eyes and see the scenes unfold in front of you. See yourself in these situations and immerse yourself in the words.

11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

You're traveling through another dimension....

I gave that title to my review because this set of stories reminds me so much of sitting and binge watching episodes of the Twilight Zone. There is a uniqueness and otherworldly quality to these stories that truly makes you think and wonder "What If?" Absolutely loved this collection!

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Weird and Dark

Okay so the title of this review isn't original, but it perfectly describes the contents of Weird. Dark. It's not often I enjoy a book read by the author, but Smitherd has a clear voice and the production quality was superb. He does read quite fast, which I enjoyed, but the fast pace may be hard for some to follow.

The stories in this collection mess with your head and do so without the gore many stories contain. This makes them perfect for all kinds of horror fans.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Great to hear in the author's voice

I think you will be pleased with this assortment of stories that will eerily invade your brain and take you to fantastic places that really make you think, "Wow! What would I do/feel in this odd situation? " Smitherd has an exceptional gift for presenting one with situations and giving the reader pause to consider new ideas and explore emotions they may keep under tight wraps. Who knew that you could possibly experience personal growth through reading a highly suspenseful collection of stories?! I'm so glad I read them, as I glimpsed much about my own character after reading about these characters!

7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Three great tales... Love this man's voice too!

Love these three tales - Stand-Alones on their own, always hoping some talented movie producer will pick up on this author!
If you have a friend that's going through a break-up, this might be a great gift for them. Get one for you, and one for them!

6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Strange and Wonderful!

Would you consider the audio edition of WEIRD. DARK. to be better than the print version?

What a great buy! Just an outstanding showcase of the gifted Luke Smitherd. This extraordinary type of weird darkness is definitely speaking my language! Each story is unique and each one is still stuck in my head! After listening this box set, LS is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. More like these please!

5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

FAST AND FURIOUS!!!!

Luke Smithered is an original thinker who wont bore you with a re-hashing of "the same old story" dressed in a new book cover! I enjoy his enthusiastic readings!!!

I really liked the stories....the only catch is that Luke, in his excitement, reads VERY FAST.
If I could talk to Luke, I'd say: "SLOW DOWN and let us enjoy the stories! They are too good to fly by!"

There was a time when I could not place the characters in a story. They seemed to have changed completely. There was a reason. A new story had started and I failed to catch the "breath" taken between. I'd personally like it if Mr. Smithered would intro each story with some neat little token of how he came to write the book, or some "teaser" about what is to come!

In all, a really great read....just don't multi-task while listening!

Kudos to Luke Smithered...Please keep 'em coming!

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Love his imagination!

I've listened to all Luke's books on Audible and can't wait to listen to more. I always remember his stories because they are so different and so well, haunting. He's also one of the few authors who can do a great job of narration. Well done!!!!!

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Better and Better

Weird and dark indeed, and utterly worth the read!! As good as the author's novels are, these shorts represent an artist at the height of his craft... As enjoyable and contemplative as any of my fave short fiction writers... All the stories have to do w/ the end of worlds, in a manner of speaking... Some sf, horror, psychological suspense, and a dash of fantasy - all are present, and combinations weave together... They have some tantalizing connections between them, and along w/ the novels I've read so far seem to be forming a fascinating puzzle... What if, what would you do, and wtf was that are well on display and you'll find yourself taking a break from the reading not bc you need the break, but rather bc you want to consider what you've just read, and how you feel ... This coventry place is as literarily strange and odd as Stephen King's Maine;). Time travel secret government research, the nature of existence, strange experiments, etc... One of the stories has a bit of a Dr. Who feel, only much darker, and the final story has a Behind Blue Eyes vibe... Blue seems to pop up often, and I'm becoming increasingly suspicious of it when found in LS stories;). The Narration is excellent and presents an immersive mood and experience... Absolutely worth the credit/price...

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Great stories. Great narration.

A diverse set of stories that do a great job mashing up horror and sci-fi...in a Twilight Zone kind of way, if that makes sense. They were executed perfectly and I am incredibly impressed with the author's narration. I can already see future Audible credits going into Luke Smitherd's coffers.

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