Googleplex

by James Renner

A young couple discover their home may exist within a computer glitch.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Horror

9 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

James Renner is an award-winning journalist and author of True Crime Addict, the definitive book on the Maura Murray disappearance. Renner is also a novelist, having written The Man from Primrose Lane and other works of scifi and fantasy. He currently hosts the podcast, The Philosophy of Crime.

In 2019, he founded The Porchlight Project a nonprofit that raises money for new DNA testing and genetic genealogy for Ohio cold cases. In May, 2020, James Zastawnik was arrested for the murder of Barbara Blatnik, thanks to the work of genealogists funded by the Porchlight Project.

Reviews

[karen]

another super-short, super good story from james renner!

this one is not a nook freebie like the other one, but it is only a dollar! and what are you saving that dollar for anyway?

it's true that for a dollar you could also read

Divorced, Desperate and Deceived

or

The Quilter's Son

or

Seduction and Snacks

but if you read this one, you will know it has the karen seal of approval, whereas with the other ones, you would be going in blind. and that's no way to read a book!!

unlike Keepsakes which was pure realism, this one is a short, snappy little sci-fi number. not sci-fi like whoosh we are in space, but more slipstreamy/twilight zone-y. and it did exactly what it needed to do.

yeah, it's short, but he works the tension here so so well. i actually got a case of the goosebumps reading this, and i was completely psyched to see where it was going, although the strength here is definitely in the buildup. it is a perfect blend of humor and anticipation.

i am once again impressed with these little stories. i only have one left, and i am not 100% sold on it because the synopsis doesn't sound like something i would usually go in for, but i am putting my trust in his continued ability to impress the crap out of me in a very short span.

don't let me down, renner!

come to my blog!

[Laima]

When a couple purchases a grand home in a wonderful neighbourhood for a crazy low price and doesn't question why it's such a ridiculous bargain - BEWARE!!

This is a very short story that builds suspense. It is creepy and chilling - just the way I like it! If this were a movie I would be on the edge of my seat, terrified.
Really enjoyed it!

[a_reader]

A smart, creepy story that will not fail to entertain. I do not want to give too much away as it is only nine pages long but let's just say that if something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Too bad Alan and Trish did not listen when they thought they discovered the best real estate bargain in the state of Ohio. This is the second short story I've read by James Renner and have not been disappointed yet. He has a great imagination and you never know what type of journey he will take you on.

[Leniw]

This was better than I expected although it ends kind of abruptly.
It is a short story about a couple that moves in a new house and soon finds out that something is wrong....

I will surely read other stories from James Renner.

[Meagan]

I'm caught somewhere between a 3.5 and 4. I wish that there was more to the story, but for a short story it definitely did what it needed to do.

Some good suspense and blurred reality sci-fi.

[Eric Lualdi]

Like a great Twilight Zone episode. Very different tone than his Novel or nonfiction.

[Bill]

The creepy atmosphere to this short story was nicely done but otherwise it was unsatisfying because there was no attempt (that I could see) to explain the "why" of what happened.

[Jennifer]

Fun!
It's a fun short story to read when you have a little bit of time to kill. Worth the read.

[Melissa Smith]

Another five star read

[John]

Further proof that if it's too good to be true there has to be be smoke where there is fire and never buy a house with getting a home inspection.