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With and Without Class
Librarian note: alternate cover edition for ASIN - B005HL18W6
Short stories blending science fiction, fantasy and satire. Fourteen stories that refuse to be pigeon-holed. From the edges of the known Universe, to the microscopic limits of a Petri dish, to a yuppie's post-apocalyptic bachelor pad, be prepared to imagine new worlds and new ideas.
Misplaced characters find themselves in the strangest dilemmas. Can a ghost find his revenge on a far-future highway? Should robots be allowed to replace comedians? Can soulmates broker a successful divorce in the afterlife? These adventurous stories will excite your sense of wonder.
Short stories blending science fiction, fantasy and satire. Fourteen stories that refuse to be pigeon-holed. From the edges of the known Universe, to the microscopic limits of a Petri dish, to a yuppie's post-apocalyptic bachelor pad, be prepared to imagine new worlds and new ideas.
Misplaced characters find themselves in the strangest dilemmas. Can a ghost find his revenge on a far-future highway? Should robots be allowed to replace comedians? Can soulmates broker a successful divorce in the afterlife? These adventurous stories will excite your sense of wonder.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2012
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About the author
David Wallace Fleming
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David Wallace Fleming is a satirist with a wicked sense of humor. His love for comedy has led him to write in a variety of genres, all using his wit and sarcasm. David is a classic man who writes the sort of tales he'd like to read. His works have appeared in Out of the Gutter, Escape Velocity, and the Bizarro Press. His one goal is to give the readers something unique and special yet also reflective of the exciting times we live in.
Mailing List
David Wallace Fleming is a satirist with a wicked sense of humor. His love for comedy has led him to write in a variety of genres, all using his wit and sarcasm. David is a classic man who writes the sort of tales he'd like to read. His works have appeared in Out of the Gutter, Escape Velocity, and the Bizarro Press. His one goal is to give the readers something unique and special yet also reflective of the exciting times we live in.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 30, 2016
A weird assortment of tales, mostly horror, but also displaying the author's irrepressible sense of humor. Stories take place in various settings, from Petri dishes, to small town hovels, to the edge of the universe. And, um, stuff happens, if you know what I mean.
Some stories (featuring a few of David's wackier scenarios) were reprinted from Not from Concentrate, possibly to lighten the mood a little.
Fleming has a lot of knowledge about human nature. Some of his small town characters feel like people you know. But he can also bend the reader's mind in unexpected ways.
Some stories (featuring a few of David's wackier scenarios) were reprinted from Not from Concentrate, possibly to lighten the mood a little.
Fleming has a lot of knowledge about human nature. Some of his small town characters feel like people you know. But he can also bend the reader's mind in unexpected ways.
November 16, 2014
Of course I'm biased because I wrote it.
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February 10, 2013
3.5-4 stars
Collections of short stories are like a drug to me, and 'With and Without Class' offered up some pretty good shit. XD
First, a couple of stories I really loved, 'A Blind Date for Bonkers', 'Soulmate Divorce' and 'Talent Police.'
'Blind Date' was so deliciously weird and fast-paced I couldn't get enough. The ever-contracting slang set against ever-growing relationship problems made me giggle the whole way through. I suppose if I was that tiny I wouldn't want to deal with the BS either.
On to my other favorite-favorite 'Talent Police.' Starring our pal Frank, who's a Nice Guy (TM). And thanks to the sci-fi setting he's an all natural Nice Guy (TM), not one of those cheater jerks that body-hacks themselves a nicer physique. This little tale centers around Frank and his diary. It is a multi-faceted gem that asks the question what makes us who we are, and at the same time teaches us that if we don't suck it up like a grown up and quit bitchin we may drive our own diaries to suicide.
I pretty much enjoyed every story in the book. Another honorable mention goes out to 'The Heat,' because well... Monster!
My only real complaint is that I felt a couple stories dragged a little. 'White Daddies' in particular. I wanted more from the atmosphere that was immediately set up, but I never quite got it.
Overall a great collection! My first foray into David Wallace Fleming's writing, and a definite encouragement to seek out more.
Collections of short stories are like a drug to me, and 'With and Without Class' offered up some pretty good shit. XD
First, a couple of stories I really loved, 'A Blind Date for Bonkers', 'Soulmate Divorce' and 'Talent Police.'
'Blind Date' was so deliciously weird and fast-paced I couldn't get enough. The ever-contracting slang set against ever-growing relationship problems made me giggle the whole way through. I suppose if I was that tiny I wouldn't want to deal with the BS either.
On to my other favorite-favorite 'Talent Police.' Starring our pal Frank, who's a Nice Guy (TM). And thanks to the sci-fi setting he's an all natural Nice Guy (TM), not one of those cheater jerks that body-hacks themselves a nicer physique. This little tale centers around Frank and his diary. It is a multi-faceted gem that asks the question what makes us who we are, and at the same time teaches us that if we don't suck it up like a grown up and quit bitchin we may drive our own diaries to suicide.
I pretty much enjoyed every story in the book. Another honorable mention goes out to 'The Heat,' because well... Monster!
My only real complaint is that I felt a couple stories dragged a little. 'White Daddies' in particular. I wanted more from the atmosphere that was immediately set up, but I never quite got it.
Overall a great collection! My first foray into David Wallace Fleming's writing, and a definite encouragement to seek out more.
July 14, 2013
This review is for the Kindle edition ebook.
An eclectic mix of short stories, some are great, some are not, well worth reading.
This is a book of stories. The only common theme is horror. Some of the stories are very good. I did not enjoy every story, but I was happy to have a mix to read. It is very nice to have something different once in a while. The fact that this is a mix means most of us will find a few stories we really like, even though there will be a few we do not like mixed in.
I really like the mix the author selected. Many of these stories are short enough to read in an hour or two. They appear just right for that bus or train ride to work. Some will leave you wondering why it ended, while others will make you think about them.
These stories are great entertainment for the reader. They will fill in short blocks of time, without getting you so involved you forget where you are.
I can easily recommend these stories to horror readers, as well as anyone looking for short stories to read while traveling to and from work, taking a break, or just wanting to fill a few minutes.
An eclectic mix of short stories, some are great, some are not, well worth reading.
This is a book of stories. The only common theme is horror. Some of the stories are very good. I did not enjoy every story, but I was happy to have a mix to read. It is very nice to have something different once in a while. The fact that this is a mix means most of us will find a few stories we really like, even though there will be a few we do not like mixed in.
I really like the mix the author selected. Many of these stories are short enough to read in an hour or two. They appear just right for that bus or train ride to work. Some will leave you wondering why it ended, while others will make you think about them.
These stories are great entertainment for the reader. They will fill in short blocks of time, without getting you so involved you forget where you are.
I can easily recommend these stories to horror readers, as well as anyone looking for short stories to read while traveling to and from work, taking a break, or just wanting to fill a few minutes.
January 5, 2013
The book, as a whole, was fairly well done. Several stories are disjointed, but interesting if you enjoy a story that makes you wonder what recreational drugs the author was partaking of while writing. Other stories are little gems. As an editor, I found the typos to consist of largely forgivable oversights, but mixing up 'their', 'there' and 'they're' irritates me deeply and threw me right out of more than one story that was otherwise quite good.
I recommend anyone who deals poorly with made-up words skip entirely over 'Blind Date for Bonkers', the one story that truly made me cringe in horror. The final story, an excerpt, was interesting enough in its portrayal of the 'Can Man' to potentially lead me to seek out the book to see where the author is going with that particular character.
I have to say that on the whole I liked the book; there were more strong stories than weak. The stronger stories certainly make the book well worth reading. However, I sincerely hope that any future compilation would both leave out the weak stories and be thoroughly edited.
I recommend anyone who deals poorly with made-up words skip entirely over 'Blind Date for Bonkers', the one story that truly made me cringe in horror. The final story, an excerpt, was interesting enough in its portrayal of the 'Can Man' to potentially lead me to seek out the book to see where the author is going with that particular character.
I have to say that on the whole I liked the book; there were more strong stories than weak. The stronger stories certainly make the book well worth reading. However, I sincerely hope that any future compilation would both leave out the weak stories and be thoroughly edited.
Want to read
December 20, 2014I want this and I want it now.
*adds to gift card spending list*
*adds to gift card spending list*
June 1, 2015
This review and others can be also found on A Lazy Squirrel's Reading Guide.
Overall, the collection was okay. I can’t say I loved it, but it had some stories that I liked, while some really dragged for me.
My favourite was the one about the couple getting a divorce. I'm neither married nor a divorcee, but something still struck me there. I'd say because the divorce wasn't the main point of that story.
Some of the stories were quite bonkers. Especially the one called A Blind Date for Bonkers ;)
Most of the stories happened each in a different world, therefore each of them required some getting used to, and that wasn’t easy, since there wasn’t much time and space for that, given that they are short stories. It’s not really a negative thing, but I didn’t particularly like it either. But that is more my problem, I guess short stories aren’t really my favourites cup of tea. Though sometimes they can be enjoyed.
Taking into account the fact that some stories sort of bored me, while others were really enjoyable, I give this short story collection 3 stars. It’s not something that really wowed me. I’m not planning to reread it or anything. But I did really enjoy some of the stories, and the worlds in each of the stories were unique and quite interesting (even though some I didn’t enjoy). I mean, overall, I did like it.
Overall, the collection was okay. I can’t say I loved it, but it had some stories that I liked, while some really dragged for me.
My favourite was the one about the couple getting a divorce. I'm neither married nor a divorcee, but something still struck me there. I'd say because the divorce wasn't the main point of that story.
Some of the stories were quite bonkers. Especially the one called A Blind Date for Bonkers ;)
Most of the stories happened each in a different world, therefore each of them required some getting used to, and that wasn’t easy, since there wasn’t much time and space for that, given that they are short stories. It’s not really a negative thing, but I didn’t particularly like it either. But that is more my problem, I guess short stories aren’t really my favourites cup of tea. Though sometimes they can be enjoyed.
Taking into account the fact that some stories sort of bored me, while others were really enjoyable, I give this short story collection 3 stars. It’s not something that really wowed me. I’m not planning to reread it or anything. But I did really enjoy some of the stories, and the worlds in each of the stories were unique and quite interesting (even though some I didn’t enjoy). I mean, overall, I did like it.
February 9, 2015
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing it.
What an extravagantly versatile imagination David Fleming has. The choice of themes and settings for these short stories are literally mind-boggling - such a variety. With each story, the reader is immersed in a different world, and it may take you a while to judge whether you are supposed to experience it as real or not. Some of the stories are set in alternate realities, and some are truly bizarre, some are hilarious, some are deeply disturbing. Disclosing too much detail about the individual stories in the review will spoil the experience of reading it. This is a book that must be experienced I enjoyed the book very much, carried it around with me. It was perfect for reading in those odd moments when I needed something to occupy my mind - in the waiting rooms of life, so to speak. The stories are told with economy and skill, just long enough to engage the reader, and usually leaving you surprised, disturbed or even shocked, but always wanting to plunge right into the following tale, to see what the author would dream up next.
This book would be great fun to take on holiday. I hope Mr. Fleming produces more of these entertaining collections of short fiction.
What an extravagantly versatile imagination David Fleming has. The choice of themes and settings for these short stories are literally mind-boggling - such a variety. With each story, the reader is immersed in a different world, and it may take you a while to judge whether you are supposed to experience it as real or not. Some of the stories are set in alternate realities, and some are truly bizarre, some are hilarious, some are deeply disturbing. Disclosing too much detail about the individual stories in the review will spoil the experience of reading it. This is a book that must be experienced I enjoyed the book very much, carried it around with me. It was perfect for reading in those odd moments when I needed something to occupy my mind - in the waiting rooms of life, so to speak. The stories are told with economy and skill, just long enough to engage the reader, and usually leaving you surprised, disturbed or even shocked, but always wanting to plunge right into the following tale, to see what the author would dream up next.
This book would be great fun to take on holiday. I hope Mr. Fleming produces more of these entertaining collections of short fiction.
May 23, 2015
With and Without Class is a collection of a baker's dozen of David Wallace Fleming's short stories - plus an excerpt from a novel.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
The stories rage from science fiction to fantasy to horror and every permutation of those genres. The best way I can think of to describe them is to say that they are definitely peculiar.
Whether dealing with soulmates who seek a divorce in the afterlife, or a digital world in which citizens who try to artificially enhance their looks, intelligence and talent are marked for punishment by the Talent Police; whether its a trio of travelers who find themselves on the outside of the universe looking in, or a man with a most unusual therapist, Wallace has a very skewed sensibility that makes his work unique.
About two-thirds of the stories worked for me (Zombie Clown Western,and Embarkment were my favorites); a few didn't (White Daddies and The Natural Celebrity), and one I just didn't get (An anniversary Concession), but none of them were even remotely like anything I'd read before.
Fleming has a genuinely original voice. I'd certainly be interested in reading anything else he produces.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
The stories rage from science fiction to fantasy to horror and every permutation of those genres. The best way I can think of to describe them is to say that they are definitely peculiar.
Whether dealing with soulmates who seek a divorce in the afterlife, or a digital world in which citizens who try to artificially enhance their looks, intelligence and talent are marked for punishment by the Talent Police; whether its a trio of travelers who find themselves on the outside of the universe looking in, or a man with a most unusual therapist, Wallace has a very skewed sensibility that makes his work unique.
About two-thirds of the stories worked for me (Zombie Clown Western,and Embarkment were my favorites); a few didn't (White Daddies and The Natural Celebrity), and one I just didn't get (An anniversary Concession), but none of them were even remotely like anything I'd read before.
Fleming has a genuinely original voice. I'd certainly be interested in reading anything else he produces.
April 14, 2015
An interesting collection of tales, though a little disjointed. I rather enjoyed the creative storytelling, though I feel like the stories themselves were too short to offer any connection with the reader. As of such, there was no resolution, or if there was, it fell flat. I would have like to see the author expand on some of the worlds he created.
Some stories through really caught my heart - A Blind Date for Bonkers will always stick with me! - while others really did not interest me. It was definitely fun and enjoyable.
Some stories through really caught my heart - A Blind Date for Bonkers will always stick with me! - while others really did not interest me. It was definitely fun and enjoyable.
December 12, 2013
Surrealistically bizarre, at times disturbing, all of them entertaining. Twists, turns, giggles, oh my's, oh YEA this was a fun collection! My favorite was Zombie Clown Western. Some I re-read, they were too entertaining to want to stop. The Magic-Fiver was one of those. I give this book an over all WOW! Great human insight put into incredible situations/ideas and did I mention how much I liked this book! WOW!
May 22, 2016
Now this is a amazing set of stories. I like it when I really get into a authors writing style. Not only do I like his humor but the man can sure write a horror story. Soulmate divorce is amazing. I normally don't really like short stories and even look for how many pages is in a book before I buy it. All I can say is this collection has changed my mind. Some short story collections might be amazing. This one is!!!!
March 12, 2015
*I received "With and Without Class" for free through Goodreads First Reads*
This book kept me company on my way to and back from work this week and my trips definitely weren't boring. It is a collection of extravagant, peculiar, weird, funny and entertaining stories. Some of them I liked less, they were a bit confusing, some I liked more. My personal favorite is "The Natural Celebrity".
This book kept me company on my way to and back from work this week and my trips definitely weren't boring. It is a collection of extravagant, peculiar, weird, funny and entertaining stories. Some of them I liked less, they were a bit confusing, some I liked more. My personal favorite is "The Natural Celebrity".
April 25, 2015
Although horror stories are not my favourite reading material, I enjoyed this book - mostly because it was fourteen little stories that I could read one or two at a time and then put the book down and think about what I had read. I must say this author has quite the imagination but I guess that's what it takes to be a good write.
I highly recommend his book.
I highly recommend his book.
August 9, 2015
With and Without Class is a collection of 14 very different stories. I liked the idea of being able to put the book down at any point and pick it back up read another short story. The collection of stories are funny, very weird, entertaining and quite creative. Thanks to Goodreads, it was worth the read!
December 15, 2015
I won the book through Goodreads. Some stories were really good but others not so much. That's why it took me a while to finish it. However, I think the author's writing is marvelous so I will wait for a novel!
August 16, 2012
This was an amazing book!!! Loved it! :D
December 14, 2014
This was an amazing book!
January 3, 2016
I'm struggling between two stars and three stars here. In fact, I'm struggling to simply pull my thoughts together on how I feel about this collection.
THE GOOD
• Creativity. If this collection of short stories is anything, it's creative. Most have a sci-fi/futuristic/alternate world sort of theme to them. There's a lot of variety in the worlds and situations created by the author.
• Some strong stories. Some of these stories were really, really good. You just wanted more of the worlds and characters.
THE OKAY
• Writing. Fine, but not remarkable. Seems very plot based with difficulty injecting much emotion into the situations.
THE BAD
• Spelling/grammatical errors. Sorry, but I find these sorts of errors quite inexcusable in any published book, which should have gone through the right amount and level of editing.
• Lack of diversity and character distinction. Almost all (if not all?) of the main characters of each story were male. Female characters were in the minority and almost always used as a plot device or were romantic interests. Secondly, most of these male characters didn't feel hugely different from the last nor the next. I realise a short story doesn't give much space to develop everything in much detail, but most of these characters differed in their goals and names, but not, or so I particularly felt, in their personalities. In a short story collection, I would want much more diversity in characters.
• A fair handful of the stories were just boring. This is not an all-round strong collection. Some are very good, some are good, some are instantly forgettable. In the dozen stories in this, I can now recall the basis of six - and I only just finished reading it.
THE GOOD
• Creativity. If this collection of short stories is anything, it's creative. Most have a sci-fi/futuristic/alternate world sort of theme to them. There's a lot of variety in the worlds and situations created by the author.
• Some strong stories. Some of these stories were really, really good. You just wanted more of the worlds and characters.
THE OKAY
• Writing. Fine, but not remarkable. Seems very plot based with difficulty injecting much emotion into the situations.
THE BAD
• Spelling/grammatical errors. Sorry, but I find these sorts of errors quite inexcusable in any published book, which should have gone through the right amount and level of editing.
• Lack of diversity and character distinction. Almost all (if not all?) of the main characters of each story were male. Female characters were in the minority and almost always used as a plot device or were romantic interests. Secondly, most of these male characters didn't feel hugely different from the last nor the next. I realise a short story doesn't give much space to develop everything in much detail, but most of these characters differed in their goals and names, but not, or so I particularly felt, in their personalities. In a short story collection, I would want much more diversity in characters.
• A fair handful of the stories were just boring. This is not an all-round strong collection. Some are very good, some are good, some are instantly forgettable. In the dozen stories in this, I can now recall the basis of six - and I only just finished reading it.
January 31, 2015
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a book of 13 short stories supposedly based on fantasy, horror and science fiction. Personally I'm not sure what genre I would put these short stories in, they definitely were those of the real world, but some I would just class as strange and not really science fiction/fantasy like. For example a story about a stool competition doesn't really fall into those categories.
It wasn't a particularly large book yet it took me a while to finish. I just couldn't get into any of the stories. At times when I finished a story I just kind of thought 'was that it?', 'what was the point?' I can see the attempt at humor at times, maybe it was just a type of humor that didn't suit me but I didn't really enjoy the 'humorous' parts.
I'm not going to say it was a bad book, everyone enjoys different things, but this one just didn't work for me. Even in a short story I want a reason behind it, I want to feel connected to the story but I didn't get that with these. I was left feeling unfulfilled by them.
Sorry to say I did not enjoy this book and I gave it 1 star.
This is a book of 13 short stories supposedly based on fantasy, horror and science fiction. Personally I'm not sure what genre I would put these short stories in, they definitely were those of the real world, but some I would just class as strange and not really science fiction/fantasy like. For example a story about a stool competition doesn't really fall into those categories.
It wasn't a particularly large book yet it took me a while to finish. I just couldn't get into any of the stories. At times when I finished a story I just kind of thought 'was that it?', 'what was the point?' I can see the attempt at humor at times, maybe it was just a type of humor that didn't suit me but I didn't really enjoy the 'humorous' parts.
I'm not going to say it was a bad book, everyone enjoys different things, but this one just didn't work for me. Even in a short story I want a reason behind it, I want to feel connected to the story but I didn't get that with these. I was left feeling unfulfilled by them.
Sorry to say I did not enjoy this book and I gave it 1 star.
February 2, 2016
An interesting collection of tales, though a little disjointed. I rather enjoyed the creative storytelling, though I feel like the stories themselves were too short to offer any connection with the reader. As of such, there was no resolution, or if there was, it fell flat. I would have like to see the author expand on some of the worlds he created. Some stories through really caught my heart - A Blind Date for Bonkers will always stick with me! - while others really did not interest me. It was definitely fun and enjoyable.
May 28, 2016
This short story collection is a scattershot mix of different genres, ideas, humour, satire, thriller, weird romance, jumping from one to the other. There are some real gems, in particular "Soulmate Divorce" and "Talent Police". I also like "Perfection of the Mind" a lot. There are a few that drag it down though, "Electric Comedian left me cold, "A Blind Date for Bonkers just annoyed me. Overall however, this is a collection worth diving into.
January 30, 2017
A group of very creative science fiction/fantasy short stories. Overall I would have to say I enjoyed all the stories, however some left me a little short as I either didn't understand the ending or missed the entire plot. A blind date for bonkers was probably my favorite story in the group- that one would give Dr. Seuss a run for his money! Fun book and easy reading - a good reads give away, thanks.
July 1, 2016
I liked this book. Many of the short stories have the potential to be independent novels and I enjoyed most of them. Although, I have to say that there are some (very few) grammar mistakes and some of the stories were hard to follow. Overall, it is a good book filled with short stories that have the potential to become their own novels.
January 18, 2013
couldn't get past the 2nd chapter. I tried
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews