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Short Stories #3
Short Stories III: Strange, Weird & Sci-Fi
From the vivid imagination of multi-award-winning author/artist Rich DiSilvio comes this spellbinding collection of strange, weird, and Sci-Fi tales.
Featuring the chilling, dystopian tale “Adam & Adams”, the probing and disturbingly prescient tale “God’s Mistake”, the riveting and humorous "Life of a Shyster", the poignant yet uplifting tale “The Quest for Immortality” and more!
Featuring the chilling, dystopian tale “Adam & Adams”, the probing and disturbingly prescient tale “God’s Mistake”, the riveting and humorous "Life of a Shyster", the poignant yet uplifting tale “The Quest for Immortality” and more!
121 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 15, 2019
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Rich DiSilvio
23 books629 followersRich DiSilvio is an award-winning author of thrillers/mysteries, sci-fi/fantasy, historical fiction, nonfiction and children's books. He is a scholar of history with a lifetime of interests in ancient civilizations, European & American histories, biographies, architecture, art, music, science, and science fiction.
Throughout his professional life Rich has engaged several fields; having been an architectural designer, remodeler, artist, illustrator, new media developer, educational software programmer and writer.
He has provided creative services for films, cable TV shows and documentaries, such as James Cameron's "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," "Operation Valkyrie," "Blood Ties," "Monty Python," "Killing Hitler," and for music artists, such as Pink Floyd, Yes, Moody Blues, Elton John, Cher, Sheryl Crow, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper and many more.
Throughout his professional life Rich has engaged several fields; having been an architectural designer, remodeler, artist, illustrator, new media developer, educational software programmer and writer.
He has provided creative services for films, cable TV shows and documentaries, such as James Cameron's "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," "Operation Valkyrie," "Blood Ties," "Monty Python," "Killing Hitler," and for music artists, such as Pink Floyd, Yes, Moody Blues, Elton John, Cher, Sheryl Crow, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper and many more.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 20, 2019
Short Stories III: Strange, Weird & Sci-Fi continues Rich DiSilvio’s exploration of literary genres beyond the historical fiction employed in much of his other work. The stories in this volume fall within the realm of speculative fiction and embrace many common themes of the genre: time travel, dystopian futures, and sentient artificial intelligence, to name a few.
Some of the stories draw upon the political and cultural climates of the present day. In one story, unchecked prejudices stoked by our entitlement culture and identity politics appear to be the ultimate cause of humanity’s self-induced extinction.
Other stories do still build their speculative imaginings atop a historical foundation. The Battle of Little Bighorn is a profound influence for one story of the far future, on an alien planet no less! The protagonist of another story is inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla.
A particular facet of Mr. DiSilvio’s storytelling that really hits home for me is his emphasis on the arts. In this volume, I enjoyed seeing the illusory work of M.C. Escher highlighted in a Scrooge-like tale on the transformation of a selfish man facing his imminent mortality. Another story is a modern take on the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box, literary art in itself but also the impetus for great works of art in other forms throughout time.
An aspect of Mr. DiSilvio’s work that clearly shines through here is his respect and admiration for the 19th century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. As another emphasis on the impact of the arts in the human condition, the author has always found a way to bring Liszt’s artistic achievements into the storyline. I was happy to see that, even in this volume of speculative fiction, Franz Liszt makes an appearance in what is the most noble and uplifting story in this collection.
The author’s own visual artistic abilities are on display as well, with an image collage accompanying each story. The image for the final story, also used for the cover art, I found particularly captivating. It made me wonder what came first, the idea for the painting or the idea for the story? The ways in which a creative endeavor in one medium can spark the creation of something in another is fascinating.
Short Stories III is an excellent addition to the collection of volumes highlighting Rich DiSilvio’s work in short-form storytelling. I don’t know what’s in store next, but I certainly look forward to it.
Some of the stories draw upon the political and cultural climates of the present day. In one story, unchecked prejudices stoked by our entitlement culture and identity politics appear to be the ultimate cause of humanity’s self-induced extinction.
Other stories do still build their speculative imaginings atop a historical foundation. The Battle of Little Bighorn is a profound influence for one story of the far future, on an alien planet no less! The protagonist of another story is inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla.
A particular facet of Mr. DiSilvio’s storytelling that really hits home for me is his emphasis on the arts. In this volume, I enjoyed seeing the illusory work of M.C. Escher highlighted in a Scrooge-like tale on the transformation of a selfish man facing his imminent mortality. Another story is a modern take on the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box, literary art in itself but also the impetus for great works of art in other forms throughout time.
An aspect of Mr. DiSilvio’s work that clearly shines through here is his respect and admiration for the 19th century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. As another emphasis on the impact of the arts in the human condition, the author has always found a way to bring Liszt’s artistic achievements into the storyline. I was happy to see that, even in this volume of speculative fiction, Franz Liszt makes an appearance in what is the most noble and uplifting story in this collection.
The author’s own visual artistic abilities are on display as well, with an image collage accompanying each story. The image for the final story, also used for the cover art, I found particularly captivating. It made me wonder what came first, the idea for the painting or the idea for the story? The ways in which a creative endeavor in one medium can spark the creation of something in another is fascinating.
Short Stories III is an excellent addition to the collection of volumes highlighting Rich DiSilvio’s work in short-form storytelling. I don’t know what’s in store next, but I certainly look forward to it.
April 5, 2019
A collection of well written 7 stories by the Author Rich DiSilvo. I Have been an ardent follower of his works over a period of time now, I can certainly say that this is something new. Rich has successfully created an amazing new genre that simply highlights one fact – he is simply an amazing Author that understands what it takes to create an entertaining story.
The story flows very well and has a way of gradually capturing the reader’s mind. Just as the name implies, there is a touch of weirdness, strangeness as well as sci-fi in the stories. The Author did well to also give people like me who are enthusiastic about arts something to gaze our eyes upon. Rich’s artistic style is something I can very much relate with.
Short stories III has a unique way of triggering some sort of strange awareness and consciousness about our world within the reader. At some point, I began to wonder, what the future holds for our world. There are also a lot of vivid descriptions in the stories.
If you’re a collector of sci-fi novels, this book will certainly make an exciting collection for your library.
The story flows very well and has a way of gradually capturing the reader’s mind. Just as the name implies, there is a touch of weirdness, strangeness as well as sci-fi in the stories. The Author did well to also give people like me who are enthusiastic about arts something to gaze our eyes upon. Rich’s artistic style is something I can very much relate with.
Short stories III has a unique way of triggering some sort of strange awareness and consciousness about our world within the reader. At some point, I began to wonder, what the future holds for our world. There are also a lot of vivid descriptions in the stories.
If you’re a collector of sci-fi novels, this book will certainly make an exciting collection for your library.
April 2, 2019
Interesting reading! I was interested to read different stories in one book. I really enjoyed reading. Each story is unique and independent, that is, it does not depend on others. I believe that in general it can be said that all the stories have a deep meaning. It made me think, and I really appreciate it in the books. Also, some stories describe serious and contemporary topics (problems) of society - culture, politics ... I found a lot about art, dystopia, timeframes, artificial intelligence. I think this is a talented and unique work of the author Rich DiSilvio. While reading, I felt as if in a different reality, a different world while reading was not difficult. I will definitely advise my friends to purchase and read Short Stories III in order to hear their impressions and have the opportunity to discuss. Highly recommended!
April 4, 2019
Fun and various stories for consumption
This is a nice collection of short stories that cover a variety of genre. I love to read short stories when i have a little spare time. This book was a good read and the variety of stories kept me interested and engaged from the first page. There are several twists along these shorts. Adam and Adams is one of the stories that takes an unexpected turn on the journey to the last 4 people alive in the world which is two men and two women until tragedy strikes and the ending reveals the unexpected. I found this collection to be well written and a good variety. There is something for everyone in this collection.
This is a nice collection of short stories that cover a variety of genre. I love to read short stories when i have a little spare time. This book was a good read and the variety of stories kept me interested and engaged from the first page. There are several twists along these shorts. Adam and Adams is one of the stories that takes an unexpected turn on the journey to the last 4 people alive in the world which is two men and two women until tragedy strikes and the ending reveals the unexpected. I found this collection to be well written and a good variety. There is something for everyone in this collection.
June 8, 2019
7 startling tales from an author who is fearless in letting his imagination roam free and who willingly offers homage to his inspirations, both literary and musical. I still cannot stop pondering the incredible denouement and conclusion of "Adam and Adams," a story which returned me to the Nuclear Scares and Apocalyptic literature of my 1950's childhood.
December 27, 2019
Preface: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If we could do half stars, I'd give this a 1.5.
Well, the title doesn't lie. These stories are indeed strange and weird. Because they're short stories and not an inter-connected narrative, I'll go through them one at a time, but in general - they're weird. Very weird. A few are downright offensive. And yet, there's this weird feeling of naivety to them that's almost - almost - charming. There is an ounce of promise in here - it's just buried beneath all the blabber and melodrama and bizarre choices.
A review of the short stories, in order of appearance:
Adam & Adams - A ninety-seven-year-old man rambles on amidst a nuclear apocalypse.
Bad. So very, very bad. I nearly gave up on the whole collection after reading this one. Between the "back in my days" monologuing, the hilariously villainous illegal immigrant, the rant on the evils of women throughout history, and the offensive ""twist"" ending, this was just awful from start to finish. 0 stars. If you buy the book, don't even read this one. It's that bad.
Life of a Shyster - A greedy Jew dying of cancer meets a friend at a bar.
Also bad, but by now, I was committed to seeing just how deep the rabbit hole went. This one didn't disappoint. Baffling from start to finish, it ends on a grand whimper. 1 star, only for the narrator being genuinely funny in a few places (when he's not being horribly offensive).
Aliens in an Alien World - An alien bug tries to convince her alien bug friend to join her on the surface of their world instead of hiding in the darkness.
Honestly? Kinda cute. The story has no real reason to be told, aside from the twist ending, but it's a completely harmless alien love story. There's nothing really to be gained here, aside from maybe a chuckle or two, but nothing to be lost, either. 2.5 stars.
God's Mistake - A genius invents intelligent AI, but his fiancee's evil dad steals it to take over the world.
I actually completely forgot about this one before I went back and checked the table of contents. Bad. Way too long, full of silly, melodramatic dialogue, and a cartoonish villain. Utterly pointless. There's nothing to be gained from reading this - but it's not as terrible as Adam & Adams, so it gets a single star.
The Quest for Immortality - A guy wants to be immortal like the great artists of the past.
For every bad, offensive short story, there's one that's just sort of cute and sweet. This one is very short and simple, but it has a nice message to it. 3 stars.
The Helicon - A couple finds a mysterious Greek vase in a cave.
Perhaps the one that's most like an actual story, aside from maybe the last. It's honestly pretty decent throughout most of it, up until the last bit, when things again get really weird and melodramatic. But it ties to a classical tale pretty nicely, and was overall mostly enjoyable. 3 stars. Would have been 3.5, but they kill a bear by slitting its throat and hitting it in the nuts, and I just can't take that seriously. If that sounds like fun to you, though, then this might be worth buying the book just by itself.
The Spirit of Sorrow - A guy who fell in love with the legend of General Custer finds himself having dreams of a mysterious sorrowful spirit who bears some resemblance to a Native American.
Tied with the previous one for being the most like a story, but just barely. Still has a lot of that melodramatic dialogue, and the plot is hilariously solved by the main character telling everyone to just get along, but again it has that weird earnest quality to it that's sort of charming. 3.5 stars.
Overall, this collection is just...baffling beyond all words. It seems equally balanced between absolutely horrific writing and caricatures, and moments/ideas/morales that are genuinely sweet. A lot of the narrators are just good people who want to improve the world, which is very cute...but they're juxtaposed against really racist villains and sloppy soap-opera dialogue and other general badness. I'm not sure anything I say can give justice to just how confusing reading this was. Some terrible stories can be likened to car accidents - awful, but so captivating you can't look away. This was like that, except if one car was a little wormy alien and the other was a bear with a slit throat and they just exploded into each other for no reason while an evil Hispanic woman laughed.
And yes, that sentence made just as much sense as the stories it was built from.
If we could do half stars, I'd give this a 1.5.
Well, the title doesn't lie. These stories are indeed strange and weird. Because they're short stories and not an inter-connected narrative, I'll go through them one at a time, but in general - they're weird. Very weird. A few are downright offensive. And yet, there's this weird feeling of naivety to them that's almost - almost - charming. There is an ounce of promise in here - it's just buried beneath all the blabber and melodrama and bizarre choices.
A review of the short stories, in order of appearance:
Adam & Adams - A ninety-seven-year-old man rambles on amidst a nuclear apocalypse.
Bad. So very, very bad. I nearly gave up on the whole collection after reading this one. Between the "back in my days" monologuing, the hilariously villainous illegal immigrant, the rant on the evils of women throughout history, and the offensive ""twist"" ending, this was just awful from start to finish. 0 stars. If you buy the book, don't even read this one. It's that bad.
Life of a Shyster - A greedy Jew dying of cancer meets a friend at a bar.
Also bad, but by now, I was committed to seeing just how deep the rabbit hole went. This one didn't disappoint. Baffling from start to finish, it ends on a grand whimper. 1 star, only for the narrator being genuinely funny in a few places (when he's not being horribly offensive).
Aliens in an Alien World - An alien bug tries to convince her alien bug friend to join her on the surface of their world instead of hiding in the darkness.
Honestly? Kinda cute. The story has no real reason to be told, aside from the twist ending, but it's a completely harmless alien love story. There's nothing really to be gained here, aside from maybe a chuckle or two, but nothing to be lost, either. 2.5 stars.
God's Mistake - A genius invents intelligent AI, but his fiancee's evil dad steals it to take over the world.
I actually completely forgot about this one before I went back and checked the table of contents. Bad. Way too long, full of silly, melodramatic dialogue, and a cartoonish villain. Utterly pointless. There's nothing to be gained from reading this - but it's not as terrible as Adam & Adams, so it gets a single star.
The Quest for Immortality - A guy wants to be immortal like the great artists of the past.
For every bad, offensive short story, there's one that's just sort of cute and sweet. This one is very short and simple, but it has a nice message to it. 3 stars.
The Helicon - A couple finds a mysterious Greek vase in a cave.
Perhaps the one that's most like an actual story, aside from maybe the last. It's honestly pretty decent throughout most of it, up until the last bit, when things again get really weird and melodramatic. But it ties to a classical tale pretty nicely, and was overall mostly enjoyable. 3 stars. Would have been 3.5, but they kill a bear by slitting its throat and hitting it in the nuts, and I just can't take that seriously. If that sounds like fun to you, though, then this might be worth buying the book just by itself.
The Spirit of Sorrow - A guy who fell in love with the legend of General Custer finds himself having dreams of a mysterious sorrowful spirit who bears some resemblance to a Native American.
Tied with the previous one for being the most like a story, but just barely. Still has a lot of that melodramatic dialogue, and the plot is hilariously solved by the main character telling everyone to just get along, but again it has that weird earnest quality to it that's sort of charming. 3.5 stars.
Overall, this collection is just...baffling beyond all words. It seems equally balanced between absolutely horrific writing and caricatures, and moments/ideas/morales that are genuinely sweet. A lot of the narrators are just good people who want to improve the world, which is very cute...but they're juxtaposed against really racist villains and sloppy soap-opera dialogue and other general badness. I'm not sure anything I say can give justice to just how confusing reading this was. Some terrible stories can be likened to car accidents - awful, but so captivating you can't look away. This was like that, except if one car was a little wormy alien and the other was a bear with a slit throat and they just exploded into each other for no reason while an evil Hispanic woman laughed.
And yes, that sentence made just as much sense as the stories it was built from.
April 9, 2020
Another stirring collection of stories by Mr. DiSilvio, only this time he dives into some very strange waters.
DiSilvio is clearly having fun here, exploring new territory. That one or two people took offense at some of his fictional characters only shows how good a writer DiSilvio is. He can make you repulsed, laugh, cringe, and pause to reflect, as his works most often have profound, underlying themes and morals at play.
And this great volume presents a variety of different characters, each with their own good points and bad points. In that regard, they are all very real. The abrasive, self-centered, loud-mouthed, and extremely funny Jay Finkelstein in “Life of a Shyster” when compared to Harold Harriman in “The Quest for Immortality,” who is a serious and melancholy man on a quest to improve his life and the lives of others are night and day, and offer a glimpse at the diversity within these pages.
Meanwhile, the old man in “Adams and Adam” perfectly sets up the story in the intro with his reflections of his youth, pining for his long-lost era, showing how out-of-place he, and so many old people really are. He’s angry, and rightfully so, his old world has vanished and now the current world has also vanished, only this time in a nuclear flash. It’s a deeply moving piece with a twist, one that will stay with you long after reading it.
And this is DiSilvio’s hallmark. He elicits emotions, yet manages to tell a gripping story with a message. Moreover, speculative and strange sci-fi stories are the chosen vehicles to go out on a limb and be daring, bold, overdramatic, and even weird to get new ideas across. This is where anything goes.
So anyone willing to step into strange territories will find this a thrilling and thoughtful ride, with some humor and melodrama. Those who are provincial, easily offended, and are not risk takers, steer clear, and simply notice the title: Strange, Weird, & Sci-Fi. Because that’s what you get here, and it’s captivating.
Highly recommended!
DiSilvio is clearly having fun here, exploring new territory. That one or two people took offense at some of his fictional characters only shows how good a writer DiSilvio is. He can make you repulsed, laugh, cringe, and pause to reflect, as his works most often have profound, underlying themes and morals at play.
And this great volume presents a variety of different characters, each with their own good points and bad points. In that regard, they are all very real. The abrasive, self-centered, loud-mouthed, and extremely funny Jay Finkelstein in “Life of a Shyster” when compared to Harold Harriman in “The Quest for Immortality,” who is a serious and melancholy man on a quest to improve his life and the lives of others are night and day, and offer a glimpse at the diversity within these pages.
Meanwhile, the old man in “Adams and Adam” perfectly sets up the story in the intro with his reflections of his youth, pining for his long-lost era, showing how out-of-place he, and so many old people really are. He’s angry, and rightfully so, his old world has vanished and now the current world has also vanished, only this time in a nuclear flash. It’s a deeply moving piece with a twist, one that will stay with you long after reading it.
And this is DiSilvio’s hallmark. He elicits emotions, yet manages to tell a gripping story with a message. Moreover, speculative and strange sci-fi stories are the chosen vehicles to go out on a limb and be daring, bold, overdramatic, and even weird to get new ideas across. This is where anything goes.
So anyone willing to step into strange territories will find this a thrilling and thoughtful ride, with some humor and melodrama. Those who are provincial, easily offended, and are not risk takers, steer clear, and simply notice the title: Strange, Weird, & Sci-Fi. Because that’s what you get here, and it’s captivating.
Highly recommended!
April 5, 2019
Definite pros and cons
Short Stories III is the latest Rich DiSilvio book I’ve read. While his books aren’t usually the type of book I prefer, I enjoy it enough to continuing reading what he produces. I was intrigued by this novel as I loved the ideas of short stories: something I could read as the baby napped. The first story, as it talked about how the world is changing and is a worse place than before, really turned me off. It felt too political for a fictional novel. It left me with a bad taste as I read the rest of the book so I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I expected too. The writing itself was fine. Rich is a good story teller.
Short Stories III is the latest Rich DiSilvio book I’ve read. While his books aren’t usually the type of book I prefer, I enjoy it enough to continuing reading what he produces. I was intrigued by this novel as I loved the ideas of short stories: something I could read as the baby napped. The first story, as it talked about how the world is changing and is a worse place than before, really turned me off. It felt too political for a fictional novel. It left me with a bad taste as I read the rest of the book so I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I expected too. The writing itself was fine. Rich is a good story teller.
June 8, 2019
A Short History of the Self Annihilation🔫🔪💉💊🚬 of Mankind.
The author has a dark cynical view of the world🌍, which was why I found this collection of short stories hard to read. Not to say they are not well written! The stories are well written science fiction that will make you think, if nothing else.
This book is also short.
ARC Received from Hidden 💎Gems
This book was $2.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions Expressed here are entirely my own.
The author has a dark cynical view of the world🌍, which was why I found this collection of short stories hard to read. Not to say they are not well written! The stories are well written science fiction that will make you think, if nothing else.
This book is also short.
ARC Received from Hidden 💎Gems
This book was $2.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions Expressed here are entirely my own.
July 28, 2019
Received a copy from DV Books in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting. Thought provoking. Compelling. Clever. Range of subject matter.
Interesting. Thought provoking. Compelling. Clever. Range of subject matter.
January 10, 2026
Interesting
I love weird and unique stories. This book tops them all. It was interesting and intriguing. It gave a lot of unique facts and engaging stories. It was hard to put down.
I love weird and unique stories. This book tops them all. It was interesting and intriguing. It gave a lot of unique facts and engaging stories. It was hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews