this book a collection of short stories that are though varying in size, are all readable in a single setting. They each offer a window into a different life. They are written in a way that you are drawn immediately into the surrounding setting and can see the characters in motion.

To be fair, I'm usually hit or miss on short story collections. There are usually a couple I like and a couple I don't, and the rest I'm neutral on. This was no exception. My only real critique of this selection is that it doesn't seem cohesive in any way. There's no common thread or theme, so it feels disjointed at times. But it would be good as a palate cleanser type of read. I did enjoy the micro fiction dispersed throughout.

A gripping and engaging collection of moments in time.

I had the pleasure of reading Ingold’s “There Came a Contagion” one of the finest pieces of writing I have consumed in recent years. In this book, a collection of short stories is brought forth into the world, leaving the reader wanting more.

I’ve often found micro-fiction less than satisfying. In my orderly mind, a story should have the requisite beginning, middle and end. Yet, in short format, micro fiction is less of a well-formed story, and more of a drop into a moment in time: a place where we catch a glimpse of a story, if not the full one.

However, this collection felt more than satisfying. While not all scratched the itch of a traditional story completeness, it provided a springboard for what could happen next. A choice, if you will, for the reader to determine the denouement, much like a play would offer. In this sense, Ingold’s writing is superb.

I highly recommend this book in its place as a conversation piece; a place where readers can converge and discuss where the story goes next, as opposed to discussing the full arc of the story.

This was an interesting selection of short stories that were easy to read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Pretty good. I don't generally like microfiction so those weren't my favorites but well done nonetheless. The other stories were enjoyable.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

I enjoyed reading this collection of micro fiction, a sub-genre I don't have a lot of experience with and don't encounter often (or know where to start) in the wild. For some people, fiction reading has become less pleasure than burden or an exercise - there's pressure to read the next big thing, page counts seem to be increasing, and attention spans and free time are shorter.

These stories - vignettes or scenes, really - are a good antidote to reading something interesting that's low demand on time and attention. It makes me want to read more flash fiction and also to try writing some of my own. This micro or capsule fiction could catch on with future generations of readers. Getting people to read something for pleasure of any length and in any format is a win for reading in general.

My favorites within this collection (but there's a little something for everyone, I think) were Breakfast, Weight of the Dog, Styx, and Estate Planning. Each of those I keep coming back to and turning over in my mind.

Recommended for any who like (or are at least open to) their fiction short and without tidy, clearcut endings.

I'd like to start off by thanking the publishers, the author Doug Ingold, and NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read this short story collection :)

Book Description:

This is a collection of literary short fiction by the author of THERE CAME A CONTAGION and four other published novels. The volume features ten short stories of various lengths plus six examples of single-page flash fiction.

My Thoughts:

My overall rating of the book is a 3.5/5. This is a great collection of stories, and each individual one added something unique to the whole collection. Some were short, only a page long, and others were much longer, like 20 pages or so (on mobile).

Each story was well written, with care, and they were meaningful too. They left me to contemplate the messages behind each story after reading it. Some of the stories were a little odd, but it added character to the collection, I think. They're all written in a very unique style that I grew to love by the end of the volume.

There were some stories that I liked more than others. My personal favourites are 'Styx', 'The Yellow Scarf', 'The Woman in Caves' and lastly 'Fragment'. And some stories that I didn't really like as much, which is why the overall rating is 3.5.

All in all, these stories are beautiful pieces of prose, and I'd recommend it if you're a fan of short stories! In three short phrases/words, this collection is beautifully written, idiosyncratic, and thought-provoking.

Short and Shorter by Doug Ingold will be published on 1st July 2023.

This review will also be posted on Amazon once the book has been published.

An eclectic selection of short stories and flash ficton. Thoughtful and we'll written, a neat collection of literary prose.