These Strange Worlds / Daniel Powell

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Speculative Fiction/Horror/Short Story

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Availability
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Author:

An avid outdoorsman, Daniel Powell takes advantage of the natural wonders of Northeast Florida, where he lives with his family. Powell teaches at a small college in the same area. In addition to this collection, he has a novel, An Autumn Harvest, and a dystopian thriller, Survival, available. For more, visit Powell’s blog.

Description:

Fourteen short stories that could be pegged to a variety of genres. What each has in common is that they are dark and (thankfully) not true. At least not yet.

Appraisal:

The stories in These Strange Worlds are varied. They are all speculative fiction, since they take place in a world that doesn’t currently exist, but some are horror or something else. Each has a dark side, yet some also have humorous moments. What they all have in common is Powell’s ability to draw you into a new, strange world he’s imagined and force you to care about the characters he’s created.

My favorite story is Raising Tom Chambers. From the title, I wondered what, if anything, this story had to do with the former NBA star and I was amused when I found out. This story also says a lot about the human condition – how we need companionship, and how far we might go to meet that need.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant typo or proofreading issues. No active table of contents, which makes it difficult to jump to any specific story if desired.

Rating: **** Four stars