Dark Flash 2

Maria Haskins is a poet as well as a fiction writer and I think this gives her a distinct edge when it comes to writing intricate and thought-provoking prose. Her fiction is faultless and the perfect sentences push the stories forward in a natural flow that entices the reader and keeps you hooked throughout. Her stories are gripping. Some are quite dark in theme and content but they are so addictive. This collection of 10 stories contains flash fiction written for a podcast. Each story was prompted by a photograph; links to those are included at the end of the book.

I enjoyed the whole collection. I had read a couple of the stories previously when they appeared on the author’s website but on rereading they revealed more of their secrets. These are the types of stories that you can read over and over and still get something from them. They make you think, they make you wonder, and most of all they make you question what you are reading. This is one of the qualities of great literature, to entertain but also to inspire the reader and leave you with a feeling of wonder and also the feeling that you have just walked in another person’s shoes for however long it took you to read the story. There are so many emotions and thoughts evoked by the stories.

This is quality speculative fiction that pushes the boundaries and makes you wonder about the boundaries between reality and fantasy. There are stories of angels, wolves, monsters, mermaids, and more. A really imaginative collection of stories expertly woven.