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Thread and Other Stories
Thread and Other Stories is a multi-genre collection of short stories (single author) that includes science fiction, fantasy, urban fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and espionage. There are seven stories in the collection.
Prudence and her older brother Yannick face extreme poverty and hardship in Thread. They live day to day on the wages they earn at low paying, difficult jobs. They face hardships that seem insurmountable for two young children. Isidore, an impoverished boy trying to survive on his own, enters their lives with even greater needs than Prudence and Yannick. They integrate him into their family life even as their world begins to crumble around them. But, there is an ominous backdrop to these events as strange entities take a keen interest in the lives of the three children.
A military psychologist evaluates a Vietnam war veteran who has experienced psychological damage in Shrink. The veteran’s fellow soldiers and friends must support him as the psychologist attempts to uncover the reasons behind his trauma.
Emil, Annie, and their three children—Zona, Owen, and Abner—struggle to stay safe in a steampunk-inspired fantasy world in Chance. Abner finds himself in trouble as a powerful magical being terrorizes the family farm. Only Zona’s quick thinking along with her parents’ knowledge of magic will give them a chance against the dark sorcery of the enemy.
John and Greg, bound by friendship, embark on a journey of trial and tragedy in Conflict, a 20th Century historical fiction. They must deal with death, loss, and grief as compatriots fall in battle during this poignant snapshot of the Canadian military in World War I. John and Greg show a contrast in the ways that these soldiers adapted to the psychological effects of war.
Veera, an astrophysicist, begins to experience recurring déjà vu, the source of which she cannot determine in Oversight, a science fiction adventure. She is unknowingly set on a collision course with Misha, who challenges Veera’s perception of the world as she struggles to determine what is real and what isn’t. Misha must deal with his own psychological demons as he tries to salvage a failing mission that will either end in glory or in his own death.
Dmitry is a hardened spy in the Cold War who has no mercy for his adversary Olyesa in the espionage thriller Deception. Olyesa and Dmitry navigate their way through the murky waters of agents and double agents while simultaneously struggling against each other for survival. When their divergent plans collide, it threatens to destroy them both.
Explore a metaphysical debate in the literary short story Conversation, which is woven between each of the short stories in this collection. An unnamed protagonist and an unidentified and secretive entity discuss the metaphysical and spiritual meaning behind science and what it means to gain knowledge.
Prudence and her older brother Yannick face extreme poverty and hardship in Thread. They live day to day on the wages they earn at low paying, difficult jobs. They face hardships that seem insurmountable for two young children. Isidore, an impoverished boy trying to survive on his own, enters their lives with even greater needs than Prudence and Yannick. They integrate him into their family life even as their world begins to crumble around them. But, there is an ominous backdrop to these events as strange entities take a keen interest in the lives of the three children.
A military psychologist evaluates a Vietnam war veteran who has experienced psychological damage in Shrink. The veteran’s fellow soldiers and friends must support him as the psychologist attempts to uncover the reasons behind his trauma.
Emil, Annie, and their three children—Zona, Owen, and Abner—struggle to stay safe in a steampunk-inspired fantasy world in Chance. Abner finds himself in trouble as a powerful magical being terrorizes the family farm. Only Zona’s quick thinking along with her parents’ knowledge of magic will give them a chance against the dark sorcery of the enemy.
John and Greg, bound by friendship, embark on a journey of trial and tragedy in Conflict, a 20th Century historical fiction. They must deal with death, loss, and grief as compatriots fall in battle during this poignant snapshot of the Canadian military in World War I. John and Greg show a contrast in the ways that these soldiers adapted to the psychological effects of war.
Veera, an astrophysicist, begins to experience recurring déjà vu, the source of which she cannot determine in Oversight, a science fiction adventure. She is unknowingly set on a collision course with Misha, who challenges Veera’s perception of the world as she struggles to determine what is real and what isn’t. Misha must deal with his own psychological demons as he tries to salvage a failing mission that will either end in glory or in his own death.
Dmitry is a hardened spy in the Cold War who has no mercy for his adversary Olyesa in the espionage thriller Deception. Olyesa and Dmitry navigate their way through the murky waters of agents and double agents while simultaneously struggling against each other for survival. When their divergent plans collide, it threatens to destroy them both.
Explore a metaphysical debate in the literary short story Conversation, which is woven between each of the short stories in this collection. An unnamed protagonist and an unidentified and secretive entity discuss the metaphysical and spiritual meaning behind science and what it means to gain knowledge.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 11, 2017
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Eric Halpenny
11 books8 followersEric Halpenny is a seemingly normal engineer by day, but a fiction author by night. He hasn't quit his day job. He loves to write about interesting worlds and people that he creates. He started writing novels at the age of eight, but waited to publish until thirty-eight. He is often inspired in the middle of the night or while driving home from work.
He lives in Northern California with his wife and three children. He loves inspiring quotations, and one of his favorites is from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: "To learn to read is to light a fire." He would love to know that his writing lit the fire of reading, introspection, and hope in others.
He lives in Northern California with his wife and three children. He loves inspiring quotations, and one of his favorites is from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: "To learn to read is to light a fire." He would love to know that his writing lit the fire of reading, introspection, and hope in others.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 24, 2017
This is a set of short stories for those that like to be made to think whilst being entertained. Each story draws us to different views of our sentient being, and may well work differently for individual readers with differing life experiences. In my case, ‘Conflict’ was the story that resonated most deeply for me. This is a book that clearly sits on the contemporary fiction, literary, shelves, a vague classification though it is. Perhaps I may build a shelf labelled contemporary fiction musings.
So then, this isn’t a set of adrenal thrills, isn’t all about those fashion icons, plot and character, though Halpenny certainly writes with style as he pulls us deep into different fictional consciousnesses. This is reading for those that like nutritious input rather than the crude modern hits of sugar salt and hot pepper. There is a thread of sorts through these stories, that being the nature of reality.
These aren’t the classic short stories for a half-conscious read on the commute to work. They need quiet time and certainly benefit from undivided concentration. They are worthwhile stories for possibly short, but always deep, quiet moments.
So then, this isn’t a set of adrenal thrills, isn’t all about those fashion icons, plot and character, though Halpenny certainly writes with style as he pulls us deep into different fictional consciousnesses. This is reading for those that like nutritious input rather than the crude modern hits of sugar salt and hot pepper. There is a thread of sorts through these stories, that being the nature of reality.
These aren’t the classic short stories for a half-conscious read on the commute to work. They need quiet time and certainly benefit from undivided concentration. They are worthwhile stories for possibly short, but always deep, quiet moments.
September 1, 2017
-I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thread and Other Stories, by Eric Halpenny, is a series of stories that illustrate different aspects of humanity, unified by a single conversation between an unnamed protagonist and a higher power.
The book has six stories. Thread is about three young children who struggle to survive in a cruel world, while learning how to rely on each other for comfort. Shrink describes a psychologist who is helping a soldier deal with severe psychological problems. Chance follows a young boy who contracts a doll out of hay, which unknowingly invites a witch onto his family’s home. Conflict is about two soldiers who decide to enlist in the army, both of whom have differing opinions on war’s purpose. Oversight is about two space archeologists who are studying the unknown, though soon, they are consumed by the fading boundary between reality and fiction. Perception is about a spy who struggles against his enemy, as he tries to survive a harsh reality where no one leaves with their innocence intact.
I loved the conversation between the protagonist and this higher being. At first, the protagonist came off as arrogant, but as more and more time past, the protagonist slowly began to warm up to this being. I particularly loved the statement, “I can wait”, which is both humorous and meaningful to me. The very sentence alone reflected my own relationship with religion, forcing me to think beyond my own prejudices and biases. With each story as well, Penny introduces a level of humanity that each person needs to deal with, alongside conflicts that the literary genre sometimes takes for granted. I’ve read many stories where humanity was characterized not as a group of individual thoughts, but as a whole being either bent of hatred, or as two thoughts fighting against one another. Perhaps the best thing that could be said about humanity it that whatever our ideas may be, we all try our best to live our own lives.
Because of this, I would give this book a rating of a 4.3 out of 5 stars. The stories were well written, as is the conversation between the protagonist and this higher power. As a whole, the story represented a more refreshing picture of humanity that, in the end, exposes us as imperfect beings that endeavor to live to the best of our ability. As such, I would recommend this book to fans of Abandoned Breaths by Alfa.
Thread and Other Stories, by Eric Halpenny, is a series of stories that illustrate different aspects of humanity, unified by a single conversation between an unnamed protagonist and a higher power.
The book has six stories. Thread is about three young children who struggle to survive in a cruel world, while learning how to rely on each other for comfort. Shrink describes a psychologist who is helping a soldier deal with severe psychological problems. Chance follows a young boy who contracts a doll out of hay, which unknowingly invites a witch onto his family’s home. Conflict is about two soldiers who decide to enlist in the army, both of whom have differing opinions on war’s purpose. Oversight is about two space archeologists who are studying the unknown, though soon, they are consumed by the fading boundary between reality and fiction. Perception is about a spy who struggles against his enemy, as he tries to survive a harsh reality where no one leaves with their innocence intact.
I loved the conversation between the protagonist and this higher being. At first, the protagonist came off as arrogant, but as more and more time past, the protagonist slowly began to warm up to this being. I particularly loved the statement, “I can wait”, which is both humorous and meaningful to me. The very sentence alone reflected my own relationship with religion, forcing me to think beyond my own prejudices and biases. With each story as well, Penny introduces a level of humanity that each person needs to deal with, alongside conflicts that the literary genre sometimes takes for granted. I’ve read many stories where humanity was characterized not as a group of individual thoughts, but as a whole being either bent of hatred, or as two thoughts fighting against one another. Perhaps the best thing that could be said about humanity it that whatever our ideas may be, we all try our best to live our own lives.
Because of this, I would give this book a rating of a 4.3 out of 5 stars. The stories were well written, as is the conversation between the protagonist and this higher power. As a whole, the story represented a more refreshing picture of humanity that, in the end, exposes us as imperfect beings that endeavor to live to the best of our ability. As such, I would recommend this book to fans of Abandoned Breaths by Alfa.
July 18, 2017
“Thread” is the title story in this collection by first-time author and chemical engineer, Eric Halpenny, but it also refers to the thread of conversation woven between the stories (always cut short by one unwilling conversation partner until the final dialogue), as well as the theme that ties together these tales: what really motivates our actions, what calls to us from outside the ordinary. In the first story, siblings eke out an existence for themselves and manage to help one weaker than themselves, too, who ends up giving back beyond the scope of his short life. Then comes a sad narrative about a soldier in Vietnam so traumatized by what he has to do that he becomes like the living dead, “not dead enough that anyone would dig him a grave” (67). Third is a ghost story in which a child makes a doll that summons a witch, an eidolon. “Conflict” is historical fiction, based on real experiences by the 7th battalion of the 1st Canadian infantry in WWI. Jump from real-life to science fiction in the next story about time travel and sociological studies. What happens when our subjects become The Subject, someone to whom we can relate? Lastly, the spy is spied upon in a story about Soviet Russia and Ukraine. The collection ends with the conclusion of the on-going conversation. Two unnamed conversants try to understand the other’s viewpoint and come to common ground. What is our understanding based on? Upon what do we rely in our experiments? Can we believe everything we know? The author leaves us with both questions and answers, all explored through introspective characters and twists of plot. What I liked best is the unpredictability of each ending and the sparse, pithy prose.
January 26, 2018
A series of short stories over different genres, with a running commentary between them. While reading the stories as individuals, they certainly felt disconnected—different eras, genres, and subject matters. However, the short story interspersed throughout felt like a narrator’s conversation with a reader, and for whatever reason, made the stories feel linked on some weird level. In fact, it separated them like chapters.
All of the stories were well-written. Since there were a few, it stands to reason that not all would be liked. Which is true. There were a few boring ones that took a lot of time to set up. By the time the reader got to the heart of story, quite a bit of interest was lost.
There were some excellent ones as well. Ones that didn’t take the beaten path in their execution. Deception was easily my favorite of them; the nasty bully getting outsmarted because he was overconfident, and it happens in a brutal way. Chance was my second favorite. I loved the supernatural elements to it, but also the family structure. I feel as though the broken family is a trope that everyone wants to use for a tragic backstory—which is fine—but this one utilizes a loving family. A family that really comes together to beat evil.
I felt as though there was a little bit for everyone in this novel. There are long-winded windups and lots of exposition or backstory with nothing else really going on. Then there are some that make that windup worth it and leave you wanting a full-blown story.
All of the stories were well-written. Since there were a few, it stands to reason that not all would be liked. Which is true. There were a few boring ones that took a lot of time to set up. By the time the reader got to the heart of story, quite a bit of interest was lost.
There were some excellent ones as well. Ones that didn’t take the beaten path in their execution. Deception was easily my favorite of them; the nasty bully getting outsmarted because he was overconfident, and it happens in a brutal way. Chance was my second favorite. I loved the supernatural elements to it, but also the family structure. I feel as though the broken family is a trope that everyone wants to use for a tragic backstory—which is fine—but this one utilizes a loving family. A family that really comes together to beat evil.
I felt as though there was a little bit for everyone in this novel. There are long-winded windups and lots of exposition or backstory with nothing else really going on. Then there are some that make that windup worth it and leave you wanting a full-blown story.
June 10, 2018
Goes down as another off my 2018 Bookworm Bingo Challenge – A collection of short stories. All are very different but each have a certain something to keep you intrigued to continue on to the next. Nice style of writing with this collection of shorts.
THREAD
A story connected by conscious thoughts of others perhaps? The main one itself is a trying tale of children living in poverty and having to work just to eat. The mines are for the boys and it’s cleaning for girls. They never feel hope for they can’t see a way out of the cycle they are part of. Work, eat, sleep and repeat. With the eating part sometimes being hard to come by. Yannick protects his sister Prudence but is still a child himself. A saying being you can’t look out for others, as you don’t have enough for yourselves. That’s Yannick’s way of thinking when Isidore comes into their lives. He’s younger than both of them but needs to work to stay alive too. Hardships become them and dangers of the world around them, work included, causes tragic results. Seems conscious minds might be merging to feel something new, hope might be born into their dark lives bringing some light and a connection thread to join them.
SHRINK
The perils of coming back from war and having to live with the consequences of what happened when you were there. A shrink to help the army vets before they go home but sometimes they are too far-gone to come back from the darkness. They need their crew and family to try to bring them round but is that enough?
CHANCE
Well what starts out as an everyday farmers family working life turns into something completely unexpected. Interesting twist with its’ direction and how the story evolves from there. Young minds are inquisitive ones so you should be careful to teach them to understand what’s at stake and not leave books around they might not understand. Creating a doll is one thing but this one had a mind of its own.
CONFLICT
Tales told of the Great War focusing on the Canadians fighting, all showing how and why different people would have signed up. What were they fighting for? Was it King, country, honour, family, friends or perhaps just a mixture of them all? Showing the day-to-day life of the battlefield slowly pulling them under. Two different men’s views on how they see the battle to be won. Who are the lucky ones? Those who go home physically injured, mentally injured, don’t go home at all or the ones who never got called in the first place? The letters or quotes from people who were really there mixing with the story were interesting. Gives you a little insight to what they really experienced.
OVERSIGHT
Two scientists following through with an 18-month task sending and tracking satellites – a link to the Mars project but also a new Jupiter one. Their project is failing and they know they need to go back through notes to find where they went wrong. This is where things get a little strange, as it seems they aren’t the only ones testing something, or should that be someone? Are you the tester or subject and can you tell the difference between the two? Quirky read that will have you questioning what could be out there and who or what everyone really is. Who is controlling whom? Maybe not knowing is the point.
DECEPTION
Spy masters at extracting information out of people. The top of a very select few that needs to stay hidden. Dmitry is one of them and believes he is the one always in control. He gets his pleasure out of tormenting others whether for work or fun. There seems to be no difference for him. He might think he is the one controlling the game but is he the one being played in a complex game of spy vs. spy. Cards are about to fall in a different way and he might not like where they land.
CONVERSATION
A need to have someone to talk to, but are they really there or just in your head? They say they will wait until you are ready to talk. Let’s hope it’s true. For someone to help do you need to be face to face or can they help you from afar? This story is broken up and interlinked between all the others. It gives the impression of time passing between the one who wants to talk but isn’t really ready to as they keep putting up barriers (I must meet you and you’re wrong) and the one who is willing to wait for however long until they are. A philosophical conversation with someone or something – do you really need to see them to talk?
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
THREAD
A story connected by conscious thoughts of others perhaps? The main one itself is a trying tale of children living in poverty and having to work just to eat. The mines are for the boys and it’s cleaning for girls. They never feel hope for they can’t see a way out of the cycle they are part of. Work, eat, sleep and repeat. With the eating part sometimes being hard to come by. Yannick protects his sister Prudence but is still a child himself. A saying being you can’t look out for others, as you don’t have enough for yourselves. That’s Yannick’s way of thinking when Isidore comes into their lives. He’s younger than both of them but needs to work to stay alive too. Hardships become them and dangers of the world around them, work included, causes tragic results. Seems conscious minds might be merging to feel something new, hope might be born into their dark lives bringing some light and a connection thread to join them.
SHRINK
The perils of coming back from war and having to live with the consequences of what happened when you were there. A shrink to help the army vets before they go home but sometimes they are too far-gone to come back from the darkness. They need their crew and family to try to bring them round but is that enough?
CHANCE
Well what starts out as an everyday farmers family working life turns into something completely unexpected. Interesting twist with its’ direction and how the story evolves from there. Young minds are inquisitive ones so you should be careful to teach them to understand what’s at stake and not leave books around they might not understand. Creating a doll is one thing but this one had a mind of its own.
CONFLICT
Tales told of the Great War focusing on the Canadians fighting, all showing how and why different people would have signed up. What were they fighting for? Was it King, country, honour, family, friends or perhaps just a mixture of them all? Showing the day-to-day life of the battlefield slowly pulling them under. Two different men’s views on how they see the battle to be won. Who are the lucky ones? Those who go home physically injured, mentally injured, don’t go home at all or the ones who never got called in the first place? The letters or quotes from people who were really there mixing with the story were interesting. Gives you a little insight to what they really experienced.
OVERSIGHT
Two scientists following through with an 18-month task sending and tracking satellites – a link to the Mars project but also a new Jupiter one. Their project is failing and they know they need to go back through notes to find where they went wrong. This is where things get a little strange, as it seems they aren’t the only ones testing something, or should that be someone? Are you the tester or subject and can you tell the difference between the two? Quirky read that will have you questioning what could be out there and who or what everyone really is. Who is controlling whom? Maybe not knowing is the point.
DECEPTION
Spy masters at extracting information out of people. The top of a very select few that needs to stay hidden. Dmitry is one of them and believes he is the one always in control. He gets his pleasure out of tormenting others whether for work or fun. There seems to be no difference for him. He might think he is the one controlling the game but is he the one being played in a complex game of spy vs. spy. Cards are about to fall in a different way and he might not like where they land.
CONVERSATION
A need to have someone to talk to, but are they really there or just in your head? They say they will wait until you are ready to talk. Let’s hope it’s true. For someone to help do you need to be face to face or can they help you from afar? This story is broken up and interlinked between all the others. It gives the impression of time passing between the one who wants to talk but isn’t really ready to as they keep putting up barriers (I must meet you and you’re wrong) and the one who is willing to wait for however long until they are. A philosophical conversation with someone or something – do you really need to see them to talk?
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
October 18, 2017
It's difficult to rate short stories, especially if they don't necessarily relate to the same theme, but I'm going to do my best here.
The intro story was by far the most compelling, about children who are trying to survive in a world that is similar enough to our own to be recognizable, but still not quite what we're used to here in the US. It's about how they tackle adversity that keeps getting piled upon them. The characters end up being very sympathetic, someone who you can't help but root for even as things keep getting worse and worse.
After that we get a mix of war, espionage, and science experiments. Each one has an interesting twist at the end, even the Historical Fiction of World War I. Some seem like they'd fit right into Twilight Zone, especially the first story mentioned above and the research project later in the collection, both of which are more in my preferred genre.
Definitely give the book a read.
The intro story was by far the most compelling, about children who are trying to survive in a world that is similar enough to our own to be recognizable, but still not quite what we're used to here in the US. It's about how they tackle adversity that keeps getting piled upon them. The characters end up being very sympathetic, someone who you can't help but root for even as things keep getting worse and worse.
After that we get a mix of war, espionage, and science experiments. Each one has an interesting twist at the end, even the Historical Fiction of World War I. Some seem like they'd fit right into Twilight Zone, especially the first story mentioned above and the research project later in the collection, both of which are more in my preferred genre.
Definitely give the book a read.
April 16, 2018
“Thread and Other Stories” is a short story collection that ranges from historical to science fiction. There are seven stories that I’d have a hard time picking my favorite from because they are so different, but they are all well-written. I was involved in each story with the characters and outcome for different reasons. “Conflict” the tale of two friends in World War 1 was the one that touched me the most with their friendship and the horror of war. In “Thread” I was immediately drawn into the story of two poor orphans and their struggled to survive—I was rooting for them. The most interesting though was the story “Conversation” that was weaved around the other stories in six parts. I thoroughly enjoyed the different genres and the mystery of “Conversation” in this creative collection. I look forward to reading more from this author!
May 16, 2018
Historical fiction, science-fiction, thriller, mystery, fantasy -it's all in there! Halpenny's collection of short stories crosses time, space, and genre, but sews itself together by asking the reader to question reality.
I was impressed with Halpenny's writing. I was pleasantly surprised at his ability to not only write stories from different genres, but to make the stories entertaining. I enjoyed the thought-provoking dialogue and found myself trying to puzzle out what the author intended and what I believed the meaning to be.
I'm not a huge fan of short stories - I always find myself wanting more, but Halpenny's book is definitely worth a read. With so many genres, you're bound to find one you love while definitely liking the rest!
I was impressed with Halpenny's writing. I was pleasantly surprised at his ability to not only write stories from different genres, but to make the stories entertaining. I enjoyed the thought-provoking dialogue and found myself trying to puzzle out what the author intended and what I believed the meaning to be.
I'm not a huge fan of short stories - I always find myself wanting more, but Halpenny's book is definitely worth a read. With so many genres, you're bound to find one you love while definitely liking the rest!
July 25, 2017
This book was thoroughly engaging and well-written. Thread is a collection of thought-provoking short stories leading the reader on a variety of compelling journeys.
December 11, 2017
I started reading these short stories from the inside out by reading Chance first. Chance is a very interesting story with a very impressive but long setting. I believe that the setting, painted so vividly, should have been shortened a lot, or interspersed within the story itself. By the time I got to the actual story, the long setting had taken its toll on the story.
Thread, (a story about poverty) Conflict (a story about the first world war), and Deception (a story about espionage) were stories I could relate to, told in the conventional traditional way. Even in these stories, the author still showed his penchant for long scenery description, which tended to take away from the stories.
The other stories in this book sort of left me scratching my head. There were so much telling I could hardly follow the tread of the stories. Shrink was particularly unclear. I did not understand the story. Oversight was even more obscure. In this story, I could not understand who was controlling who.
This is a very interesting book, well written, but with a few editing errors here and there. The author also has a good command of the English language.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews