Story Reviews: “I Am Become Death” and “The Scream” by Julio Angel Ortiz
Whew! It’s been a while since I’ve posted. My birthday happened and in addition to getting lost in the heap of publications I’m trying to get published in, I received a nook from one of my wonderful friends. I used to be an old fuddy-duddy when it came to e-readers, but I softened up over the years and now I have my own! (Don’t worry, I’m still madly in love with paper books.) Will show off and review my new little friend in another post. Part of the fun of having an e-reader is the ability to download lots of different samples in the span of minutes. I’ve been jumping from novel to novel but I still have my physical to-read pile to choose from so now I’ve finally stopped playing and browsing long enough to do the important thing–read! I haven’t finished a new book yet, but I have discovered short stories available in e-format. Here are a couple.
Happy Fourth of July, if you celebrate it! If not, happy Monday!
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I Am Become Death by Julio Angel Ortiz
The stories we read and watch usually center around heroes and their journeys and (more often than not) their ultimate triumph over evil. But rarely does a story explore the everyman’s consequences for watching a hero save the day. This story does.
The premise of this story enticed me when I first read it. It’s a very short read, which makes me a bit sad. I’m all for short stories, but I think if it this particular story had been longer, this theme further and more painstakingly explored, the stakes and the emotional impact could have been amped up.
The story is fairly straightforward, told in retrospect. I think my main problem was the lack of tension. There is perhaps a little too much foreshadowing, which led me to predict what would happen. And once I knew the ending, my investment was forced. This workshop issue of the inevitability of an ending comes to mind. My Workshop Self would ask for a way that this story be complicated. At the very least, for the story to use this exciting premise to say something new. Considering that it’s an intriguing, different take on the superhero story, there is so much potential.
Ironically, the hero in this story is a bit of an ass. And not in the way I expected. I give points for how his character influenced the outcome of the event.
All in all, an average read.
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The Scream by Julio Angel Ortiz
A man goes on a walk across a bridge and is haunted by odd visitors and screams.
I enjoyed this story much more than the previous. As I read, I found myself drawn into the suspense of what was happening. Also, I get scared easily and it was night time and even with my lights on, I was a little freaked out. (Yeah, I’m just a scaredy-cat…)
The foreshadowing is better handled in this one. I didn’t mind that I had some inkling as to how it would end. This time it was about how we got there. The reader is right there with the narrator, feeling everything he’s feeling, seeing everything he’s seeing. There’s something to be learned in this example of suspense/horror writing.
I think it could have been a little longer as well as there are some vague questions about the visitors (at least, I have questions about them), but at present, it’s still a nice, quick read.
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Both “I Am Become Death” and “The Scream” are available free for reading from Barnes & Noble. I’ve downloaded a couple more Ortiz works, so look out for more reviews!
Cover photos from goodreads.com.
