Hilariously funny dark humor and biting satire combine in this short story set on an American TV game-show of the near future.
Cover Art by Dyfed Thomas.
Cover Art by Dyfed Thomas.
Start reading The Wheel of Justice (a short story) on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
Try it free |
Read books on your computer or other mobile devices with our FREE Kindle Reading Apps.
|
| Digital List Price: |
$0.99
What's this?
|
| Kindle Purchase Price: | $0.99 |
| Prime Members: | $0.00 (borrow for free from your Kindle) Prime Eligible |
|
For Kindle Device Owners Borrow this book for free on a Kindle device with Amazon Prime. Buy a Kindle today and start your Amazon Prime free trial to borrow this book at no cost. With Prime, Kindle owners can choose from over 300,000 titles to borrow for free – including all seven Harry Potter books and more than 100 current and former New York Times best sellers. Borrow a book as frequently as once per month, with no due dates. Learn more about Kindle Owners' Lending Library. |
Browse the best books of summer including blockbusters, beach reads, and editors' picks in our Summer Reading Store. |
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to give feedback on images? |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I won't give away anything much, but this short tells the story of a game show where the contestants answer questions about crime and punishment in order to win the show's prize - killing a man on death row.
It took me a few moments to wrap my head around this short, because it is very obviously larger than life and definitely gratuitous, but very quickly I found myself flashing back to the insanity of the movie The Running Man and many of Dutch director Paul Verhoeven's films, especially the way Verhoeven would weave in twisted futuristic commercials throughout his films like Robocop or Starship Troopers. I'm a fan of all these movies, and the correlation my mind formed between those and this short story made for an enjoyable experience.
Overall, if you like twisted, bizarre short stories that turn the real world on its ear a little, this is a good read. I look forward to treating myself to this author's other short stories.
It took me a few moments to wrap my head around this short, because it is very obviously larger than life and definitely gratuitous, but very quickly I found myself flashing back to the insanity of the movie The Running Man and many of Dutch director Paul Verhoeven's films, especially the way Verhoeven would weave in twisted futuristic commercials throughout his films like Robocop or Starship Troopers. I'm a fan of all these movies, and the correlation my mind formed between those and this short story made for an enjoyable experience.
Overall, if you like twisted, bizarre short stories that turn the real world on its ear a little, this is a good read. I look forward to treating myself to this author's other short stories.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Wheel of Justice" was an interesting short story that reminded me of the films "Idiocracy" and "Running Man." It takes place in a near-future, dystopian American where criminals are entertainingly executed on live T.V. I liked the humor and satire in the story - a nice jibe at modern day America. It was also well written with a cool science fiction flair.
The only shortcoming was that the ending was expected - I wanted something else to happen - or a very shocking twist - but the same is true for most short stories I've read. This one is a stand out though, and I'm glad I picked it up. Definitely made me smile.
A solid buy for 99cents.
The only shortcoming was that the ending was expected - I wanted something else to happen - or a very shocking twist - but the same is true for most short stories I've read. This one is a stand out though, and I'm glad I picked it up. Definitely made me smile.
A solid buy for 99cents.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
The most effective short stories leave a mark on your imagination long after you have read them. I suspect Mr Livingston's The Wheel of Justice will linger in my mind for quite some time to come.
This biting satire involves a game show that gives new meaning to the phrase life or death. What drew me most into this story was the writer's willingness to experiment with form - throughout the show we are also presented with the intervening advertisements - all of which had me laughing both uncomfortably and hysterically.
I won't say too much more about the story as I don't want to give the writer's ingenious idea away. But needless to say, if you are interested in terrifically written dark satire, you must read The Wheel of Justice.
This biting satire involves a game show that gives new meaning to the phrase life or death. What drew me most into this story was the writer's willingness to experiment with form - throughout the show we are also presented with the intervening advertisements - all of which had me laughing both uncomfortably and hysterically.
I won't say too much more about the story as I don't want to give the writer's ingenious idea away. But needless to say, if you are interested in terrifically written dark satire, you must read The Wheel of Justice.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Challenge Accepted!
I read the story and liked the dark humor and the American History questions posed in the short story.
I really enjoyed the commercials much more than the Game Show itself. Read more
I really enjoyed the commercials much more than the Game Show itself. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Bob Loblaw
4.0 out of 5 stars
Macabre but nicely done
This was a good short story set in a very uncomfortable future world. Rainbow Smith, a gangland murderer from the Bronx, is condemned to death. Ok, that happens. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ignite
4.0 out of 5 stars
Henry Sellars
A nice idea set in the future but not so far away that it's easy to imagine it happening in today's reality, gameshow culture. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Paul A. Barron
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Buy It
Even if you get it free and put it on your Kindle, don't waste the space. This is just odd. I always hope to find his short stories a good read but they just aren't.
Published 11 months ago by JustRead007
2.0 out of 5 stars
This should have been part of a book of short stories...
I think I would have appreciated this more had it been one of a variety of stories in one book instead of a stand-alone that was too short (read it in 10 minutes) with no real... Read more
Published 11 months ago by C. M. Donaldson
1.0 out of 5 stars
Simple
A good premise, nut way too simple and underdeveloped in the execution.
I knew every turn the author was making far too soon. Skip this one.
I knew every turn the author was making far too soon. Skip this one.
Published 11 months ago by doctoroooh
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good short story
A fun look at what future gameshows might be like, an entertaining short story that will put a smile on your face.
Published 13 months ago by Cobra N
3.0 out of 5 stars
Much too Predictable!
The story was mildy entertaining, but there were no surprises. Of course the only race mentioned was that of the victim. I wonder if that was significant.
Published 13 months ago by C. E. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
This story cracked me up!
I guess you would call this a black comedy. I got the biggest kick out of it! Love the commercials and the names of the characters. Read more
Published 16 months ago by hawkssr
5.0 out of 5 stars
And into the depths of depravity we swirl
Wheel of Justice is a well written, humorous look at just what depths we are sinking to as a society for our entertainment. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Hans Henriksen
More About the Author
Stephen Livingston is an award winning short story author. His first published work, Choose Your Future, won the inaugural Canongate Prize for New Writing and is available in the anthology Scotland Into The New Era. His short story The Waster's Tale won the EndPapers Tales Series Prize and is available in the anthology Glasgow Tales. Another story Recycling was published in the anthology Scores 4 available from St Andrews University Dept of English where he received a post-graduate M. Litt. in Creative Writing. Kindling, his first collection of short stories, received the ePublishing Consortium Writers Award for exceptional writing.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
