Customer Reviews

The Kiribati Test

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This is a series of three short stories set in the future. The writing is good and the stories are quick reads and interesting. Unfortnuately, the plots/resolutions don't fall on the rights side of my ethical boundries so I didn't always get a satisfied feeling at the end. I like my main characters to be heroic good guys rather than just triumphant. Therefore, if they have a run of good luck, I prefer that they share it a little to make them more likeable. If they are forced to commit a bad deed, or fail to do the right thing, I would prefer that they show some regret.

The Kiribati Test - An average guy is a witness to a powerful man's transgression.

The Cuda - A used car salesman buys and extraordinary car.

The Con Artists - Complications arise on a trip to the moon.

Note - This is not the same as the Paperback version of the Kiribati Test. It is missing several short stories, listed below and adds the novella 'The Con Artists'.

The following are not included in the Kindle Version
Harvest Time
The Big Bang
The Quiet Couple
Born on the Bayou
The Drunk

The clever plots of these three short stories were hurt by lots of trite dialogue and distracting grammatical errors ("... looked at her and I"). It is mildly entertaining. I appreciate the author's effort and willingness to share this work for free. Some editing would help a lot.

It doesn't look like the person who wrote the above review even read the book, so I thought I would offer a perspective on the actual writing. I found some of the stories in the book to be really ingenious. "The Quiet Couple" gives a wonderful, realistic perspective on interaction in relationships, and the dialogue is entertaining and fast-paced. I also liked "The Kirabati Test," a light science fiction story with an innovative premise. The stories are a little uneven in parts of the collection and cover a variety of genres, but that also shows the author's range and potential. Overall I found the book very entertaining.

The book, "The Kiribati Test", had lots of potential to be a great read, however it fell far short of it's potential.

With one exception, all of the characters were under-developed. There are many plot items that are unexplored, and then the book just seems to end. There was no closure, no sense that the book was supposed to end. It just ended.

The included short story, "Cuda", was much the same way.

The one redeeming thing about this book is the short story "The Con Artists". There was just enough development to make it worth a read.

Overall, I can not recommend this book.

Cochran's writing has interested me for some time and I'm glad to see that this project is doing so well in sales. More power to him. I wanted to read these shorts to get a sense of his style before reading his longer novels. It makes sense that if he couldn't write a short story, he probably wouldn't be too successful with a novel.

Pros:
I enjoyed the main character, somewhat, and the decisions he had to make in the story. He comes across as the "everyday" man, a "Young Goodman Brown" of his day. This appeals, at least to me, because I had a similar experience working as a janitor before entering my MA program. A humbling experience to say the least. I also enjoyed the inventive ideas of what the future may look like. I liked the visionary images of the dream machine and the kayak simulation.

Cons:
While I enjoyed the main character, he seemed to remain as flat and unchanging as a 45 record. I was hoping to see more of a change by him, especially with the dilemma that was forced upon him. I guess I assumed that he would either make the "right" choice, or at least suffer for making the "wrong" one. In the end, I felt, "Hmm. That's interesting. But is that really it?" Also, I have a problem with the company names that are used. They just seem a little, well, generic. As a creative writer, Cochran should have invented better company names.

Conclusion:
Overall, I admit that I was intrigued, especially with the first chapter. Some areas need more description, while others needed less sci-fi talk. I would like to have seen Sara's character a little more drawn out. She seems like an amazing character, but isn't given enough "page time." I'd definitely recommend this story if you are interested in the sci-fi/mystery genre. After reading this, it makes me curious as to some of Cochran's longer pieces. As that was my original agenda for reading this, and it succeeded in teasing my curiosity, I guess I'd congratulate the text for at least that.

On a side not, I'm not sure if this is wishful thinking on the author's part, but $58 million from a source called Putnam? Really? I think all writers wish they could get that much money from P&P, Random House, or Harper Collins. Nice inside joke. Very funny.

When I first starting reading I didn't realize this was several separate stories! Together they didn't make sense to me but when I found out (from the author) that it was three stories, the individual stories made sense.

The stories read quickly, I finished the entire book in a matter of probably 4 hours.

The stories were good though. I don't want to give anything away so I will leave it at that. Actually I look forward to reading more by this Author.

This book is OK, considering that it is free (for the Kindle). If I'd paid for it, I'd be disappointed. The writer's ideas are not bad, but they are a little predictable and not terribly unique. The writing itself needs some serious editing. There are places where the author seems to lose focus on the story, and there are a number of grammitcal errors.

Three short stories, not connected in any way, but very interesting to read. They were quick reads but held my interest and I enjoyed each one a great deal.

All three stories were far from boring. The endings of each left more to be desired though. Overall, very well-written, original, and fun reads.

The theme for these three stories is similar, the plots similar in one. In each, there's some skillful character devlopment, a situation contrived, and then a rush to a premature solution that collapses suspense and ends the story.
I found them disturbing only in the observation that they each are too thinly written.