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Evolution: Vol. 1
From the first-ever Short Story Contest hosted by Evolved Publishing: 10 great stories from 10 terrific authors. [DRM-Free]
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An eclectic mix that will excite, interest, and intrigue from the first story to the last. Laugh a little, cry a little, think a little.
Many genres, many voices, one goal: Provide the reader with a fun journey through the short fiction format.
Edited and polished to a fine sheen.
~~~~~
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: "If I should Die" by Amanda Papenfus
FULL STORY LIST:
"If I Should Die" by Amanda Papenfus
"The Last Earthling" by D.T. Conklin
"Timothy" by Anjuli Bowen
"Grain Neutral Spirits" by A. Frank Bower
"One Last Thought" by Lane Diamond
"A Building This Size" by Jeffrey B. Burton
"Sirius Issues" by Ariyana Spencer
"Imagination" by Stephen Patrick
"Courage through Fear" by Ruby Standing Deer
"A Boy and His Monster" by Matt Mok
~~~~~
An eclectic mix that will excite, interest, and intrigue from the first story to the last. Laugh a little, cry a little, think a little.
Many genres, many voices, one goal: Provide the reader with a fun journey through the short fiction format.
Edited and polished to a fine sheen.
~~~~~
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: "If I should Die" by Amanda Papenfus
FULL STORY LIST:
"If I Should Die" by Amanda Papenfus
"The Last Earthling" by D.T. Conklin
"Timothy" by Anjuli Bowen
"Grain Neutral Spirits" by A. Frank Bower
"One Last Thought" by Lane Diamond
"A Building This Size" by Jeffrey B. Burton
"Sirius Issues" by Ariyana Spencer
"Imagination" by Stephen Patrick
"Courage through Fear" by Ruby Standing Deer
"A Boy and His Monster" by Matt Mok
- GenresAnthologies
ebook
First published December 19, 2011
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 2, 2012
So far the first story was very well written. A brief glimpse into a girl's life as she deals with the hopelessness of her cancer prognosis, and yet the ending was inspiring.
The second story, "The Last Earthling," was a difficult read for me because of the setting conflicting with my belief system. However, you have to give credit to the story living on in my mind's spare moments for more than a week later. However, the story was well-written, with empathetic characters in a creative world, so I kept reading. The ending had the type of surprise you hope for in good fiction, and is left open for your interpretation. I spoke with the author, D.T. Conklin, and he mentioned how this story highlights how important forgiveness is to him. In that we both agree, and this story is highly recommended because of the type of discussion it evokes. Read it and tell D.T. I sent you.
The third story, Timothy, is fantastic. I love the concept of a man who doesn't age, and who decides one day to bring the sand jar that keeps him alive outside and risk dying. Emotional and satisfying.
Lane's story, the fifth in the anthology, is a complex picture in prose of a man's dependency on a woman. The twist surprised me, but I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to take from this story. I can't really get into it without spoiling the twist though.
Jeff Burton's story, A Building This Size, is a mystery built on clever dialogue that emphasizes the power and motive behind what isn't said. I really enjoyed this one as well. There is definite reread value on this one.
"Courage through Fear" by Ruby Standing Deer. This story caught me off guard with fear and concern for the main character. This 21 year old girl grifting cross-country with alcoholic husband finds out too late the cost of their freedom. Emotional attachment and the temptations for survival prevent her from escaping just as they would anyone else in her situation. This is a story that will keep your firm attention till the end. There is a brief content warning, though I won't say what to keep the surprise.
Ruby has a book out with Evolved Publishing called Circles. In her bio, she says "Life presents us a path; how we choose to navigate that 'circle' is up to us." I would say this philosophy is part of what nailed me into the hero's quest in "Courage through Fear;" I was captured by her dilemma and cared deeply for her to find her way to safety. I imagine her novel, Circles, will evoke the same sense of connection with the main character's quest.
Overall, I rated this anthology as a 3.8, but will round up to give it 4 stars because I really enjoyed reading it. There are three five star stories in here, "Timothy," "A Building This Size," and "Courage through Fear." The rest are good stories, and with this variety, I imagine you might find more five stars than I did.
The second story, "The Last Earthling," was a difficult read for me because of the setting conflicting with my belief system. However, you have to give credit to the story living on in my mind's spare moments for more than a week later. However, the story was well-written, with empathetic characters in a creative world, so I kept reading. The ending had the type of surprise you hope for in good fiction, and is left open for your interpretation. I spoke with the author, D.T. Conklin, and he mentioned how this story highlights how important forgiveness is to him. In that we both agree, and this story is highly recommended because of the type of discussion it evokes. Read it and tell D.T. I sent you.
The third story, Timothy, is fantastic. I love the concept of a man who doesn't age, and who decides one day to bring the sand jar that keeps him alive outside and risk dying. Emotional and satisfying.
Lane's story, the fifth in the anthology, is a complex picture in prose of a man's dependency on a woman. The twist surprised me, but I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to take from this story. I can't really get into it without spoiling the twist though.
Jeff Burton's story, A Building This Size, is a mystery built on clever dialogue that emphasizes the power and motive behind what isn't said. I really enjoyed this one as well. There is definite reread value on this one.
"Courage through Fear" by Ruby Standing Deer. This story caught me off guard with fear and concern for the main character. This 21 year old girl grifting cross-country with alcoholic husband finds out too late the cost of their freedom. Emotional attachment and the temptations for survival prevent her from escaping just as they would anyone else in her situation. This is a story that will keep your firm attention till the end. There is a brief content warning, though I won't say what to keep the surprise.
Ruby has a book out with Evolved Publishing called Circles. In her bio, she says "Life presents us a path; how we choose to navigate that 'circle' is up to us." I would say this philosophy is part of what nailed me into the hero's quest in "Courage through Fear;" I was captured by her dilemma and cared deeply for her to find her way to safety. I imagine her novel, Circles, will evoke the same sense of connection with the main character's quest.
Overall, I rated this anthology as a 3.8, but will round up to give it 4 stars because I really enjoyed reading it. There are three five star stories in here, "Timothy," "A Building This Size," and "Courage through Fear." The rest are good stories, and with this variety, I imagine you might find more five stars than I did.
January 6, 2012
I am one of the authors in this anthology, and my story "If I Should Die" is the first of the book. This is a well put together anthology with some great writers, and I'm happy to have my work included among them. My favorite stories included "Timothy" by Anjuli Bowen, "A Building This Size" by Jeffrey B. Burton, "Imagination" by Stephen Patrick, and "Courage through Fear" by Ruby Standing Deer.
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March 5, 2013Evolved Street Team Rocks! <3
August 25, 2012
Like another reviewer said, each time I finished a story and declared that one my favorite, I'd read another and find a new favorite. I'll be honest, I'm not big on short stories and anthologies unless there's an interesting hook (or it was written by Neil Gaiman) but the quality of writing and story telling in this anthology really hooked me.
Readers will find something for everyone here, as there are 10 stories that span a variety of topics, themes and writing styles. However, one thing you can count on with each story-the highest level of editing and an engaging story.
Readers will find something for everyone here, as there are 10 stories that span a variety of topics, themes and writing styles. However, one thing you can count on with each story-the highest level of editing and an engaging story.
June 8, 2012
Evolution 1 is the first iteration of what I hope will become a long-running series of short story anthologies. The ten stories here will appeal to a wide audience: there's some sci-fi, some fantasy, some straight-up action, and some thoughtful wrestling with questions of death and existence. All in all, the collection has a good balance and is sure to keep you reading.
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December 31, 2013Review pending - but I needed to get this logged before midnight to make 2013 goal!
March 4, 2013
Review soon, undecided on how to review it 1 vs. 10 reviews maybe?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews