STORM DAMAGE: FINALIST FOR BEST SHORT STORY COLLECTION AWARD 2013 by John A. A. Logan
I
was offline throughout May, so I Googled my name in June to see if anything had
happened out there on the internet ether while I wasn’t looking.
The
first discovery was this piece on the blog, NOVELIST ONLINE ONPAPER, by Kenneth
C. Crowe:
“SATURDAY,
MAY 25, 2013
John A.A. Logan, a great writer
It
has been a while since I’ve found a great writer--and John A. A. Logan is
certainly one. If there were a genre called “unsparing,” that is where I would
list Logan’s novel, THE SURVIVAL OF THOMAS FORD. He grips the reader in the
opening chapter by portraying a universal symbol of modern times, an aggressive
driver whose irresponsibility wreaks havoc in other people’s lives. The protagonist
in question appears different from you and I—and he is. The characters Logan
creates in this story of a fatal traffic accident, spiced by cowardice, are
universally selfish with some being essentially cruel. Unexpectedly, one
character emerges who refuses to cross the line into evil. Logan provides a
supernatural touch to THE SURVIVAL OF THOMAS FORD through the presence of white
butterflies, feral cats, and mysterious gases rising from the earth. In Celtic
lore, butterflies are symbols of souls separated from the body. In Logan’s
novel, they obviously are the unresting murdered. Logan is a literary writer;
THE SURVIVAL OF THOMAS FORD is for readers who hunger for substance in a novel.”
I
had never had any contact with Mr Crowe, so Googled him to find that he is a
former Newsday journalist, and author of books published in the USA by Scribner
and Doubleday, as well as being “a member of the Newsday investigative team
whose work won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal”, and now also an Indie ebook author:
The
next discovery during this June Google to find out what had happened during my
May absence, was the following piece about my short story collection, Storm
Damage, on Davetopia, the blog of author, Dave Higgins:
“24TH
MAY 2013
Storm Damage by John A. A. Logan
This
collection contains ten stories which span genres from psychological horror to
fantasy, from thriller to mundane realism, but all are united by their strong
characterisation and engaging style.
Unicorn
One:
When Scotland sends their first rocket out to explore the Solar system, they
send not a scientist or a technician but a hairdresser.
Late
Testing:
Although the Great War has forced modernity on the
cities, in the depths of the country people still believe in witches.
Napoleon’s
Child:
A team is sent to check on the state of a series of mysterious beacons deep in
the desert, but all their operator cares about is a native child who wandered
in from the night.
At
The Edge of The Known World: A girl watches a cruel Ringmaster struggle to
control the circus.
The
Magenta Tapestry:
With the end of the USSR bringing economic collapse as well as freedom, the
inhabitants of a decaying mansion cannot ignore an offer from the Russian
Mafia.
The
Airman:
The last flight of a WWII bomber pilot echoes down history to a descendant of a
pilot.
The
Pond:
a millionaire meets with his lawyer to discuss the purchase of a theatre, but
reveals a different goal.
The
Orange Pig:
shunned by other pigs for his unnatural colour, the orange pig dreams of a
greater destiny.
Storm
Damage:
a man tries to claim on insurance for damage to his father’s farm.
Sometimes
All The World Comes Down: a man sees wild animals walking among the remnants
of civilisation, but are his perceptions accurate?
Apart
from Late Testing and The Airman, each of the
stories is told from the point of view of a single character, giving a both
flawed and human perspective on events. Whether the plot turns on the threat of
death or a burst drain pipe, the real events of each story occur in the head of
the narrators.
As
well as the solid characterisation, each story is written in fluid prose which
references – but is not constrained by – the conventions of the respective
genres. Where the events are fantastical the story is equally strong as genre
fiction and
magical realism.
Although
each story is both a fragment of a unique life set in an individual universe,
all the stories also comment on the self-delusion and pretension of society in
various ways. From the desperate reverse elitism of Unicorn One to
the pettiness of grudges in The Pond, no-one escapes their own
imperfections.
Overall
I enjoyed this book greatly. I would recommend it particularly to people who
enjoy character-driven stories and those seeking an example of creating flawed
narrators.
I
received a free copy of this book.”
I’d
also never had any contact with Mr Higgins, so he must have picked up one of
the 2000 free ebook copies of Storm Damage which were taken in January this
year during the book’s only 5-day free promotion.
Here
is the link to Mr Higgins’ site, DAVETOPIA:
Perhaps,
Dave’s review of Storm Damage brought the ebook a little bit of luck out of the
internet ether, because on 1st July it was announced that Storm
Damage is a finalist for Best Short Story Collection in the 2013 eFestival of
Words Best of the Independent eBooks Awards.
Voting is now open and if any Storm Damage fans out there would like to vote for the
ebook, here is the link to go to (it’s necessary to register on the site before
voting, via a link at the top of that page):
Voting
instructions for the Efestival of Words site:
1.
You must be registered at the eFestival of Words to vote. Registration is free.
Please note, after you hit “Submit” your registration is complete. You don’t
have to do anything with the ad that shows up after you click “Submit.” Some
people think this is part of the registration process. It isn’t. The ads help
pay for the site so feel free to check them out if you like, but you are not
required to do anything with them. It’s just the way the forum is set up.
2.
Once you are registered, go to the Awards Hall.
3.
Each category has a separate thread in the Awards Hall where readers can
discuss the finalists. Click on the category you want to vote in, and then
enter your vote!
4.
Please note, only one vote per member. Multiple accounts for purposes of voting
prohibited.
Comments
Yes, I see that Authors Electrics' Reb MacRath is a finalist for Best Novella, with NOBILITY.