Gunning for the Buddha [Kindle Edition]

Michael Jasper (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jasper's style is all over the place in his first collection—the influence of such established SF authors as John Kessel (who provides an introduction), Tim Powers and Andy Duncan is manifest—but readers curious to see the growth of a writer one story at a time will be rewarded. The title tale involves time travel with an atmospheric twist. Black comedy marks "A Feast at the Manor," with its desperate dieters, and "Goddamn Redneck Surfer Zombies," about a small beach community dealing with a seasonal influx of the undead. Less successful are "Unplugged," about outmoded cyber cowboys, and "Working the Game," in which a downtrodden worker finally realizes there's no way to beat the system. "Explosions" and the three tales that follow explore the repercussions when humans attempt to make a place for the alien Wannoshay after their space ship crashes on Earth. The last four entries are the most memorable, the standout being the evocative and vivid "Natural Order," which Jasper calls in his afterword "the best story I've ever written in ten hours." (Apr.)

Product Description

A young woman struggling with drug addiction catches aliens on her digital camera. A man with elemental powers struggles with morality and carrying out the orders of his bosses. The dead leave their graves and take up... surfing?

Gunning for the Buddha collects fifteen stories that range from near-future science fiction to historical dark fantasy and contemporary horror, touching on a range of genres in the process.

Stories were previously published in magazines such as Asimov's, Strange Horizons, The Best of All Flesh, and Writers of the Future.

“Don’t be looking for bold starship captains or warrior maidens wielding magic swords in Gunning for the Buddha. Michael Jasper serves up something refreshingly different: a heady brew of ordinary folks making tough decisions at the far edges of reality. Spend some time with these stories and you’re bound to bump into people you know who find themselves in places you’ve only dreamed about.”
— Hugo-winning author James Patrick Kelly

“Mike Jasper brings the common touch to the most uncommon situations. Welcome to his world.”
— Nebula-winning author John Kessel

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 447 KB
• Publisher: Prime Books; 3.0 edition (January 25, 2005)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002P3LAYA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,244 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I'm a fiction writer interested in a wide range of genres and styles. The more I read and write, the more I realize I have to learn, and that's the fun of this gig.

I've published seven novels, a story collection, and six dozen short stories, along with a digital comic with artist Niki Smith, and two how-to books about how to create digital comics and ebooks. And I'm always working on one or two new books, stories, or comics. I'm afraid I can't stop.

In the past I've tried bartending, teaching junior high, painting houses, being a secret shopper, working construction, and many more jobs; I prefer fiction writing. For my day job, I work as a technical writer. I live with my family in North Carolina, and my website is michaeljasper.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gunning For The Buddha, August 8, 2005

By 

Pamela M. McNew (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gunning for the Buddha (Paperback)

The title story in this first print collection by Mr. Jasper is a tale of youth, chaos, time travel and the struggle of the individual to take control of their life and destiny. The protagonist, a young woman with a felony past (along with an international group of other young people) travels time lines and road ways to moments of heightened social discord. It is the woman's goal, the groups' goal, at these moments of chaos, to control the situation and thus lend order to their own chaotic lives. Along the way, lone individuals pretending to enlightenment spread their own form of reconciliation; Buddhas and shamen, medicine men and Jesus figures. This story, filled with rich detail, vivid imagery and historical situation, carries in it not only fast cars and blazing guns, but moments of loss, struggle and enlightenment--bridges we all must cross in our lives.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Collection of Short Fiction, May 31, 2006

By 

Jim C. Hines (Holt, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gunning for the Buddha (Hardcover)

I read a few of these stories when they were first published, and enjoyed them all. I had a story in the anthology where "Goddamn Redneck Surfer Zombies" first appeared, and I remember feeling incredibly envious when I read Mike Jasper's contribution. He makes the rather off-the-wall premise plausible and fun, then brings the story together with a punch of genuine emotion.

Overall, the stories in this collection range from good to great. The book includes four tales of the Wannoshay, the alien species Mike Jasper has written and developed over the years. The Wannoshay are fascinating in and of themselves, but what makes these tales more powerful is the way Jasper uses the Wannoshay to explore and illuminate his human characters. He takes an unflinching look at both the beauty and ugliness of human nature. I only hope some publisher will eventually pay him to give the Wannoshay their own novel.

"The Disillusionist" is by far my favorite story. Jasper remarks in his comments that he was going for a Gaimanesque villain, and I think he nailed it. The Disillusionist is a wonderful character, as is the nameless protagonist who sets off to bring him in. The Disillusionist is basically a travelling showman with the ability to strip away the lies of our lives, and I loved watching his act, as well as the resulting chaos.

I would love to talk about every story, but I don't know how much space Amazon will give me. In brief, Jasper writes strong stories with a sense of gritty realism. His characters feel genuine, and while some stories have happier endings than others, those endings always feel true to the story.

As a writer, I also enjoyed reading the commentary in which Jasper talks about how the various stories came about, and his thoughts on each one. It adds a nice personal touch to the collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars a thinker's bouquet, July 17, 2010

By 

Scott Nicholson "Scott Nicholson" (Boone NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gunning for the Buddha (Kindle Edition)

Michael Jasper's dedicated years to his craft and it shows in the breadth and variety of work here, from tongue-in-cheek zombie to provocative science fiction. Jasper's a worthy successor to his influences such as John Kessel.