SAND, RAIN, and The Tales of Talker Knock - Don't Miss Them!
By arrangement with their author, Steve Carr, his books Sand, Rain and The Tales of Talker Knock will no longer be available after the end of this month, so please, if you want a copy of any of these books, grab them before then!
Here are some details of each:
From eerie horror to human tragedy, from biting science fiction to unearthly fantasy, from realistic human drama to quirky surrealism, there seems to be no short story to which Steve Carr cannot turn his hand - gripping his readers all the way.
‘Steve Carr is one of those rare writers who has a very specific feel to his writing. His writing is sometimes dark and frequently very beautiful, which I feel is always a great combination (when executed well, which Mr. Carr's does). His descriptions are paintings for the senses and he has an uncanny ability to find that just perfect word to color his stories in just the right light.
As I'm writing this, I can't flip back and verify the titles, but I'll reference a few of my favorites and hope I remember the titles correctly (apologies if I botch them). "The Tale of the Costume Maker," was my favorite story in this. I think mostly it was the creativity and imagination that went into it that really resonated with me. It's the type of story that people read and ask, "My god man, how do you think of this stuff?" Which the author just shrugs and says, "I have no idea." Wherever this gem came from, it is truly one of my favorite short stories I've ever read. I could equally talk about "The Snow Mother," and how it tells a story that is completely unique to any other I've ever read, and yet will resonate with so many readers who know what longing feels like.
And then there are stories like "The Missouri River Story," where I'm not sure if the author was trying to garner an emotional response from me, but he definitely managed to do so. (I'd say more, but spoilers).
And there are so many more wonderfully dark and beautiful tales in this collection. I heard one reader describe it like watching a season of Dark Mirror, and I believe that's a fitting description. This book will have you questioning reality, itching to turn the page, and wishing there were more when you reach the back cover. Highly highly highly recommend. Thank you for a wonderful read, Mr. Carr.’
From the sorrow of heartbreak and broken relationships to mysterious disappearances and alien visitations; from the strangeness of the open badlands to the magic of lands that never were; from ethereal beauty to gothic horror - let Steve Carr take you on journeys into little worlds which seem like keyhole glimpses of much larger universes in this, his third collection of short stories.
With the ability to paint entire scenes in just a few words and to develop a grip on your soul within the first few sentences, this collection guarantees both thrills and chills - and perhaps a little insight into the human heart too.
‘This is the third book of stories I review by Steven Carr. Three things. First, he's prolific. Second, there are no bad or even mediocre stories in here. Not a single one. I've loved them all, although some more than others, naturally. But third, it's that he tells a story very much in the Aristotelian sense - beginning, middle, end. This may sound like a truism but it isn't; vignette-style stories, which dominate lit. magazines these days, dispense with the Aristotelian model. I happen to prefer it. Now, add to these well-knit stories the beauty of some of Steve's language, and what you have is a collection of jewels.
But there's something else. I've long admired Steve for the sensitivity he brings to his characters; a basic grasp of human joys and sorrows, desires, disappointments; an underlying empathy for the human beings he writes about. This is important to me. The best stories are not about escaping into action and adventure. They're about identifying with and understanding, because in doing so, we learn a little more about ourselves. Of course Steve's stories are often crammed with action and adventure - that alone can make them riveting. But that's not their reason for being; they're bigger than that.
I can't recommend Steve's writing enough.’
Here’s a man brought into this world unlike any other, sent out to restore order and vanquish foes in realms as far apart as Atlantis and Australia, El Dorado and the land of dinosaurs, Mt. Everest and the Sahara; here’s a man who travels by galleon, sled, biplane, hot air balloon, on the back of an eagle, and on a winged horse, accompanied by his spyglass, his sword and a satchel that contains a compass, sextant, pocket knife and clean socks. Here’s a man who’ll face an Ice Queen, a veiled genie, Neanderthals, ghosts, giants, pirates, dangerous animals, treacherous men and a host of other adversaries. You will never experience adventures like this anywhere else. You will never meet a man anything like this.
His name? Talker Knock.
‘Once again, Steve Carr has shown himself to be a master storyteller. Intended to be a YA novel, this series of short stories of the travels of Talker Knock takes the reader on a journey across the world. With talking animals reminiscent of "Narnia", the reader can almost feel the icy winds of the artic and the heat of the desert as Talker rescues and recovers those his uncle's, er... Brothers... It's complicated.. Send him to assist. I highly recommend it.’
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