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100 by 100: Stories in 100 Words
100 by 100 is a collection of 100 stories that are each 100 words long. Mathematically, that makes each worth 1/10 of a picture. Some of these 0.1 pictures are scary, some are funny, some are funny and scary, while others are just odd.
Possible uses include:
Causing bad dreams
Prompts for community college writing group
Bedtime stories for children with narcolepsy
Reading aloud to cats to curtail crippling loneliness
Inspiring new videos on your unpopular YouTube Channel
Conversation starters at the weddings of your spouse’s co-workers
A story-a-day calendar from January 1st until April 10th (non-leap years)
General entertainment
Possible uses include:
Causing bad dreams
Prompts for community college writing group
Bedtime stories for children with narcolepsy
Reading aloud to cats to curtail crippling loneliness
Inspiring new videos on your unpopular YouTube Channel
Conversation starters at the weddings of your spouse’s co-workers
A story-a-day calendar from January 1st until April 10th (non-leap years)
General entertainment
- GenresShort Stories
121 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2016
9 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Kennedy
5 books22 followersML Kennedy writes about the spooky and the mundane. He has released a rust-belt travelogue/vampire novella called The Mosquito Song, as well as a short story collection called Thanksgiving for Werewolves and Other Monstrous Tales through Tiny Toe Press. Kennedy has a blog where he writes stories in exactly 100 words. You can find out more about those and his slightly longer stories at wbxylo.weebly.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 13 reviews
October 18, 2017
Looooved it! Quirky, funny, and smart little stories!
May 28, 2017
100 stories, each told in 100 words.
As I read the collection, I thought about how challenging it must have been, as an author, to structure stories under such a specific constraint, having to maximize every. single. word. I found myself wondering how many times a story changed because he wasn't able to make it work in 100 words.
In most cases, ML Kennedy really pulled it off. Favorites were "A Question Better Suited for the CDC", "All I See Are Nails", "Between the Worlds Incredulous", "Bugs", "Count Backwards", "Ennui", "Provincetown", "Quixotic", "Scuriomorphia", "The Fundamental Flaw in the System", "Timelocked". These short fictions transported me right into the thick of things. I felt connected, however briefly, to the characters and their situations. I cringed. laughed. reacted.
100 by 100 has something for everyone. It's a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.
*I contributed the title prompt "Torpedo of Rose".
As I read the collection, I thought about how challenging it must have been, as an author, to structure stories under such a specific constraint, having to maximize every. single. word. I found myself wondering how many times a story changed because he wasn't able to make it work in 100 words.
In most cases, ML Kennedy really pulled it off. Favorites were "A Question Better Suited for the CDC", "All I See Are Nails", "Between the Worlds Incredulous", "Bugs", "Count Backwards", "Ennui", "Provincetown", "Quixotic", "Scuriomorphia", "The Fundamental Flaw in the System", "Timelocked". These short fictions transported me right into the thick of things. I felt connected, however briefly, to the characters and their situations. I cringed. laughed. reacted.
100 by 100 has something for everyone. It's a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.
*I contributed the title prompt "Torpedo of Rose".
April 17, 2017
Review to come
November 19, 2016
In the book description as well as in the introduction to this collection author M.L. Kennedy riffs off the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” to explain that each of these 100 word stories are one tenth of a picture. It's a clever comparison because it helps drive home how difficult it is to tell a good and complete story in so few words. Yet Kennedy does it again and again. Whole pictures even.
For those who haven't read much flash fiction (extremely short stories, usually no more than a few hundred words) especially the shortest of these (100 word stories, often referred to as drabbles) you'll find that the best short fiction authors can paint a whole picture with just a few words. Like a good songwriter, the best flash fiction authors can say a lot with few words, often by letting the reader fill in the gaps without realizing that's happening, to end up with the complete picture.
A few of Kennedy's stories had me scratching my head, not sure of the point. But most of them were just the opposite, getting a laugh or a knowing nod of the head. Many times he even managed to set me up by going one way and then deftly adding a twist at the end that I never saw coming, making a good story even better. If you're a flash fiction fan or interested in giving it a try this collection is a good choice.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
For those who haven't read much flash fiction (extremely short stories, usually no more than a few hundred words) especially the shortest of these (100 word stories, often referred to as drabbles) you'll find that the best short fiction authors can paint a whole picture with just a few words. Like a good songwriter, the best flash fiction authors can say a lot with few words, often by letting the reader fill in the gaps without realizing that's happening, to end up with the complete picture.
A few of Kennedy's stories had me scratching my head, not sure of the point. But most of them were just the opposite, getting a laugh or a knowing nod of the head. Many times he even managed to set me up by going one way and then deftly adding a twist at the end that I never saw coming, making a good story even better. If you're a flash fiction fan or interested in giving it a try this collection is a good choice.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
July 24, 2016
100 by 100: Stories in 100 Words by M.L. Kennedy
A collection of stories of 100 words(or so). Some of them are scary, funny, bizarre and maybe a combination of several genres. All stories are fantastically written and very enjoyable. Although the stories are short, a lot happens and left me wanting more. I highly recommend 100 by 100: Stories in 100 Words byM.L. Kennedy M.L. Kennedy, I feel there is something for everyone.
A collection of stories of 100 words(or so). Some of them are scary, funny, bizarre and maybe a combination of several genres. All stories are fantastically written and very enjoyable. Although the stories are short, a lot happens and left me wanting more. I highly recommend 100 by 100: Stories in 100 Words byM.L. Kennedy M.L. Kennedy, I feel there is something for everyone.
August 11, 2016
As a fellow author, I am amazed at M.L. Kennedy's ability to write such funny and horrifying pieces at exactly 100 words. His tiny stories are big on humor and entertainment. Some of the creepy imagery sticks with you and makes you shudder long after you are done reading. Because the pieces are short, it's easy to binge read them, but make sure you pay close attention to get the twisted humor hidden in the lines. This is the kind of book you could read out loud to a friend on a road trip or scare your family with around a camp fire. I found myself rereading my favorites after I was done. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC of this book.
September 25, 2018
A great book for those who love short reads and twist endings.
June 7, 2020
This work was short, sometimes existential, sometimes funny, and always quick. Not something I'd read in full again, but something I'll definitely come back to for individual excerpts.
August 23, 2016
Those of us who follow the literary adventures of M.L. Kennedy are accustomed to the brisk tempo, the brashly supernatural, the self-deprecating wit. 100 by 100 mixes it up some. Not in the sense that these characteristic signatures of Kennedy's writing aren't there – they are – but they aren't what most captures a reader's attention.
Flash fiction has enjoyed something of a vogue in the last few years; it is uniquely suited to mobile devices and social media, it is something that can be enjoyed from the subway or the bus (or the toilet), and (importantly) it is something quickly and easily produced by freelance writers and starving artists squeezed by their ever-accelerating hustle. So there is nothing particularly unique or surprising about a collection of flash fiction in 2016.
100 by 100 is something beyond a mere collection, however. By conforming rigidly to the numerical demands of his gimmick – exactly 100 stories each told in exactly 100 words – within his usual oeuvre (aliens, vampires, and monsters) Kennedy has come up with something that reads more like a chapbook of irreverent sestinas and villanelles, or perhaps a collection of riddles. These pieces are always calling attention to their structure and that leads a careful reader to some inescapable observations.
For example, in a collection of short pieces dominated by an unyielding conceit, the structure and the subject cannot avoid confronting one another. One of the most common flourishes -- twist endings that sometimes have the effect of a cinematic jump scare -- in repetition take on a twofold purpose. In terms of structure, you get the sense that the characters are being manipulated by an omnipotent force who is trying to wrap things up quickly, and cannot be troubled by pages of dialogue or slow-building tension. This amoral God is just as likely to leave his creations (maybe literally) dangling off a cliff than to grant them any sort of closure. Thus, flash fiction in this sense isn't just “brief” fiction; we might additionally call it self-aware, unstable, and chaotic.
And surreal. In some of my favorite pieces, the effect of these “last sentence inversions” isn't so much a jump-scare as it takes the form of a riddle (“what the hell was that supposed to mean?”) or a reflection on the absurdity of our existence (“does that even mean anything at all?”).
I don't think it would be accurate to say that this can be distilled to anything so tidy as a moral... like timeless koans, many of these pieces, steeped in jokes, parodied cliches, and pop culture allusion, lack a single, simple conclusion but rather call attention to a specific paradox. If a print edition becomes available, I could see myself carrying it past the fiction and poetry altogether and shelving it with the Sudoku and game theory.
None of this is meant to be a slight on the collection, by the way. Flash fiction is designed so that you can consume it during a two-minute bathroom break. The best flash fiction will keep you scratching your head for much longer than it takes you to actually read.
Flash fiction has enjoyed something of a vogue in the last few years; it is uniquely suited to mobile devices and social media, it is something that can be enjoyed from the subway or the bus (or the toilet), and (importantly) it is something quickly and easily produced by freelance writers and starving artists squeezed by their ever-accelerating hustle. So there is nothing particularly unique or surprising about a collection of flash fiction in 2016.
100 by 100 is something beyond a mere collection, however. By conforming rigidly to the numerical demands of his gimmick – exactly 100 stories each told in exactly 100 words – within his usual oeuvre (aliens, vampires, and monsters) Kennedy has come up with something that reads more like a chapbook of irreverent sestinas and villanelles, or perhaps a collection of riddles. These pieces are always calling attention to their structure and that leads a careful reader to some inescapable observations.
For example, in a collection of short pieces dominated by an unyielding conceit, the structure and the subject cannot avoid confronting one another. One of the most common flourishes -- twist endings that sometimes have the effect of a cinematic jump scare -- in repetition take on a twofold purpose. In terms of structure, you get the sense that the characters are being manipulated by an omnipotent force who is trying to wrap things up quickly, and cannot be troubled by pages of dialogue or slow-building tension. This amoral God is just as likely to leave his creations (maybe literally) dangling off a cliff than to grant them any sort of closure. Thus, flash fiction in this sense isn't just “brief” fiction; we might additionally call it self-aware, unstable, and chaotic.
And surreal. In some of my favorite pieces, the effect of these “last sentence inversions” isn't so much a jump-scare as it takes the form of a riddle (“what the hell was that supposed to mean?”) or a reflection on the absurdity of our existence (“does that even mean anything at all?”).
I don't think it would be accurate to say that this can be distilled to anything so tidy as a moral... like timeless koans, many of these pieces, steeped in jokes, parodied cliches, and pop culture allusion, lack a single, simple conclusion but rather call attention to a specific paradox. If a print edition becomes available, I could see myself carrying it past the fiction and poetry altogether and shelving it with the Sudoku and game theory.
None of this is meant to be a slight on the collection, by the way. Flash fiction is designed so that you can consume it during a two-minute bathroom break. The best flash fiction will keep you scratching your head for much longer than it takes you to actually read.
August 29, 2016
Reading this book reminds me of beer (or wine) tastings. When you finish sampling one and wish to try another, it is recommended that you cleanse your palate with some water. Your resetting your taste buds so that your new taste experience won't be unduly influenced by the previous sample. This book is like that. When switching from one novel to another, this book would serve as a great literary palate cleanser. It's refreshes your brain and has the bonus side effect of entertaining it as well.
Most of the stories have a twist at the end. But as I think about it, how else can one neatly wrap up a story that's only one hundred words long? The author quickly sets up the premise and then (bam!) there's the ending. I found that 93% of the stories worked (I kept track), and most of them relied on that format. It didn't matter if the twist was spooky, ironic, or humorous. That's what worked. Those that didn't just trailed off.
The stories cover the gamut from quirky sci-fi, suspense & horror, bizarre fantasy, and conversational satire. Santa Claus, vampires, clowns, ghosts, interdimensional travel, and alien invasions all make appearances. With a few exceptions, the stories remain light-hearted.
If you've just finished some 500-page behemoth and you're not ready to start the next one, but you need to read something, then consider 100 by 100. It's light and refreshing, and you'll be done with it in no time.
This review initially appeared at the New Podler Review of Books.
Most of the stories have a twist at the end. But as I think about it, how else can one neatly wrap up a story that's only one hundred words long? The author quickly sets up the premise and then (bam!) there's the ending. I found that 93% of the stories worked (I kept track), and most of them relied on that format. It didn't matter if the twist was spooky, ironic, or humorous. That's what worked. Those that didn't just trailed off.
The stories cover the gamut from quirky sci-fi, suspense & horror, bizarre fantasy, and conversational satire. Santa Claus, vampires, clowns, ghosts, interdimensional travel, and alien invasions all make appearances. With a few exceptions, the stories remain light-hearted.
If you've just finished some 500-page behemoth and you're not ready to start the next one, but you need to read something, then consider 100 by 100. It's light and refreshing, and you'll be done with it in no time.
This review initially appeared at the New Podler Review of Books.
December 13, 2016
A picture’s worth 1000 words; these stories each have but 100.
“30 Days of Santa” had a creepy test and it almost read like “Twas the Night before Christmas.”
“April Showers” was a clever rendition on the fortuitous rain that cleansed the blood of April’s hands.
“Ennui” is about a poltergeist that can’t wait to haunt the living.
These snap shot tales were witty, quirky, and full of irony. They gave just enough for snarky quip, but, of course, the only downfall was that it leaves the reader wanting more. To me, these read almost like haikus rather than stories, which is not a bad thing. I love short stories. They give you just enough without becoming too much, like a snack before dinner. Well, these tales were more like a spoon full, giving readers more of a taste rather than a good bite. Some were pretty good while others were downright puzzling and weird.
All in all, this was an unorthodox approach to the short story. It was interesting, but I guess I’m more of a traditionalist.
“30 Days of Santa” had a creepy test and it almost read like “Twas the Night before Christmas.”
“April Showers” was a clever rendition on the fortuitous rain that cleansed the blood of April’s hands.
“Ennui” is about a poltergeist that can’t wait to haunt the living.
These snap shot tales were witty, quirky, and full of irony. They gave just enough for snarky quip, but, of course, the only downfall was that it leaves the reader wanting more. To me, these read almost like haikus rather than stories, which is not a bad thing. I love short stories. They give you just enough without becoming too much, like a snack before dinner. Well, these tales were more like a spoon full, giving readers more of a taste rather than a good bite. Some were pretty good while others were downright puzzling and weird.
All in all, this was an unorthodox approach to the short story. It was interesting, but I guess I’m more of a traditionalist.
August 16, 2016
This book is a great collection of flash fiction stories that are clever, surprising and well written. You'll be thoroughly entertained, and amazed at how much can be said with just 100 words.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 13 reviews