Monterey Shorts

by Byron Merritt and Mark C. Angel

Welcome to the Monterey Peninsula you thought you knew, or imagined you did. Where skin divers, burned out businessmen, Carmel Valley farm kids and middle class families rub shoulders with ghosts,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967684846
• ISBN13: 9780967684840
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Thunderbird Press
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Fine ,fresh, fun fiction from Monterey

This book is great and I'm buying another copy for my sister. The stories are well-crafted, written in a variety of genres, and each writer captures a little of the essence of the Monterey Peninsula. I found the lead story, "Reunion", a romantic fantasy by Walter Gourlay, to be especially moving and poignant, not only because I was around during the period (1943) in which the story is set, and I remember the old tunes, but because of the air of eerie mystery surrounding the two lovers. The children's story by Mike Tyrrel is absolutely wonderful. I will read it to my grandchildren. I hope he writes more stories like this. Byron Merritt's science-fiction spoof is hilarious, especially his sleuth's extra-terrestrial partner, a gelatinous blob in a coffee cup. Mark Angel's scuba divers, Lele Dahle's tragic account of growing up in Carmel Valley, Chris Kemp's story of weird witchery, Francis Rossi's attempted murder, Ken Jones' Russian sub, Pat Hanson's hot tubs that talk, and Shaheen Schmidt's place to heal--each story has its own charm. Together they make a delightful volume to read and give as a gift. The clever cover by local artist Dan Koffman captures the ambience of Cannery Row and is a fit introduction to the collection.

Monterey Shorts

This book of short stories is a must have for people living on or visiting the Monterey Pennisula. It is a delightful mix of fantasy and fiction centered on happenings in the coastal towns surrounding the Monterey Bay. The book of short stories is written by a writers group, each story by a different writer. The stories range from a flavor of John Steinbeck to a comic science fiction to flights of fantasy--Definitely an enjoyable read.I will be recommmending this book for my Book Club group to read in the future.Waiting for Monterey Shorts #2.

Monterey Shorts a Treat to Read

Monterey Shorts is pure pleasure. Ten stories by different authors with varied situations and different points of view, all centered in the Monterey area, create a captivating read.All of the stories are carefully crafted and well written. It is clear that this writers' group works at a professional and discriminating level.We highly recommend Monterey Shorts for all who want to treat themselves or a special friend to hours of reading delight-a great idea for Christmas gifts!

reminded me of home

I've recently moved to Caracas, Venezuela after living in central California. A friend sent me Monterey Shorts, and I thought it was wonderful! Each story, in addition to being very well written, brought the area to life. My husband, who has only visited the area, also found himself with fond memories. I particularly enjoyed the vision of Monterey in the future, with the film noir alien homicide detective tracking down his murder suspect. The character of Woody, who believes he has witnessed a Russian invasion, is well written and personable, and his story as he tries to be a detective is funny, believable, and endearing. I am not normally a short story reader, but this collection held my interest from beginning to end. I highly recommend it, both for Monterey area ex-patriots, and for lovers of the genre.

Tremendous Collection of Fiction

Undoubtedly, if you saw the cover of this book at your local store, you'd be drawn to it. The simple fact that it looks fun on the outside lends itself to an unusual appeal to the common bookstore browser. That, and having Brian Herbert's name on the cover didn't hurt either! When I saw this book at my local bookstore in Carmel, California, it was in the local authors section near the science fiction books. So seeing Mr. Herbert's name on both sides of the aisle was impressive indeed.But what about the book itself? Well, the stories are wonderful. The first story, Reunion (by Walter Gourlay) is a fantastic historical recounting of a man who comes back to the Monterey area and finds Stilwell Hall falling into the sea (which it is!). But he falls asleep and wakes up in a dream? state. Stilwell Hall is alive with activity and soldiers and beautiful women. What happened to him? Mortuary Beach (by Mark Angel) is a dramatic account of what can go wrong in the waters off Monestary Beach, near Carmel, my hometown. Having been to this beach, it makes me shiver now to think how many divers have lost their lives out there. And Mark Angel's story is now a part of the reason that I shiver.The Lizard Catcher (by Lele Dahle) is a heart-wrenching account of a young girl growing up in Carmel Valley during the 50's and 60's. The tale is so well told that I cried at the end of it. Monte-Ray Gunn (by Byron Merritt) is a comedy piece that takes place in Monterey in the year 3000. A hard-bitten detective that talks like Sam Spade has to solve the apparent murder of an alien at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (now the Monterey Intergalactic Aquarium) with the help of a smelly, gelatinous partner who lives in a coffee mug. I laughed out loud several times while reading this highly comedic story.Borscht in the Bay (by Ken Jones) is practically a study of those who live in the Monterey area! Elderly, cautious, lock your doors, keep an eye on your neighbor. Woody, the main character, is a retired military man who watches out for anything suspicious around his hometown of Pacific Grove. And when he sees Russians coming ashore one early morning, he knows that Monterey has been invaded! Great stuff there.Resurrected (by Chris Kemp) is the story about a witch who has a nervous breakdown and must go on sabbatical to heal herself. The town her and her estranged daughter go to is Pacific Grove, an uncannily mirror image of their own hometown of Palo Pacifa. The mother/daughter antics and conversations are spot on and I laughed many times while reading this thoroughly enjoyable story as well.A Flash of Red (by Frances Rossi) is a whodunnit style murder mystery that takes place around a church in Pacific Grove. The chilling suspensefulness of this story may keep you up late reading.A Place To Heal (by Shaheen Schmidt) is a delightful tale of a man who's lost his life in the high-paced action of the L.A. cities. And then comes to Big Sur, California to heal himself.