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Polaris 10 Short Stories
POLARIS – 10 Short Stories.
DUST - An eight year old boy, living in Kansas during the Great Depression, has visions in the middle of a dust storm.
POLARIS – An inventor builds a troubled robot assistant.
THE DARLING CHAIR – A female scientist experiments with a flying force bubble.
KING JON AND THE SHEPHERD – A government agent captures a lost alien king.
GENEVIEVE – A 16 year old girl, kidnapped and turned into a ruthless killing machine, makes her way back home.
GLASS – A soldier volunteers for a suicide mission on a distant planet.
CAPTAIN ANDREWS CAME HOME – An astronaut, lost in space for 40 years, finally returns to Earth.
STILL – A woman and a soldier interact in the midst of an interdimensional alien invasion.
THERMAL - A man, starving and freezing in the Alaskan outback, stumbles upon an abandoned research lab.
BROTHER NIGHT – A drug addled psychiatrist is introduced to a strange young woman.
DUST - An eight year old boy, living in Kansas during the Great Depression, has visions in the middle of a dust storm.
POLARIS – An inventor builds a troubled robot assistant.
THE DARLING CHAIR – A female scientist experiments with a flying force bubble.
KING JON AND THE SHEPHERD – A government agent captures a lost alien king.
GENEVIEVE – A 16 year old girl, kidnapped and turned into a ruthless killing machine, makes her way back home.
GLASS – A soldier volunteers for a suicide mission on a distant planet.
CAPTAIN ANDREWS CAME HOME – An astronaut, lost in space for 40 years, finally returns to Earth.
STILL – A woman and a soldier interact in the midst of an interdimensional alien invasion.
THERMAL - A man, starving and freezing in the Alaskan outback, stumbles upon an abandoned research lab.
BROTHER NIGHT – A drug addled psychiatrist is introduced to a strange young woman.
- GenresScience Fiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2013
6 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
David Portlock
3 books7 followersI am a writer/director currently living in California. I've written and directed the short films, "In Time", "The Sheriff of Babylon", and the Sundance Film Fest. short, "The Spartans". My first feature film, "The Gristle", was picked up by HBO, Cinemax, and Starz. In 2010, my script, "Dark Continent", topped the Blood List as best unproduced horror/sci fi screenplay.
My first collection of short stories, Polaris 10 Short Stories, is available on Amazon, as is my first novel, BE NICE. Check the links below and enjoy!
http://www.amazon.com/Polaris-Short-S...
My first novel, Be Nice, is now online!
https://www.amazon.com/BE-NICE-David-...
My first collection of short stories, Polaris 10 Short Stories, is available on Amazon, as is my first novel, BE NICE. Check the links below and enjoy!
http://www.amazon.com/Polaris-Short-S...
My first novel, Be Nice, is now online!
https://www.amazon.com/BE-NICE-David-...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 31, 2015
A very interesting collection of tales...each its own individual bead, but when strung together make a fascinating chain.
Dust - 3.0 - Where it all began. I wasn't sure what to make of the story as a whole, but I loved the kid!
Polaris-4.0-Creepy! Very creepy!
The Darling Chair-4.5- This was my absolute favorite story of the bunch! I think Dr. D. would make a great protagonist in a full fledged story, or even possibly, a series. Chair or no chair!
King Jon & the Shepherd-3.5/4.0- I really enjoyed this one, but the "captain obvious" conclusion diminished it a bit, hence my being torn between giving it a 4.0 or a 3.5.
Genevieve-3.0-Quite disturbing!
Glass - 2.0 - Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one. It felt flat and purposeless on its own. Its purpose does become clearer in the next short story, however.
Captain Andrews Came Home - 4.0 - Interesting but cruel. Very cruel.
Still - 4.0 - Another bizarre story that somehow just worked. I wish it went somewhere, but the ending was more realistic this way.
Thermal - 3.0 - I wasn't quite sure how this story fit in with the others, but it stood up well on its own.
Brother Night - 3.0 - I have no idea what to think about this final tale... other than it was final. I could see it as a Dr. Who episode, but with a different ending.
Technically, well at least mathematically, this collection averages out to a 3, but I'm giving it an extra bump for originality. Each story lent a thread to the one that followed or borrowed a thread from the one ahead (Thermal's thread was very thin). Those connections succeeded in making the 10 stories feel like a cohesive piece.
Edited for clarity and to correct typos.
Dust - 3.0 - Where it all began. I wasn't sure what to make of the story as a whole, but I loved the kid!
Polaris-4.0-Creepy! Very creepy!
The Darling Chair-4.5- This was my absolute favorite story of the bunch! I think Dr. D. would make a great protagonist in a full fledged story, or even possibly, a series. Chair or no chair!
King Jon & the Shepherd-3.5/4.0- I really enjoyed this one, but the "captain obvious" conclusion diminished it a bit, hence my being torn between giving it a 4.0 or a 3.5.
Genevieve-3.0-Quite disturbing!
Glass - 2.0 - Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one. It felt flat and purposeless on its own. Its purpose does become clearer in the next short story, however.
Captain Andrews Came Home - 4.0 - Interesting but cruel. Very cruel.
Still - 4.0 - Another bizarre story that somehow just worked. I wish it went somewhere, but the ending was more realistic this way.
Thermal - 3.0 - I wasn't quite sure how this story fit in with the others, but it stood up well on its own.
Brother Night - 3.0 - I have no idea what to think about this final tale... other than it was final. I could see it as a Dr. Who episode, but with a different ending.
Technically, well at least mathematically, this collection averages out to a 3, but I'm giving it an extra bump for originality. Each story lent a thread to the one that followed or borrowed a thread from the one ahead (Thermal's thread was very thin). Those connections succeeded in making the 10 stories feel like a cohesive piece.
Edited for clarity and to correct typos.
April 27, 2015
Amazing collection of short stories that, although connected can also be enjoyed separately. The author did a great job with the feel of these stores and was able to take readers to a special place. I loved the first story Dust the best but all were entertaining and make the reader think about what possibilities lay in our world of technology. Readers who love short stories and novels can enjoy this imaginative collection.
November 19, 2019
10 for 10
Ten very cool, congruent shorties that tie together nicely while maintaining their individual integrity. Enjoyed this author and would read more from them.
Ten very cool, congruent shorties that tie together nicely while maintaining their individual integrity. Enjoyed this author and would read more from them.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews