“The orderly brandished a hunting knife from a sheath at his waist and sliced open the prisoner’s throat with it. Warm blood cascaded out of the prisoner’s throat, some of it spraying the captain’s uniform. The orderly waited for the prisoner to bleed to death before cutting the head clean off. Within a few minutes, the muscle that the prisoner built on his body was carved out and thrown on the grill. After the meat cooled, the orderly put the human steaks in front of the captain for dinner. As the captain ate each buttery piece, he couldn’t help but compliment the orderly for a job well-done.”
― The Odd and The Strange: A Collection of Very Short Fiction
― The Odd and The Strange: A Collection of Very Short Fiction
“The Vietnamese soldier said, “Before I spoke to her, I had given her a cooked ration of rice. Instead of her being grateful for the meal, she abused me! What gives with these Kampuchean People?”
(A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume Two)”
―
(A Gracious Enemy & After the War Volume Two)”
―
“Being magnanimous in victory usually worked, but to keep abreast of the situation he had to
pump the girl for all she knew. Was there a pang of remorse for his actions in his mind?
Possibly, but what choice did he have? If he wanted to survive, he had no room for weakness.”
― The Arbitrator
― The Arbitrator
“Julia, hanging back, says, ‘How have you been, Stephen?’
I want to tell her everything. I want to find out what she’s been doing, what she plans to do but, at this fated moment, a vision of my stomach floats before me. It is a soggy marsh, green rushes growing round the edges, gas bubbles surfacing all over and bursting. The bubbling of the marsh is set to the music of creation, the percussive glottal stops of the Big Bang. I realize I have, at best, one complete sentence left in me. ‘Julia,’ I begin, composing in my head a deranged paean of love that I can never utter. ‘I regret that I am not myself today. Terry has poisoned me.’
‘You should go home,’ she says.”
― Karna's Wheel
I want to tell her everything. I want to find out what she’s been doing, what she plans to do but, at this fated moment, a vision of my stomach floats before me. It is a soggy marsh, green rushes growing round the edges, gas bubbles surfacing all over and bursting. The bubbling of the marsh is set to the music of creation, the percussive glottal stops of the Big Bang. I realize I have, at best, one complete sentence left in me. ‘Julia,’ I begin, composing in my head a deranged paean of love that I can never utter. ‘I regret that I am not myself today. Terry has poisoned me.’
‘You should go home,’ she says.”
― Karna's Wheel
“I can’t go into detail, but it’s why I went to the special meeting at the Pentagon.”
― Counter Identity
― Counter Identity
Neta’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Neta’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Neta
Lists liked by Neta

























