Short Story Wednesday Review: Dark Yonder: Issue 2, Spring 2023

After brief intros by Editors Katy Munger and Eryk Prutt followed by a drink recipe, it is onto the stories. Noted author S.A. Cosby powerfully kick things off with “A Song For The Shattered Hearts” Terry has had a really bad week. The kind of week that country and western songs are written about. At least he still has fishing and is doing so in a neglected spot on an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay. As a reader, you know he will catch something. The question is what will it be and what will the catch lead to.

 

Sticking around the club for the free after work drink was a bad idea in “Big Bob’s Donuts At 3 A.M.” by Megan Lucas. She met Teddy, felt a tingle, and felt seen and heard. Meeting Teddy created a new set of problems in an already hard life.

 

Jason has a plan for the old Florida motel in “Chicken Fly Christ” by Joseph Hirsch. Those plans are going to have to wait as a guest by the name of Craig Sakowitz is being a difficult check in. He isn’t the only one with problems in the motel.

 

Eli Tate and Norris Mapp are twelve years and riding mountain bikes adjacent to a lake. In “Wheelies” by Recita L. Clemons, they find an injured woman. While she is injured in some way, they can see blood, she also might be trouble.

 

He works for Roy’s Taxi and, over the years, has seen quite a lot more than a thing or two. He sees more stuff in “I’m Coming To Get You” by Kevin Brown. The good, bad, and the ugly past flow through this short story.

 

Tony is an artist and is dating Kenzie. Things are progressing along their relationship so he has invited her to his home for the first time in “Bear Hunt” by Warren Moore.  Art and art appreciation drive the romantic interest in their relationship. But, they may not see art and the artist the same way.

 

A child is missing in “Trayden’s 2!” by Alice Archer. That missing child is just one point in lot of stuff going on in this complicated story.

 

Jackson isn’t having much fun on vacation with his family in “Beach House” by Joe Labriola. This Memorial Day weekend getaway is a bust, all things considered. At least he found a hidden spot in a small gully just down from his rented beach house. At least he could go there and relax if he could just get five minutes to himself.

 

She likes to spend intimate time with men who have recently become widowers. She loves their grief as it makes her feel alive and powerful. In “Grief” by Preston Lang, Annabel and her obsession with broken men is the final short story.

 

Each of the tales presented in Dark Yonder: Issue 2, Spring 2023, is a good one. Noir is the universal theme and each tale is a dark one. While the setup parameters might occasionally be familiar to readers, the execution of the premise and how that is accomplished is what makes these reads work.

 

As is a first issue, Dark Yonder: Issue 2, Spring 2023, is well worth your time.

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42NFnMk

 

My digital reading copy was a gift from a friend. Yes, Virginia, I do have friends.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024