FLASHES IN THE PAN
FIFTY SHORT STORIES FOR THE IMPATIENT
by
Raymond Grant
Flashes in the Pan: Fifty Short Stories for the Impatient
by Raymond Grant
Reviewed by Lea Schizas
copyright 2006 by Lea Schizas
Founder of the Museitup Club
author of Rock of Realm, a fantasy adventure for middle grade readers
Cause for burst appendixes? Flashes in the Pan!
Flashes in the Pan: Fifty Short Stories for the Impatient by Raymond Grant has to be the
quickest and funniest read I've come across in a while. Grant has demonstrated with his
book of flash fiction that there is no need for an extensive amount of wordage in order to
delight, to touch, and to transmit an enjoyable experience to a reader.
Just to give you a taste of what you are in for, here is one of my top favorites:
Gardening
As an avid reader, I am always looking for odd stories and unusual writings. Recently, I
ran across a news release by the Opyt Foundation. It highlighted the awarding of
annual grants and was written by their new Publicist, Harriet Schafer.
What tweaked my curiosity was that Ms. Schafer had titled herself, Pubicist. Being a
logophile, I immediately went to my unabridged dictionary and discovered that no
such word existed.
What an opportunity! I could be the first to define a new word that was in vogue. After
serious deliberation among well-reasoned candidates, I finally decided upon:
Pubicist: One who tends the gardens around the base of Mons Pubis.
As you can see, Ray's Flashes in the Pan are exactly that, quick and fun reads for
anytime of the day.
His flash fiction tales are perfect examples of how flashes should be written. This book is
not only entertaining, but the educational value attached to it as a learning tool on how to
write flash fiction surpasses the value of two for the price of one.
Not all of his tales are humorous. One in particular, which gripped my sentimental side,
was based on a dog named Daisy, my very own pup’s name. This was another perfect
portrait of this writer’s capability to transfer a range of emotions to his reader.
The book is divided into the following sections:
PART 1 FLASHES OF HUMOR
PART 2 FLASHES OF THE OLD WEST
PART 3 FLASHES ABOUT CATS AND DOGS
PART 4 FLASHES OF CHILDHOOD
PART 5 FLASHES IN THE DARK
PART 6 FLASHES OF COMMERCE
PART 7 FLASHES AMONG VENUS, MARS, AND OTHER PLANETS
Raymond Grant offers a reader a different area of interest to poke fun at, to heighten its
insanity, to bring the fight of ‘man against woman’ to the forefront, to tickle your funny
bone, Every Which Way But Loose as the Clint Eastwood movie title goes.
If you are searching for an antidote for ‘boredom’, then Flashes in the Pan: Fifty Short
Stories for the Impatient is your prescription. A Very Good Read.
Lea Schizas – Muse Book Reviewer
*GREAT READ
Electronic Download
Paperback using Paypal anywhere in the
Continental USA
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
