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The Armed Forces Collection
The Belly of The Beast
Written by Arthur Davis
From Short Story Collection 10
Reviewed below by Todd Watson in November 2005
In
the winter of 1949, Stephen Connors meets his destiny in a musty
Chicago bookstore. What follows is a roller coaster ride of fantasy
tinged with Catholic mysticism that is as inspiring as it is
entertaining.
As always, Arthur Davis is expert at pacing his story,
allowing us to identify with his characters before sending us shooting
off on a wild adventure.
We meet young
Stephen at a moment of uncertainty and disillusionment with his life.
He is drawn by strange forces to Scully's bookstore, a cluttered
repository of rare manuscripts. Once inside the belly of the beast he
befriends the shop's proprietor, the mysterious Yoda-like Mr. Henley.
Their master-pupil relationship is evident from the first meeting.
That Stephen will be led by Mr. Henley is plain for anyone to see, but
where and to what lengths no one could possibly foretell.
Davis'
tale of personal spirituality is told with grace and tenderness, but it is
also an astounding thriller that will set your heart pounding as you
rush to turn the pages.
The Day Before Tomorrow
Written by Arthur Davis
From Short Story Collection 5
Reviewed below by Vironika Tugaleva in February 2009
This
is one of the few stories I have encountered that captures human nature in
an original, yet genuine way. This gripping tale is an exceptional
portrayal of one man’s struggle to cope.
The narrator is a
maverick and a curmudgeon with an articulate, sarcastic comment for
everything. He is flying to Tampa to face his brother’s life-changing
surgery and, in handling this tragedy, he, as Oscar Wilde observed of
Dorian Gray, focuses his attention on trivial details, paranoid
conclusions, cynical comments; in short, everything except that which
must be faced.
“You had to wonder what had become of human
decency when you couldn't get more than a cold cardboard taco and an
apple for a three hour flight. Did the airlines really think we all ate
like that, or was it just their senior executives that had a penchant
for insipid cuisine?”
Behind the tough exterior, Davis creates a
beautiful, deep character that is so real and familiar you will surely
sympathize with him in the end.
Arthur Davis is a master of
descriptive language, foreshadowing and suspense. The title, “The Day
Before Tomorrow”, will only make sense towards the last pages where the
genius of the tale will become even more apparent.
This work is
powerful and provoking. It is worthy of comparison to the short stories
of Anton Chekhov, as it explores the idea that seemingly mundane times
in ones life can easily become a struggle of life and death.
The Hounds of Zegna
Michael
Denner is a man who foresees the attack of alien Dremlins, dogs from
the planet Zegna, in Arthur Davis’ taught thriller. Set in the year
2039, only Denner is aware that these golden retriever creatures that
stand on their hind legs will reduce the world’s population of humans
to a mere ten million souls.
The
only person he warns of his race’s impending doom is Jennifer Winslow,
a young woman he meets in the park along with her German Shepherd,
Jillian, on the day the invaders land.
The science fiction elements in this story are the result of man’s best
friend gone bad in which humans’ only hope is a revolution that is
unable to materialize. Their prime concern is survival, and every day
survived offers them more relief than success.
It is shocking to see how easily humans give up their dominance over
earth when their best efforts to annihilate the beasts fail. They seem
to be both avoiding and welcoming death at the same time.
With this realization, Denner resolves to, “Live my life to the fullest
in that time. I would take deep breaths and walk up to strangers and
tell them how important it was to live life to the fullest…I would live
as if there were no tomorrow, if only because I knew there wasn’t.”
Davis’
chillingly detailed images, reminiscent of Wells’ The War of the
Worlds, as well as his hopeless undertones make this story both an
interesting and disturbing read.
Friends for Life
Written by Arthur Davis
From Short Story Collection 4
Reviewed below by Julie Sewcharan in April 2006
“You had to be there. Lorraine Cassidy was. At five
foot-two and a hundred and six pounds, the brown-eyed Cincinnati nurse with a
penchant for Bakelite bracelets watched Hector Ramarez shoot down his brother
in the alleyway that lead to the courtyard separating their buildings.”
With this, Arthur Davis’ gripping and descriptive scenario unfolds between
Denise and Lorraine who both work at the same hospital; nurses hiding issues of
anguish and suffering neither wants to reveal.
“She wasn't the only one who heard the muffled pistol shot, just the only one
who responded to the altercation by vomiting up her dinner. Lorraine Cassidy
was witness to more than a murder that night. She would be witness to the end
of her own life.
Of course she could not know that at the time. The
horror of working in the emergency room at Oakdale Hospital for three years and
in a trauma ward in her previous job had inured her to the most horrific
possibilities life could conjure.”
Following Denise and Lorraine’s meeting with each other and their hidden
agendas, comes revelations about what the other knew about missing drugs from
the hospital, making for a great reading. The reader will hold on to every
word.
Arthur Davis weaves a plot so simple that the ending is astounding. His
narrative style is never boring and will keep you guessing right to the end.
Nursery School Expose'
Written by Arthur Davis
From Short Story Collection 1
Reviewed below by Vironika Tugaleva in February 2009
Andrew, a hilariously cynical and observant four year
old, recounts his first day at nursery school in this brilliant, funny tale.
Arthur Davis' genius quickly reveals itself in this
multifaceted, complex character with the nature of a sardonic and skeptical
adult and the interests, behavior, and appearance of a little boy. All in one
story, he derisively mocks the nursery school teacher, churns out dramatic
conspiracies in a poignant film noir tone and brags about how well he can play
ball and avoid eating broccoli.
˝I only knew that if I ate [the food] I would turn out
just like these kids. The food here would eat away at my brain. It would make
me stupid and before I knew it I would be playing with blocks like a child and
standing quietly in line.˝
˝Nursery School Expose,˝ reveals the limitations of
being a preschooler through adult eyes, the realities of love and freedom, the
nature of change and progress and, of course, the truth: that nursery schools
are a place where alien space monsters suck out children's hearts and souls in
order to control them and eat them.
Andrew is a delightful, sensitive blend of Shel
Silverstein's endearing and clever Peggy Ann McKay from ˝Sick˝ and Seth
MacFarlane's derisive Stewie Griffin from television's ˝Family Guy˝.
˝Nursery School Expose˝ is a rare read, impossible to
put down, and rich with warmth and profound truths. It will have you laughing
and nodding along all the way through.
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