Customer Reviews

The Variant

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John August has been one of my favorite screenwriters and bloggers for some time now, and this short story just makes me an even bigger fan. August manages to cram a novel's worth of intrigue, character and suspense into 25 pages. If you've got a Kindle, this purchase is a no-brainer.

I've been a fan of John August's for a long time, but I didn't realize he had this story in him. Its twists are clever and unexpected, and the philosophical questions raised will leave you pondering the story days after you've finished it.

"The Variant" is about old man trying to discover why a woman clawed her way through his bathroom ceiling in the middle of the night and ran naked through his apartment. To call this story engrossing is an understatement.

It is difficult to talk about this story without giving away any of its secrets, and this is a story full of secrets. The main character is described in the first line thusly: "Everyone knew Vincent Lewis. But no one knew a thing about him." By the end of the story, we've learned a couple fascinating things about Lewis, but you're dying to learn more. We're given bits and pieces of his past, and each bit pulls us in deeper and deeper.

At $0.99 this eBook is a steal. It's a quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable, and worth every penny.

It's difficult to praise this story without revealing much about the plot. Suffice it to say, it's a perfectly-paced bit of paranoid fiction, taking its sweet time to unlock the mysteries as it goes on.

Vincent Coll is a fascinating character, an old spy in self-imposed exile that never forgot his old tricks. The science-fiction elements of the plot are introduced perfectly; they aren't so over the top as to feel ridiculous, but enough to make the story stand out. And, like any good spy fiction, there are still many questions left unanswered. As it should be.

A full-length novel might be interesting, though given August's talents as a screenwriter, a feature adaptation would make more sense. At the very least, I'd love to read more stories set in this universe.

There was never any doubt that John was a great writer but after reading "The Variant" it seems that his abilities extend outside screenwriting alone. The story is written so that it leaves enough to the imagination that the reader will want to barrel through the next page to find out the motivation for the characters and how the story will unfold. It reads quick enough to be read in one sitting and it is thorough enough to be read again and again. I would recommend this story to anyone.

I didn't want it to end. I think that is the greatest compliment I can pay this short story.

It reads a little like watching LOST. The storyline is nothing the same, but the story-telling device lends itself to discovering big things about the character in small, often startling ways.

Invest the 99 cents in struggling storyteller John August*. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

(*This is a poor attempt at humor. I know John August is not struggling.)

Well done! The Variant is an excellent short story; the writing reveals Mr. August's background as a screenwriter because the narrative provides just the relevant details to advance the plot. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of common themes from espionage and time travel. I hope that Mr. August decides to continue writing and publishing on the Kindle.

I have to say that in addition to THE VARIANT being a fun read, and something that pulls you through from start to finish, it's also a nice model to have around when sitting down to write your own short stories. It's the efficiency and depth of all the characters that I found to be the most compelling component as I read author John August's short story. I realized its effective potency of storycraft by time I hit the final beat. The ending of THE VARIANT brings us to a solid cathartic crossroads of both character and plot, and I can only hope my own writing eventually reaches that same level of control without ever crossing over into mechanized storytelling. This writing may be science fiction, but it never oversteps basic human pursuits, and because of that, it brings the world of THE VARIANT as close to real-life as possible--something that's not so easy to do.

I so enjoy August's work. This little piece of joy, The Variant, was a textual treat instead of the visual ones he usually offers. I have only skimmed through it, but I love the feeling of being off kilter through the first pages, being disconcerted because I didn't have nearly enough information to get what was going on. It's sci-fi, but Connie Willis style sci-fi which is my very favorite kind. And it's partly set in a library. Between the setting and the season, I visualized the whole story in shades of grey. Looking forward to a second reading where I'm sure I'll pick up on stuff I missed the first time 'round.
Anyways, at 99cents, it would be a bargain at twice the price, so pick yourself up a copy.

I found the story via John August's twitter page. I donwloaded the sample -- the first 13 pages -- and sat on them for a couple of days. When I started reading page one, page 13 hit me like a brick . I flew through the thing. It was then that I realized that not finishing it was not an option. I immediately purchased the full story (what's 99 cents?) and flew through until the end, to great satisfaction.

It's a wonderful short story, and I hope there are much more like this coming. Pick this up. Not reading it is not an option.