Art in the Dark and Other Tales

by Robert Eichelberg

Art in the Dark presents a collection of short stories that come together in a journey that is by turns whimsical, ironic, frightening, and absurd. Much like the passage of life itself, these stories are mysterious and unpredictable. Through analogy and metaphor, author Robert Eichelberg addresses a number of difficult topics-such as love, death, alienation, materialism, war, and politics-from unique new angles, bringing to light aspects of each that may otherwise be difficult to consider. From the opening salvo of "The Only Rule," with its shocking subject and frightening twist, to the gruesome and heartrending tale of Blue in "The Bad Dog," each tale is imbued with at least a hint of the surreal. They remind us that our journey though life is short and that we must embrace every moment-even as we must ultimately let go. These stories transcend the conventional and challenge your perceptions and expectations, leaving you always in awe of the wonders that remain ahead.

Genres: Fiction

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2014

Reviews

[Jim Liston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of nineteen stories of varying lengths, ranging from a few pages to a decent size novelette. Some of them are a glimpse into how human nature can cause a harmless event to spiral out of control ("Don't Click Here") or an observation of our ability to adapt to any situation, no matter how bizarre it originally seems, ("Glass Houses"). Others begin as seemingly innocent tales with a twist at the end, catching you by surprise and sending shivers up your spine ("Closed Casket"). One of my favorites ("People Monkeys") reminded me of my childhood, sending away for a package of Sea Monkeys from an advertisement in the back of a comic book. The brine shrimp brought to life by adding water were disappointing to say the least, but after reading this story, I realized how lucky I was. Another of my favorites was reminiscent of old Twilight Zone episodes or reading "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe ("Art in the Dark") and had me dreading the ending.

Robert Eichelberg has a strong voice that comes across in a relaxed, unpretentious way. His stories are well edited and easy to read with only a few formatting errors, but nothing bad enough to distract you. At first glance, the plots seem straightforward and sometimes even absurd, but after a while, I found myself thinking about them and uncovering a hidden meaning. I'll be reading these stories again in the near future.

[Susan Rits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm generally not a fan of short stories, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection from Robert Eichelberg. In the spirit of Gulliver's Travels and Br'er Rabbit, each story is a witty commentary on modern culture. Our over-reliance on medical diagnoses, our tendency to worship the latest fad, even our loss of privacy and discretion, are all food for thought in this hilarious tales.

I loved "Glass Houses," where a town mandates that all normal houses are replaced with completely transparent houses (in order to protect themselves from terrorists, naturally) and spying on your neighbors become so commonplace that no one notices one another anymore. A wonderful satire of our modern voyeuristic social media. Also funny and pointed, "Jesus for a Day," "Us and Them," but my favorite by far is "Don't Click Here," where a corporation is destroyed by its inability to make a decision.

These are fresh, acerbic, wonderful satires you'll love reading and want to share with your friends. I look forward to more from Eichelberg.

[Vanessa Kings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of 20 short stories. The first story “The only rule” is about a magician that apparently kills his assistants for real; I wanted to read so much more about it! I hope the author considers extending the story into a full novel someday.
Another story that catch my attention was “Not drinking” about a man that constantly goes to the doctor seeking help to cure his addiction. It was fun and at the same time it could be related to many real life situations that we experience every day.
My favorite story was “Black Monday” a Sci-Fi story about an extraterrestrial huge machine appearing in the sky and threatening with “eating” Earth. It was a fabulous story and again, I wish I had more to read about it.
Despite my three favorite stories listed here, I really liked the entire book, each story it’s told differently, but still keeping the same unique narrator’s voice. Meaningful and beautifully written, this is one of the best short stories collections that I’ve read lately.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eichelberg's writing talent shines in this collection of stories that will take readers' breath away. They're not too long or drawn out, so there's no commitment, but each one is better than the next and you won't want them to end. They all spark a creative thought or an emotion you initially thought was buried deep within. It's almost as if the stories interact with the reader without flaw. You'll want to share it with friends and wonder how in the world the author has even dreamed of the highly imaginative and descriptive tales which will keep one's mind reeling. Hard to put down, and not to be missed!

[Monica Ganz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of short stories which can sometimes be my worst nightmare as I have a harsher critic then most because I've read so many of them. I downloaded this on a bit of a whim since it was a collection of short stories but had never read a book by Robert Eichelberg before. Gladly each story is very well written and it was really fun going through it. I was actually impressed with how unique each one was as they each have their own different theme which was fun. My favorites so far being Glass Houses and People Monkeys. Really glad I decided to check this out.

[Russell Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art in the Dark is a selection of short (some very short indeed) stories by Robert Eichelberg. They look into some dark places, from murder to cannibalism, and often provide a twist in the tale, which is my favourite ending for any story. Eichelberg obviously enjoys his work as he serves up one offering after another and treats us to his sometimes eccentric and instinctive writing. A great book to pick up and leaf through when you have a spare few minutes and fancy a short read.

[Jeanne Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this a lot and am recommending it to all my friends. It's one of those books that you go into with a little trepidation, but you finish it super happy that you read it.