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Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales
Take a ride on the Ghost Plane. Eleven twisted tales about life, love, and insanity. Eleven tales that explore the darker recesses. If you’re afraid to look too deeply in the mirror, read no further.Scott Nicholson “Suzanne Tyrpak shows in these tales that horror can not only aspire to literary value, but also explore emotional and psychological terrain that is difficult to reach via other roads. Horror can hit you in the gut or mess with your head, but at its best it can reach into your heart as well. And these tales reflect perhaps the biggest horror of all—that we are alive, and this life is full of pain and death and love and sharp edges...Enter this circus and let Suzanne show you why horror is the greatest show on earth.”This collection of short stories is composed of three Airport Stories, Hot Flashes, and Gothica. They range in length from 100 words to over 3000. Total word count is approximately 15,000 words, about 55 pages.
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2011
4 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Tyrpak
6 books50 followersSuzanne Tyrpak ran away from New York a long time ago to live in Colorado. She works for an airline which allows her to travel and do research for her books. When she’s not writing, she enjoys riding her bike, swimming, skiing, and dancing. In her next life she would like to be a belly dancer or her cat.
Her new novel, Rosy,—is an urban story set 1970s New York City. Her historical novels, Vestal Virgin—suspense in ancient Rome, and Hetaera—suspense in ancient Athens, book one of the Agathon’s Daughter trilogy, are best sellers on Amazon in several categories. Her (short) short story collections, Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) and Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales are available on Kindle, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords.
Her short story Downhill was first published in Arts Perspective Magazine. Rock Bottom is published in the Mota 9: Addiction Anthology, available on Kindle. Her short story Ghost Plane was published by CrimeSpree Magazine. Venus Faded appears in the anthology Pronto! Writings from Rome (Triple Tree Publishing, 2002) along with notable authors including: Dorothy Allison, Elizabeth Engstrom, Terry Brooks and John Saul.
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers awarded her first prize in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest, and Maui Writers awarded her third prize in the Rupert Hughes writing competition.
Her new novel, Rosy,—is an urban story set 1970s New York City. Her historical novels, Vestal Virgin—suspense in ancient Rome, and Hetaera—suspense in ancient Athens, book one of the Agathon’s Daughter trilogy, are best sellers on Amazon in several categories. Her (short) short story collections, Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) and Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales are available on Kindle, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords.
Her short story Downhill was first published in Arts Perspective Magazine. Rock Bottom is published in the Mota 9: Addiction Anthology, available on Kindle. Her short story Ghost Plane was published by CrimeSpree Magazine. Venus Faded appears in the anthology Pronto! Writings from Rome (Triple Tree Publishing, 2002) along with notable authors including: Dorothy Allison, Elizabeth Engstrom, Terry Brooks and John Saul.
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers awarded her first prize in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest, and Maui Writers awarded her third prize in the Rupert Hughes writing competition.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 28, 2011
I'm going to start this review by saying that Suzanne Tyrpak has some excellent prose. I find it important to point this out because good prose is a hard thing to find in independent authors (which you surely already know if you've downloaded a bunch of free stuff on your Kindle).
I was drawn to this book partially because it was high on the Kindle sales list, and partially because it had a foreword by Scott Nicholson, another indie author who happens to have a great voice to his writing. Nicholson has a lot of cheap books for sale on Kindle, so if you're looking for some bang for your buck, his Amazon page is a good place to start.
But this review is supposed to be about Ms. Tyrpak, so let's get back on topic.
As I said earlier, Tyrpak's voice is good, which is a HUGE plus for me. I put a lot of stock in a writer's ability to assemble a solid-sounding sentence. As far as her ideas go, however . . . well, I'm not quite as impressed there.
A lot of the reviews I've read about Ghost Plane have said that the stories seem too short to really be good. I have to agree, and it's not because I dislike short stories . . . I actually love short stories. In fact, one of the ways a writer can most impress me is by giving me something incredibly interesting in an incredibly small amount of words. (I'm thinking in particular of Richard Matheson's "Born of Man and Woman," which clocks in at something like 3 pages, but will forever leave its images burned into my mind.)
So, I don't mind if a story is short, but I think that shorter stories necessarily need to be more about the idea. By that, I mean that a really good short story should be something that you can make a person want to read after pitching the concept to them in a single sentence. And I just didn't get that from most of the stories in this book. There weren't any stories that put images or ideas into my head that were going to last. The stories were more about characters than ideas, which, while normally an acceptable approach, doesn't really work if your story is too short to really offer the characters any true depth or development.
Solution: I think Tyrpak should have either made her stories longer (to elaborate more on the characters she'd built), or changed the focus from characters to ideas. Of course, maybe that's easier said than done.
Unfortunately, I got to the point where I cared so little about the last few stories that I didn't even read the final one. But I'm still glad I read most of the book. Why? Because I found another independent author who's good.
I know that "good" may not seem like the word that comes to mind after reading my review of this collection, but you have to keep in mind that Suzanne Tyrpak has something that a lot of indie authors don't: a good voice. Her prose is solid, which means that the only thing I'm left wanting is some subject matter I'll care more about. I'm sure she's capable of coming up with something that will pique my interest, and when she does, I'll know that the writing will be good. And that's a big deal for me. You could have the most interesting characters and plot in the world, but if your writing stinks, I'm not going to like your book.
Suzanne Tyrpak has the solid foundation I'm lookin' for in an author--now all she needs is some subject matter that better interests me, and I'll be sold. Keep an eye on this lady--she shows promise!
I was drawn to this book partially because it was high on the Kindle sales list, and partially because it had a foreword by Scott Nicholson, another indie author who happens to have a great voice to his writing. Nicholson has a lot of cheap books for sale on Kindle, so if you're looking for some bang for your buck, his Amazon page is a good place to start.
But this review is supposed to be about Ms. Tyrpak, so let's get back on topic.
As I said earlier, Tyrpak's voice is good, which is a HUGE plus for me. I put a lot of stock in a writer's ability to assemble a solid-sounding sentence. As far as her ideas go, however . . . well, I'm not quite as impressed there.
A lot of the reviews I've read about Ghost Plane have said that the stories seem too short to really be good. I have to agree, and it's not because I dislike short stories . . . I actually love short stories. In fact, one of the ways a writer can most impress me is by giving me something incredibly interesting in an incredibly small amount of words. (I'm thinking in particular of Richard Matheson's "Born of Man and Woman," which clocks in at something like 3 pages, but will forever leave its images burned into my mind.)
So, I don't mind if a story is short, but I think that shorter stories necessarily need to be more about the idea. By that, I mean that a really good short story should be something that you can make a person want to read after pitching the concept to them in a single sentence. And I just didn't get that from most of the stories in this book. There weren't any stories that put images or ideas into my head that were going to last. The stories were more about characters than ideas, which, while normally an acceptable approach, doesn't really work if your story is too short to really offer the characters any true depth or development.
Solution: I think Tyrpak should have either made her stories longer (to elaborate more on the characters she'd built), or changed the focus from characters to ideas. Of course, maybe that's easier said than done.
Unfortunately, I got to the point where I cared so little about the last few stories that I didn't even read the final one. But I'm still glad I read most of the book. Why? Because I found another independent author who's good.
I know that "good" may not seem like the word that comes to mind after reading my review of this collection, but you have to keep in mind that Suzanne Tyrpak has something that a lot of indie authors don't: a good voice. Her prose is solid, which means that the only thing I'm left wanting is some subject matter I'll care more about. I'm sure she's capable of coming up with something that will pique my interest, and when she does, I'll know that the writing will be good. And that's a big deal for me. You could have the most interesting characters and plot in the world, but if your writing stinks, I'm not going to like your book.
Suzanne Tyrpak has the solid foundation I'm lookin' for in an author--now all she needs is some subject matter that better interests me, and I'll be sold. Keep an eye on this lady--she shows promise!
April 25, 2014
Got an empty evening? I found you a companion.
I just finished Suzanne Tyrpak’s unsettling Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales. It sucks sustenance from the same throbbing vein of amorphous, human dread opened by King and Serling. Taut, spare writing packed into 64 pages – each edgy tale a tightly wound spring that releases suddenly, leaving a small scar on your psyche.
“Disturbing” is an apt subtitle. How about a pissed go-go dancer in Jersey, high on Black Beauties and Harvey Wallbangers, who fillets a creepy customer with a kitchen knife? A solitary, graveyard-shift airport drudge with a bucket of paper towels and Lysol who boards the wrong plane. An older employee humiliated by a new boss, musing how easy it is to arrange an accident for the harpie. A homicidal woman in a meditation class – om mani padme hum – futilely attempting to drive him from her thoughts. You get the idea. Jeroen ten Berge’s creepy cover is a bonus.
Tyrpak isn’t a newbie writer. Her work has appeared in Crimespree magazine; the award-winning Indie Chicks anthology; and she boasts several category bestsellers on Amazon. She knows her craft. The Kindle edition costs less than a latte. If your significant other has other plans tonight, and you’ve got to kill an evening, I'd invite her over.
I just finished Suzanne Tyrpak’s unsettling Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales. It sucks sustenance from the same throbbing vein of amorphous, human dread opened by King and Serling. Taut, spare writing packed into 64 pages – each edgy tale a tightly wound spring that releases suddenly, leaving a small scar on your psyche.
“Disturbing” is an apt subtitle. How about a pissed go-go dancer in Jersey, high on Black Beauties and Harvey Wallbangers, who fillets a creepy customer with a kitchen knife? A solitary, graveyard-shift airport drudge with a bucket of paper towels and Lysol who boards the wrong plane. An older employee humiliated by a new boss, musing how easy it is to arrange an accident for the harpie. A homicidal woman in a meditation class – om mani padme hum – futilely attempting to drive him from her thoughts. You get the idea. Jeroen ten Berge’s creepy cover is a bonus.
Tyrpak isn’t a newbie writer. Her work has appeared in Crimespree magazine; the award-winning Indie Chicks anthology; and she boasts several category bestsellers on Amazon. She knows her craft. The Kindle edition costs less than a latte. If your significant other has other plans tonight, and you’ve got to kill an evening, I'd invite her over.
July 24, 2011
This was a hard book to rate.. as it is a series of short stories. As with any book of short stories, I really liked about half of them and really didn't like the other half. I must say, the writing style is great though.
Like: The Airport Stories... but I am biased. I'm a former commercial airline employee myself so I enjoyed the detail and the knowledge and the airline business that went into these three stories. My only quibble is that Graveyard and Blue Angel felt incomplete. In the Hot Flashes category, I really liked the story Pink. Chocolate Kiss was also well done and very disturbing which it is intended to be.
Didn't Like: Meditation or Dark Night. Didn't understand the ocean/gym thing at all. Think I'm missing something there.
The Gothica category contains three well written stories (two of them with a historical touch) though I can't say they impacted me in any way.
Like: The Airport Stories... but I am biased. I'm a former commercial airline employee myself so I enjoyed the detail and the knowledge and the airline business that went into these three stories. My only quibble is that Graveyard and Blue Angel felt incomplete. In the Hot Flashes category, I really liked the story Pink. Chocolate Kiss was also well done and very disturbing which it is intended to be.
Didn't Like: Meditation or Dark Night. Didn't understand the ocean/gym thing at all. Think I'm missing something there.
The Gothica category contains three well written stories (two of them with a historical touch) though I can't say they impacted me in any way.
July 31, 2011
In her short story collection Suzanne Tyrpak presents a haunting array of different stories in the horror genre. They might not be of the bloody and gory kind, but will nonetheless range from creepy to spine-tingling.
The stories themselves are of the real short kind, well written and composed, with endings right to the, often terrifying and shocking, point. Yet I honestly can't say that I liked them in their entirety. From the three parts in the book I only really got into the first and the last one, with the airport stories and the gothica tales. The ones in the middle, so to say, didn't touch me that much, or in some cases at all. I even had to wonder about the message of some of them.
All in all I have to say that there's an awful lot of talent here in the narrative and the original ideas of each story. It's safe to say I'd love to read more by the author.
In short: An interesting collection of dark and definitely disturbing tales!
The stories themselves are of the real short kind, well written and composed, with endings right to the, often terrifying and shocking, point. Yet I honestly can't say that I liked them in their entirety. From the three parts in the book I only really got into the first and the last one, with the airport stories and the gothica tales. The ones in the middle, so to say, didn't touch me that much, or in some cases at all. I even had to wonder about the message of some of them.
All in all I have to say that there's an awful lot of talent here in the narrative and the original ideas of each story. It's safe to say I'd love to read more by the author.
In short: An interesting collection of dark and definitely disturbing tales!
October 29, 2011
I loved the opening short story in this collection and the other tales that had something to do with airplanes and the airport. I was less interested in the non airport-related stories. Kind of wish the author whom I believe works in the airline industry, would have stayed with that theme throughout the collection. There are some flash fiction (less than 1,000 word) stories in the collection and other short stories of various lengths.
I was not disturbed by any of the tales, although I enjoyed a few of them (the opening tale a lot). Other than the s-word, the language is fairly tame and these are young adult friendly tales. As for violence and gore? Hardly any. The writing style is competent and, at times, engaging.
A decent collection, overall. I would read more stories by this author, especially if she wrote more airport/plane relate tales.
I was not disturbed by any of the tales, although I enjoyed a few of them (the opening tale a lot). Other than the s-word, the language is fairly tame and these are young adult friendly tales. As for violence and gore? Hardly any. The writing style is competent and, at times, engaging.
A decent collection, overall. I would read more stories by this author, especially if she wrote more airport/plane relate tales.
February 14, 2012
I liked the way Suzanne Tyrpak writes. It was a bit "poetic" and abstract. Things are implied and not directly said but I think it does not go well with the "horror" genre. A lot of stories has good possibilities like "Devil's Mark" and "Ghost Plane" but a lot of the stories were also "undisturbing". When I started this book i was expecting to be spooked but I was wrong. Most of the stories were not disturbing at all as promised by the title. Don't get me wrong, they were nicely written but lacks excitement and a strong plot. As I said, she can expand on other stories but I would definitely not miss "Forbidden", "Pink" and "Graveyard".
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November 17, 2012This is my collection of short stories
April 5, 2021
Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales
This book was ok how ever I do wish that the author had done more to make it more interesting. I look forward to reading more of this authors work.
This book was ok how ever I do wish that the author had done more to make it more interesting. I look forward to reading more of this authors work.
June 15, 2023
Well, Ghost Plane was a good story. The further I got into the book, the weirder the stories were. Not so sure I would call them horror. That is just my opinion. So, I suggest you read it yourself and base it on your own opinion. These are more the psychological type stories.
July 15, 2011
GHOST PLANE is a collection from the same talented author that wrote VESTAL VIRGIN, and once again I was not disappointed with her latest work. It is clear that Tyrpak is a veteran with prose, because her writing is clean, concise and eerily true to the narrator's voice - something not easily done without honing one's craft over an extended period of time.
The stories in this collection range from eerie (Ghost Plane) to otherworldly (Venus Faded, Burnt Offerings) to the depressingly gritty (Pink) and the controversial (Forbidden) . All the stories in Ghost Plane are executed flawlessly and though they are all different in subject and voice, Tyrpak shows great range in her tales. She seems at ease writing from the viewpoint of a disgruntled airport worker as she does when slipping into the skin of a down-on-her-luck exotic dancer, and each voice remains authentic and true.
I read Ghost Plane straight from my phone's app whenever a spare few minutes occurred in my day. And though the stories are short, they are complete and not lacking for anything. I read vestal Virgin and loved it, but I do hope Tyrpak publishes more darker fiction like Venus Faded or Pink in the future, because I'll be first in line to buy it!
The stories in this collection range from eerie (Ghost Plane) to otherworldly (Venus Faded, Burnt Offerings) to the depressingly gritty (Pink) and the controversial (Forbidden) . All the stories in Ghost Plane are executed flawlessly and though they are all different in subject and voice, Tyrpak shows great range in her tales. She seems at ease writing from the viewpoint of a disgruntled airport worker as she does when slipping into the skin of a down-on-her-luck exotic dancer, and each voice remains authentic and true.
I read Ghost Plane straight from my phone's app whenever a spare few minutes occurred in my day. And though the stories are short, they are complete and not lacking for anything. I read vestal Virgin and loved it, but I do hope Tyrpak publishes more darker fiction like Venus Faded or Pink in the future, because I'll be first in line to buy it!
August 3, 2011
Started this book with the intention that it would be another few fun tales of scarey ghost stories. I was wrong. They are scarey but some of them are just as the title says disturbing. The writer has a way about them that makes you think "god I'd hate for that to be me." with the twists and turns in the stories each one has a special click that actually makes you fear the unknown in a little way. Some of them are sad others of them leave you with the "What in the world!?" feeling. Making for a good read. I wish there were a little more and some of the stories I wish had a bit more of an ending but all in all it does not leave you feeling like you wasted your time. It's definately a book for reading and enjoying and even inspiring one to maybe make up their own little horror story.
Wonderful book and good author. Looking forward to more.
Wonderful book and good author. Looking forward to more.
October 26, 2011
Mini horror tales twists from work, home and life.
***
Author Suzanne Tyrpak offers little short story horror snippets. Ghost Plane, of which the book is titled, is the most promising of eleven stories. The description and sequencing Ghost Plane draws the reader in but does not fulfill the reader’s yearning to know the story behind each of the characters. While each vignette promises possibilities of much better full-length stories, the author delivers little satisfaction. Each story is like watching a movie trailer; you see the action without knowing what lead up to it and what happens after, just a teaser for what is to
***
Author Suzanne Tyrpak offers little short story horror snippets. Ghost Plane, of which the book is titled, is the most promising of eleven stories. The description and sequencing Ghost Plane draws the reader in but does not fulfill the reader’s yearning to know the story behind each of the characters. While each vignette promises possibilities of much better full-length stories, the author delivers little satisfaction. Each story is like watching a movie trailer; you see the action without knowing what lead up to it and what happens after, just a teaser for what is to
October 10, 2011
From the very beginning, Suzanne Tyrpak’s writing style captivated me. She is a master of precise story-telling, spinning prose into poetry. This book of eleven tales will take the reader on a journey that is as thought provoking as it is eerie. Beautiful stories finely crafted – I highly recommend this book!
October 9, 2011
This collection of short horror stories by Suzanne Tyrpak was awesome, and just a bit disturbing. The author is an excellent story teller and her writing, brilliant. Very entertaining. Wanted to read more. Looking forward to more reads from Tyrpak. Would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good scare.
October 28, 2011
This is a book of very short stories. Or rather, it's more of a short novella of short stories. Either way, I didn't find them particularly disturbing. Or anything. I was rather bored and kept wanting to fall asleep while reading these. Why did I bother to finish? Well, as I said before it was pretty quick reading and I kept waiting for something good.
October 28, 2011
Most of these were unremarkable, but could be better with a re-write here and there....just a few other touches on the one about the stewardess in the snow and it would be good. Not bad overall, especially for free with Pixel of Ink.
October 29, 2011
I enjoyed the first story in this little book of short stories. There were one or two more short stories of planes which was also enjoyable but the rest of the stories I did not find disturbing . . . I was a bit dissapointed as I was looking for some unusual and quirky stories.
October 31, 2011
Decent collection of fairly well written horror stories. Thought the first one, "Ghost Plane" was the best, but most of the rest were good. Worth reading. Nothing too heavy or thought provoking, but that's cool.
February 28, 2012
I dont know that I would call these horror stories though all of them deal with death. Most of the stories are well written and read almost like poetry there are few that left me going "that's it" , but all in all these are very readable stories. Not a bad way to spend an hour or so in the sun.
October 30, 2011
What a snore. Some of these stories are only a page long. I just couldn't get into it.
September 13, 2016
As I read these stories I kept thinking "What The Hell" -- that's all there is to these stories and none of the stories were remotely scary -- some bordered on depressing/sad but not a hint of scary
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews