James Pyles's Blog, page 20

A Rose for Amélie

His name is Alec Plisken now. Periodically, he found it convenient to change identities. That didn’t mean he could change his past. This night he stood on the Pont de Pierre. His steady hand placed a red rose on the walkway. This was where his wife had fallen. There was peace now, but not so […]

Book Review of “The Andromeda Evolution” (2019)

I heard about Daniel H. Wilson’s novel The Andromeda Evolution almost by accident and found that my local public library had a copy. I read Michael Crichton’s 1971 novel The Andromeda Strain way, way back in the day and I’ve seen the 1971 movie adaptation a number of times and enjoyed them both. But fifty […]

No Dancing For Me

Jeffrey stood at the bottom of the steps confronted by a barrier and closed doors. “The bloody thing’s closed. Dodged that one,” he said aloud. He was turning to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard her say, “Where do you think you’re going?” He gritted his teeth behind his lips, […]

Book Review of “Cobra” (1986) by Timothy Zahn

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. When I first read Timothy Zahn’s Cobra back in the 1980s and I liked it. Decades later, I still had that feeling but only vague memory of the book’s contents. So I downloaded it onto my Kindle Fire and finally got […]

Get “Spring Into SciFi 2024” Today!

It’s here! Spring Into SciFi 2024 from Cloaked Press is available TODAY! Download it from Amazon onto your Kindle device and start reading right now. The price is very reasonable. If you’d rather have the paperback, that’s available too for $15.99 USD. This anthology features my short story “I Don’t Want To Be Human.” In […]

Movie Review of “The Marvels” (2023)

I went to my public library’s local branch yesterday (as I write this) to pick up a few books I had on hold. Lo and behold, in the new movies section, I found a Blu-Ray of The Marvels (2023). If you’re aware of this film at all, you probably know about the controversy surrounding it. […]

Visiting Mom

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. Every morning, she opens the window and walks out onto her small balcony. Her apartment is the only one like it. Every morning, I wait for her to come out and I watch her. I keep my curtains shut so she […]

So This Is Romantic?

“Come on, Scott. What’s the point of renting a beach house for a week if we don’t walk along the beach?” Jeannie tugged at her husband’s arm, coaxing him along. “What’s the point of freezing my ass off? It’s March, not July. What possesses those nuts to bundle up under some tent just to watch […]

Death by Incense

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. Henry only needed to turn the gas back on for a little while. He’d arranged for the stove to have a significant leak. Rachel would smell it, but he would tell her she’s imagining things. Then he’d go outside pretending to […]

Spring Into SciFi 2024 Coming Soon!

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. Almost there. My short story “I Don’t Want To Be Human” is featured in the upcoming Cloaked Press anthology Spring Into SciFi 2024. Click that link to pre-order a digital copy for download from Amazon to your Kindle device on March […]