Post by thomasallencummins on Jun 25, 2013 8:42:52 GMT -5
Welcome to the Glurpworld Anthology thread aka Flower of Doom.
Find links to the all star, top shelf, awe inspiring anthology of short stories brought to you by the staff and members of Glurpworld Comics Forum.
Yes that's right. Available at ITUNES, Barnes and Noble and from the publisher itself, LULU.com
As an added bonus here is a youtube video of a dramatic reading of the book.
Enjoy
www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/thomas-cummins/flower-of-doom/ebook/product-18607387.html
itunes.apple.com/us/book/flower-of-doom/id463538194?mt=11
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flower-of-doom-thomas-allen-cummins/1105805445
www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Flower-of-Doom-Thomas-Allen-Cummins-Danny-Southard/9781257680399
www.epubbooks.com/books/cgprd/flower-of-doom
The following would have been an excerpts from Flower of Doom if they had been good enough to include but this small taste does convey the spirit of the book for the most part.
From "CAFE OF DESPAIR"
"Why can't you just leave it alone?" David spoke quietly.
He leaned over the table a bit more while taking a sip of his still steaming cup of coffee. Strands of his long, brown hair nearly hung down enough to touch the surface of his drink but he didn't seem to notice. David held the cup with both hands but it still shuddered with every labored breath he took. He looked up without raising his head to glance quickly at Sharon as she sat quietly in the chair across from him. She didn't move, didn't make a sound. She sat with her arms crossed, positioned far enough away from the table to cross her legs as if she was willing to make herself comfortable but still allowing for the option of leaping up running away. The outdoor cafe was surrounded by a constant swirl of passersby but neither David or Sharon took notice of them. They were each concentrating on the other as if the space between them was filled with tangible emotions that could not be ignored.
Finally after a few uncomfortable moments Sharon finally spoke.
"You could have told me from the start. You could have spared me this but you are such a coward!"
David silently recoiled backward into his chair. Sharon took a moment to fill her lungs with enough oxygen to fuel her building passion and then continued.
"It was so d**n simple for you. You think no one notices but I do. I have to. I don't have any choice but to put up with you and your insane phobias. Even through that triple thick head of yours you had to have understood what this was going to do to me, what it would mean to everything I know and love. No. You kept it to yourself because you are afraid. You are afraid of me, afraid of life, afraid of being thought of as weak or stupid. Sometimes I can't keep all of this straight. But let me tell you something. Something that has to be said. Something you have to hear because I promise you it will be the last thing I ever say to you. I will never, never, ever forgive you for what you've done. I will never forget in a thousand lifetimes that you decided to tell me, after all we've been through together, you decided to wait until just now to reveal that Southerland Castle is a spaceship. And for that I hope you rot in hell!"
From "BAD NEWS"
"Five minutes, Don." Jake warned.
Donald Jameson had been broadcasting the evening news to the greater Tri-County area for eleven years, four months and twenty-eight days. He felt as though he had seen it all, heard it all in his long career but today he was nervous. He felt sick to his stomach.
"Oh my god." Don muttered to himself.
He knew his mic was not on but he wasn't sure it would have made any difference.
"Three minutes Mr. Jameson." Jake called out.
Don knew that would be his final warning. Everything would go silent before he would be led into the broadcast with hand signals which gave Don the irrational idea of screaming until he drained his lungs but he ignored the random thought and began to collect himself.
Don suddenly began to tremble. Little by little the tremors spread through his body. He repeatedly cleared his voice and straightened the stack of papers on the desk in front of him but it was useless. He knew what he was about to say would be the most explosive comments anyone on Earth had ever said since the Sermon on the Mount.
Panic set in and Don began to pound his fist against his leg to try to regain his composure. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life and everyone in the studio that was staring at him knew it too.
Suddenly Jake thrust his open hand out for Don to see. He held up five fingers, then four, then three, then two.
Don looked up at the camera positioned only a few feet away just in time to see the red "on air" light spring to life.
For a moment he hesitated but from somewhere deep inside, from a reservoir of courage he never realized he had, Don took one last, deep breath and spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is with great sorrow that I am forced to report that...Southerland Castle is...a space ship."
The studio suddenly erupted into a cacophony of screams and shouts of horror and surprise.
Without saying another word Don Jameson slid out of his chair, collapsed upon the floor and began to quietly sob.
One of the reviews of Flower of Doom from the LuLu web site.
"From Matrixman This isn't so much a story as it is a collection of story fragments -- or episodes, to be really generous. We veer from one odd scenario to the next. The destinies of the characters seem dependent on whether or not they have privileged knowledge of the true nature of Southerland Castle. Did you know or didn't you know? Through sheer repetition like some cosmic mantra, the question becomes the punchline of the whole story. I'm reminded of the sentiment: "Great, I read the book...now will someone tell me what it's about?" A linear, straightforward story this is not. The Flower of Doom is a gleeful jumble of kaleidoscopic images and emotions that together may form a coherent picture if you look hard enough. But I think most of the time, you'll be scratching your head, wondering what on earth is going on. The 2nd movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was once notably described as a "miracle of repetition." I think that is also an apt description of The Flower of Doom. (Also, my apologies to Ludwig for dragging his name into this.) Now, whether one regards the repetitions in this story as being "miraculous" or just "ludicrous" might well depend on one's mood at the time of reading. There is a feeling of restlessness, of rushing to some climax or destination, while the repeating motifs in the story also give it a sense of stasis. A endless tape loop. Or maybe it's more accurate to think of The Flower of Doom as a holographic puzzle. Choose different angles and the picture shifts to show different aspects of itself. But what does it all mean? That we are doomed to always repeat ourselves? That the big picture always eludes us? What does Southerland Castle represent? Unattainable knowledge, from the point of view of those left behind? The main problem as I see it is the awkward mix of pathos and parody that runs throughout. I have read other examples of Mr. Cummins's work, and I know he's capable of portraying exciting action and drama. And I know that Mr. Southard is capable of the most biting comedy. I'm just not convinced that, in this work, the two have struck the best balance between comedy and drama. I'm thinking particularly of Part 14: Tempest. It presents a genuinely wrenching scene, but it is compromised by the need to insert the tag line about Southerland Castle. The depiction of Tempest's self sacrifice is stark and serious as it should be - it does not need to be saddled by a running joke. I feel that things work much better in, say, Part 15: The Man In Grey, which is among my favorites. I also liked the POV of Part 23: Out of the Loop. Part 24: The Object was another memorable piece where tragedy and hilarity seem to collide and yet it works for the most part. Part 26: Legacy is outstanding for its vivid, over-the-top depiction of magical combat. Finally, I must honorably (dishonorably?) mention Part 17: Martin the Clown for delivering some of the most masterfully torturous prose I have ever seen. It's just brilliant, and not for the faint of heart! To recap, I think this is an odd and baffling but still entertaining story that raises many questions but gives very few answers. Could a sequel be in the works? Me, I'd prefer it if the authors simply took one of these story "episodes" - any one will do - and developed a full story out of it."
Find links to the all star, top shelf, awe inspiring anthology of short stories brought to you by the staff and members of Glurpworld Comics Forum.
Yes that's right. Available at ITUNES, Barnes and Noble and from the publisher itself, LULU.com
As an added bonus here is a youtube video of a dramatic reading of the book.
Enjoy
www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/thomas-cummins/flower-of-doom/ebook/product-18607387.html
itunes.apple.com/us/book/flower-of-doom/id463538194?mt=11
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flower-of-doom-thomas-allen-cummins/1105805445
www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Flower-of-Doom-Thomas-Allen-Cummins-Danny-Southard/9781257680399
www.epubbooks.com/books/cgprd/flower-of-doom
The following would have been an excerpts from Flower of Doom if they had been good enough to include but this small taste does convey the spirit of the book for the most part.
From "CAFE OF DESPAIR"
"Why can't you just leave it alone?" David spoke quietly.
He leaned over the table a bit more while taking a sip of his still steaming cup of coffee. Strands of his long, brown hair nearly hung down enough to touch the surface of his drink but he didn't seem to notice. David held the cup with both hands but it still shuddered with every labored breath he took. He looked up without raising his head to glance quickly at Sharon as she sat quietly in the chair across from him. She didn't move, didn't make a sound. She sat with her arms crossed, positioned far enough away from the table to cross her legs as if she was willing to make herself comfortable but still allowing for the option of leaping up running away. The outdoor cafe was surrounded by a constant swirl of passersby but neither David or Sharon took notice of them. They were each concentrating on the other as if the space between them was filled with tangible emotions that could not be ignored.
Finally after a few uncomfortable moments Sharon finally spoke.
"You could have told me from the start. You could have spared me this but you are such a coward!"
David silently recoiled backward into his chair. Sharon took a moment to fill her lungs with enough oxygen to fuel her building passion and then continued.
"It was so d**n simple for you. You think no one notices but I do. I have to. I don't have any choice but to put up with you and your insane phobias. Even through that triple thick head of yours you had to have understood what this was going to do to me, what it would mean to everything I know and love. No. You kept it to yourself because you are afraid. You are afraid of me, afraid of life, afraid of being thought of as weak or stupid. Sometimes I can't keep all of this straight. But let me tell you something. Something that has to be said. Something you have to hear because I promise you it will be the last thing I ever say to you. I will never, never, ever forgive you for what you've done. I will never forget in a thousand lifetimes that you decided to tell me, after all we've been through together, you decided to wait until just now to reveal that Southerland Castle is a spaceship. And for that I hope you rot in hell!"
From "BAD NEWS"
"Five minutes, Don." Jake warned.
Donald Jameson had been broadcasting the evening news to the greater Tri-County area for eleven years, four months and twenty-eight days. He felt as though he had seen it all, heard it all in his long career but today he was nervous. He felt sick to his stomach.
"Oh my god." Don muttered to himself.
He knew his mic was not on but he wasn't sure it would have made any difference.
"Three minutes Mr. Jameson." Jake called out.
Don knew that would be his final warning. Everything would go silent before he would be led into the broadcast with hand signals which gave Don the irrational idea of screaming until he drained his lungs but he ignored the random thought and began to collect himself.
Don suddenly began to tremble. Little by little the tremors spread through his body. He repeatedly cleared his voice and straightened the stack of papers on the desk in front of him but it was useless. He knew what he was about to say would be the most explosive comments anyone on Earth had ever said since the Sermon on the Mount.
Panic set in and Don began to pound his fist against his leg to try to regain his composure. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life and everyone in the studio that was staring at him knew it too.
Suddenly Jake thrust his open hand out for Don to see. He held up five fingers, then four, then three, then two.
Don looked up at the camera positioned only a few feet away just in time to see the red "on air" light spring to life.
For a moment he hesitated but from somewhere deep inside, from a reservoir of courage he never realized he had, Don took one last, deep breath and spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is with great sorrow that I am forced to report that...Southerland Castle is...a space ship."
The studio suddenly erupted into a cacophony of screams and shouts of horror and surprise.
Without saying another word Don Jameson slid out of his chair, collapsed upon the floor and began to quietly sob.
One of the reviews of Flower of Doom from the LuLu web site.
"From Matrixman This isn't so much a story as it is a collection of story fragments -- or episodes, to be really generous. We veer from one odd scenario to the next. The destinies of the characters seem dependent on whether or not they have privileged knowledge of the true nature of Southerland Castle. Did you know or didn't you know? Through sheer repetition like some cosmic mantra, the question becomes the punchline of the whole story. I'm reminded of the sentiment: "Great, I read the book...now will someone tell me what it's about?" A linear, straightforward story this is not. The Flower of Doom is a gleeful jumble of kaleidoscopic images and emotions that together may form a coherent picture if you look hard enough. But I think most of the time, you'll be scratching your head, wondering what on earth is going on. The 2nd movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was once notably described as a "miracle of repetition." I think that is also an apt description of The Flower of Doom. (Also, my apologies to Ludwig for dragging his name into this.) Now, whether one regards the repetitions in this story as being "miraculous" or just "ludicrous" might well depend on one's mood at the time of reading. There is a feeling of restlessness, of rushing to some climax or destination, while the repeating motifs in the story also give it a sense of stasis. A endless tape loop. Or maybe it's more accurate to think of The Flower of Doom as a holographic puzzle. Choose different angles and the picture shifts to show different aspects of itself. But what does it all mean? That we are doomed to always repeat ourselves? That the big picture always eludes us? What does Southerland Castle represent? Unattainable knowledge, from the point of view of those left behind? The main problem as I see it is the awkward mix of pathos and parody that runs throughout. I have read other examples of Mr. Cummins's work, and I know he's capable of portraying exciting action and drama. And I know that Mr. Southard is capable of the most biting comedy. I'm just not convinced that, in this work, the two have struck the best balance between comedy and drama. I'm thinking particularly of Part 14: Tempest. It presents a genuinely wrenching scene, but it is compromised by the need to insert the tag line about Southerland Castle. The depiction of Tempest's self sacrifice is stark and serious as it should be - it does not need to be saddled by a running joke. I feel that things work much better in, say, Part 15: The Man In Grey, which is among my favorites. I also liked the POV of Part 23: Out of the Loop. Part 24: The Object was another memorable piece where tragedy and hilarity seem to collide and yet it works for the most part. Part 26: Legacy is outstanding for its vivid, over-the-top depiction of magical combat. Finally, I must honorably (dishonorably?) mention Part 17: Martin the Clown for delivering some of the most masterfully torturous prose I have ever seen. It's just brilliant, and not for the faint of heart! To recap, I think this is an odd and baffling but still entertaining story that raises many questions but gives very few answers. Could a sequel be in the works? Me, I'd prefer it if the authors simply took one of these story "episodes" - any one will do - and developed a full story out of it."
