On "This Is Your Accident" by Elizabeth Farren (2806 words) ***

"This Is Your Accident" might as well be "This Is Your Mistake." Everything in this story revolves around mistakes--a woman who dates a jerk, a woman who comes to visit her friend (invited mainly to get that friend's mind off the jerk), a jerk who insists on having everything his way, a liar (or perhaps two or three liars), and a night on the town that turns into a mess. This is a pile-up of accidents, of bad vibes, and of trouble. In the end, perhaps, revenge is reaped. What do I like? The unapologizing characters, especially the Italian. These are people you don't want to know. Read the story here at Prick of the Spindle.

On "Blueberries" by Scott Bowen (4694 words) ***

Luckily I've never had the experience of vomiting while on a date. That alone seems worthy of a story. And the story of such an experience is yet to be written, because this story ends up being so much more than the simple awkwardness that would result from such an occasion. Early on, I found myself at times frustrated at the seemingly inhuman actions of the story's characters, and then--and then it begins to make sense. This is a story about insanity, about memory, about slowly losing one's mind, written from the point of view of the one losing it. Interesting reading here at Prick of the Spindle.

On "The Object of Desire" by Gary Pedler (10676 words) ****

Here's a story without a lot of pretensions, well executed, and complex. It has what, unfortunately, is missing from so many stories on the Web, mostly because of the medium's incessant demand that authors be concise. However, with such brevity, it's impossible to flesh out stories as nuanced as this one. Take Alan, a homosexual adolescent who is wrestling with his feelings--and who is also, in so many ways, a typical adolescent in his smart-aleck remarks to others, for example. Or his parents, who just want to help but don't exactly know how--and then fear that what help they've forced Alan into taking isn't quick enough or effective. Or Dr. Kirst, who assesses Alan's problems for us at the end of the story--or does he? Are these Alan's problems or the projections of others onto Alan or a combination of both? This is a story that looks at some tough personal issues and doesn't flinch, doesn't simplify, doesn't politicize, and doesn't preach. This is a story that just shows the way things are, that offers, to what extent it can, a little understanding. Read the story here at Prick of the Spindle.