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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow. Just... wow., December 2, 2008
This review is from: Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys (Paperback)
You expect alot from published authors. A firm grasp of language, a talent at turning a phrase, an understanding of the Hero's Journey and arc of character. Ken has all of this, but something that is all too rare in today's writers - he knows your heart. I suspect this is because he is very familiar with HIS heart, and we all share moments and memories through life.
Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys is full of adventure, hardship, humor, even a few scares, but what struck me was how close I came to weeping in certain parts - tears of loss for sure, but sometimes tears just from the utter wonderment and joy that some of these stories contained. Ken reached into my soul and brought up real, honest-to-goodness feelings from my childhood, from my young adulthood, hell, even from a week ago. What an absolute treat.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long Walks Last Flights and Other Strange Journeys by Ken Scholes, February 22, 2009
This review is from: Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys (Paperback)
What happens when you roll John Scalzi, Neil Gaiman, AA Milne and Steven King all together? You get Ken Scholes new book, Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys. This book is a series of short stories that captivates the reader. This is one of those rare, well built well constructed short story collections as a book, and was very enjoyable to read. You should plan on reading this on a Friday night, because you are going to stay up late reading this one. While there might be some of the short stories you will skip over, many of them are engrossing and entertaining.
Scholes takes a very humanist view point on his characters and that thread is the continuity, we are exploring people in context of technology. That is why he is like Scalzi; it is not the technology that we surround ourselves with, it is what we do with it, and how it makes us more or less human. Many of the stories are along these lines, with the ability to touch the meme of people like Gaiman, the humor and innocence of AA Milne, and the plausible but scary viewpoint of Steven King. You are rolling all of these into some of the better short stories, as the author explores their art. Some of the stories people are going to skip over, sometimes the literary prose gets to be a bit thick for the casual reader, but for those who like rich context that is not a distraction.
The stories are overall well crafted and meaningful; most readers will find something to connect with throughout the book. This book is rated five of five stars, stay up all night reading and simply enjoy the interplay of words, people, concepts and viewpoints. Even better this is one of those truly rare short story collections that is a powerhouse all the way through, there is almost no dead wood in here. People will find something engaging in almost all the stories throughout the book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Imagination Unhinged, April 19, 2011
This review is from: Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys (Paperback)
I don't know Ken Scholes ... but I wish I did.
The only collection that comes close to the wonder and imagination of Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys is Scholes's other collection -- Diving Mimes, Weeping Czars & Other Unusual Suspects.
I'm usually the kind of person that can devour a short story collection in a matter of hours, but I found myself pausing between each of these, savoring them ... they reminded me of why short stories can be magic. Each was a lighting bolt of creativity, and while I'm not sure every one struck home, they each made an impression.
Now I'm anxious to read his novels. Thanks for the stories, Ken -- you've got a new fan.
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