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Heaven and Earth: Paranormal Flash Fiction
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- Hamlet (1.5.167-8)
Demons, witches, extra-sensory perception, possessed animals, and an ever-loving God. There is much that exists, or is claimed to exist, in the world today, that we are yet to understand.
A perfect introduction into the inner workings of the weird mind of Graham Downs, this collection of flash fiction paranormal stories contains:
* The Thing in the Window,
* An Automatic Decision,
* Telepathic Link,
* The Witch of Wellington, and
* The Christmas Bird.
All have been newly edited and polished since publication on his website in 2014, and some with new endings.
It also contains the never-before-published story, Under the Sheets, about an old woman who believes she is being haunted by a strange ghost, living under her bed, and this special edition paperback includes the hit short story, Billy's Zombie!
- Hamlet (1.5.167-8)
Demons, witches, extra-sensory perception, possessed animals, and an ever-loving God. There is much that exists, or is claimed to exist, in the world today, that we are yet to understand.
A perfect introduction into the inner workings of the weird mind of Graham Downs, this collection of flash fiction paranormal stories contains:
* The Thing in the Window,
* An Automatic Decision,
* Telepathic Link,
* The Witch of Wellington, and
* The Christmas Bird.
All have been newly edited and polished since publication on his website in 2014, and some with new endings.
It also contains the never-before-published story, Under the Sheets, about an old woman who believes she is being haunted by a strange ghost, living under her bed, and this special edition paperback includes the hit short story, Billy's Zombie!
46 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2015
About the author
Graham Downs
11 books65 followersGraham Downs is a South African author of short stories, flash fiction, and novelettes, in a variety of genres. Memoirs of a Guardian Angel is his longest work to date.
He currently lives in Alberton, Gauteng, with his wife and their dog, Becky. He spends a good portion of his free time reading and, as with his writing, he reads books in a huge range of genres and lengths. He’s also passionate about South African authors—particularly independently published ones.
Graham's publishing journey began in 2012, with his first book, A Petition to Magic, which is a fantasy short story about a wizard who refuses to perform magic, and a queen who insists that he do just that. He freely admits that back then, just like John Snow, he knew nothing (now, he knows perhaps a trifle more than nothing).
Since those fateful first steps, he's never looked back, publishing five more books in almost as many genres, as well as getting a story included in the charity anthology, I Am Not Frazzle! (And Other Stories For Grown-ups).
His latest work, Memoirs of a Guardian Angel, was launched on 6 April 2018.
He currently lives in Alberton, Gauteng, with his wife and their dog, Becky. He spends a good portion of his free time reading and, as with his writing, he reads books in a huge range of genres and lengths. He’s also passionate about South African authors—particularly independently published ones.
Graham's publishing journey began in 2012, with his first book, A Petition to Magic, which is a fantasy short story about a wizard who refuses to perform magic, and a queen who insists that he do just that. He freely admits that back then, just like John Snow, he knew nothing (now, he knows perhaps a trifle more than nothing).
Since those fateful first steps, he's never looked back, publishing five more books in almost as many genres, as well as getting a story included in the charity anthology, I Am Not Frazzle! (And Other Stories For Grown-ups).
His latest work, Memoirs of a Guardian Angel, was launched on 6 April 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 22, 2020
I enjoyed this book very much. Every character is realistically written and terms the author uses to describe the thoughts, micro-expressions and actions that people make (no matter how small or seemingly minor) add authenticity to the experience.
As thoroughly human as most principle characters are, the paranormal aspects are original, infinitely interesting.. and the sort of beings that left me pondering for a long time after I'd finished each - very short - piece of fiction.
That brevity, in itself, is serious drawcard. I had been looking for a short read to occupy myself with for an hour or so. In this I had several, very distinct adventures, and I enjoyed them for what they are. Short fiction must be difficult to get completely right to one's satisfaction, and Mr Downs has succeeded at this admirably.
My only - small - problem with the ebook edition that I read, and the reason this rating is 4 stars instead of 5, has to do with a word choice error I picked up on in one of the pieces of flash fiction. It's minor, but jarring and a tad confusing at the time of reading it.
Otherwise, this is a very good book and I would definitely recommend it.
As thoroughly human as most principle characters are, the paranormal aspects are original, infinitely interesting.. and the sort of beings that left me pondering for a long time after I'd finished each - very short - piece of fiction.
That brevity, in itself, is serious drawcard. I had been looking for a short read to occupy myself with for an hour or so. In this I had several, very distinct adventures, and I enjoyed them for what they are. Short fiction must be difficult to get completely right to one's satisfaction, and Mr Downs has succeeded at this admirably.
My only - small - problem with the ebook edition that I read, and the reason this rating is 4 stars instead of 5, has to do with a word choice error I picked up on in one of the pieces of flash fiction. It's minor, but jarring and a tad confusing at the time of reading it.
Otherwise, this is a very good book and I would definitely recommend it.
June 4, 2020
This book is a solid 4.5 stars. It's missing a half only because I wanted more stories.
The themes of the stories are varied and yet all fit well in this collection. I enjoyed the author's writing style, which flowed easily and revealed a well- and widely-read individual. A bonus for me was the inclusion of South African settings.
The stories with children in them reminded me of the creepy books I enjoyed as a child - particularly Goosebumps and the Wicked! series by Paul Jennings & Morris Gleitzman. I was also reminded of The Twilight Zone while reading one of the stories.
A great, albeit short, read, that works well as an introduction to the author. I can't wait to read more.
The themes of the stories are varied and yet all fit well in this collection. I enjoyed the author's writing style, which flowed easily and revealed a well- and widely-read individual. A bonus for me was the inclusion of South African settings.
The stories with children in them reminded me of the creepy books I enjoyed as a child - particularly Goosebumps and the Wicked! series by Paul Jennings & Morris Gleitzman. I was also reminded of The Twilight Zone while reading one of the stories.
A great, albeit short, read, that works well as an introduction to the author. I can't wait to read more.
April 13, 2015
Graham Downs' new offering, "Heaven and Earth: Paranormal Flash Fiction" is a fresh and enjoyable collection of weirdness. It opens up with some straight-up horror with "The Thing in the Window", with a non-Hollywood-ish ending that sets the tone for the rest of the book. The idea could be expanded into a larger story, in fact, and I wondered if Downs will ever do just that.
"An Automatic Decision" was a surprise for me, with a very interesting concept that I quite enjoyed. But perhaps my favourite of them all was "The Christmas Bird." Why? It reminded me of some of the classic "Twilight Zone" episodes I watched as a kid.
All in all, this is a great collection of flash fiction that lets you see a side to Downs that perhaps wasn't so visible in "Stingers" or "A Petition to Magic", but started emerging with "Billy's Zombie". Downs manages to describe settings and scenes very well with just a few words, and I hope we see more from him in this vein. My only wish was that there was MORE.
"An Automatic Decision" was a surprise for me, with a very interesting concept that I quite enjoyed. But perhaps my favourite of them all was "The Christmas Bird." Why? It reminded me of some of the classic "Twilight Zone" episodes I watched as a kid.
All in all, this is a great collection of flash fiction that lets you see a side to Downs that perhaps wasn't so visible in "Stingers" or "A Petition to Magic", but started emerging with "Billy's Zombie". Downs manages to describe settings and scenes very well with just a few words, and I hope we see more from him in this vein. My only wish was that there was MORE.
February 17, 2015
"Heaven and Earth: Paranormal Flash Fiction"s a fast fun read. With six flash fiction stories Graham Downs covers everything from horror to humor. I enjoyed this fast read, however, I do wish there were more stories. I recommend this book to new readers of Graham Downs. It gives the reader a taste of just how talented Graham is, without giving too much away, influencing the reader to explore more into his works.
This is not my first time reading Graham Downs and I will still continue to seek out and enjoy his work. He is a wonderful and intense story teller, a must read author for anyone.
This is not my first time reading Graham Downs and I will still continue to seek out and enjoy his work. He is a wonderful and intense story teller, a must read author for anyone.
April 16, 2015
The short piece for today is called “Heaven and Earth” by Graham Downs.
The genre is paranormal flash fiction.
This short collection contains six stories. It is hard to describe such a short piece of work without giving away any of the plots. It's a quick read of stories that involve horror and suspense to humor.
My con with this piece is six stories is not enough. You are given just enough to wet your whistle and than it is over. I did enjoy most of the stories that peaked your interest to turn to the next page. I would not be upset if I had paid for it.
This was given to me for free in exchange for a honest review.
The genre is paranormal flash fiction.
This short collection contains six stories. It is hard to describe such a short piece of work without giving away any of the plots. It's a quick read of stories that involve horror and suspense to humor.
My con with this piece is six stories is not enough. You are given just enough to wet your whistle and than it is over. I did enjoy most of the stories that peaked your interest to turn to the next page. I would not be upset if I had paid for it.
This was given to me for free in exchange for a honest review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews