"Mr President, the vampires have turned back our assault on Sydney." - Darren Robilliard

Cummings, an Author we haven't touched bases with for quite some time, has been experimenting with releases via electronic media rather than more traditional print modes. One assumes we might still see some releases from the Author under the Brimstone label in the future but it presents us with a unique opportunity to compare print to e-book formats with Shards previously having been released in printed form, review right here. It also gave me the chance to re-read the collection and perhaps draw a few more thoughts from it. Let's get down to business.

Oh before I forget Brimstone has picked up their kit and movie to Aotearoa, hence the New Zealand Country thing, Kia Ora to the Brimstone Press crew.

I guess the first thing to take note of, besides you are reading the collection via an electronic screen, is the excellent illustrations by Andrew J. McKiernan are no longer included. The printed edition of Shards came with a full complement of artwork, the Smashwords Edition (SE) is now reliant on the prose of Shane Jiraiya Cummings to carry us from cover to cover. With full respect to McKiernan, yes I really dug his pen work as well, I believe Cummings doesn't need additional support to get where he's going with the collection. As previously stated, in the first review, Shards is pretty much a textbook on how to write flash fiction.

The collection is broken down into seven sections, each forming a sort of common theme through the included stories, or at least tying together differing stories into a more holistic view of the overall plot Cummings is working on. So for example in Sacrifices it's all about personal lost when the supernatural comes knocking. Standout story in this section was for mine Virgin in the Mist, that questions whether otherworldly visions are ever truly benevolent, at what cost to the individual do they arrive? In a similar fashion the section Dread Seasons takes a normal Aussie beach and turns it into a danger zone of lurking predators and unseen dangers under a pile of leaves. You will note in this section that the individual pieces lock into a more complex story that threatens to overwhelm the normal with the forces of chaos.

For mine Cummings demonstrates two distinct abilities in this collection, besides the excellent prose style and ability to tell a story that will hold your interest. Firstly there's the sheer menace many of the stories have that isn't on the page. Cummings points the Reader down a certain path and then says go fetch the ball at story's end. So in Spin the Witch Bottle the real horror is what the Reader can dream up happens next after the story concludes, I've got a vivid imagination so that was particularly nasty. Similarly in Memoirs of a Teenage Antichrist, Cummings builds up his POV character from being a regular teen to someone possessing some vindictive ideas, I certainly wouldn't want to be one of his robed followers if things go down as they are seemingly preordained to do. Revenge is a dish best served red hot perhaps? The real art form here is to suggest and leave things largely off the page, as ever the best results are achieved via the Audience dialling into the aftermath via their own imaginations, of course this does require an ability to set the scene and build the framework, something Cummings does with little apparent effort.

The second ability I wanted to make mention of, is the ability to create a feeling, an atmosphere that the story evokes in the Reader. Quite the achievement when the word limit is around the 1,000 mark. So, for example, in Stealing Fire the feeling is of lost, and an inability to come to terms with a traumatic event that incarnates itself in one of the more bizarre activities that you could ever hope to run across. Similarly in Shadow of Revenge you are left with a great deal of sympathy for the antagonist who will no doubt try again to redeem some self-esteem against the swaggering oaf that has somehow come to define his life. I should also point out that this story encapsulates one of horror's great tropes, be very careful what you wish for. Cummings is able to evoke feeling and emotion via his flash pieces and isn't taking a backward step in doing so. Considering the Author can get down and dirty in the action trenches in his longer works it perhaps shows a side to Cummings art that many of us were unaware of.

The thing I liked about this collection was that it was wide ranging in themes and style, with a heavy emphasis toward integration within some sections. Forrest Gump's box of chocolates comes to mind, Cummings throws some curve balls, and takes the flash fiction form into directions we were not expecting, and it's quite the achievement. The real bonus in flash fiction is that it's quick to read, giving an instant hit of gratification, with Shards Shane Jiraiya Cummings demonstrates however that the fiction form doesn't have to be short and to the point, it can achieve a lot of what longer fiction does if handled with a deft hand. Full recommendation on this collection, you can put the house on this one, you will enjoy it.

For those after a copy of the smashwords edition, set your browser to smashwords where for a couple of bucks you can hook yourself up for some reading pleasure. Be warned however, this stuff is habit forming and you will want the printed edition for the added benefits, check that out over at Brimstone Press, though I must admit I'm only seeing a kindle option. When will Publishers work out Kindle readers are not in the majority? Actually you can score a print copy right here. How's that for research! Interestingly Brimstone have bucked the trend and moved across the Tasman to Kiwiland, will we be seeing Shane Jiraiya Cummings in a Blackness jersey? Speaking of which, Shane is on the interwebs over here, though I'm not going to call that a regularly updated site. Memo to self, story behind the Brimstone movie, enquiring minds need to know.