October 18, 2023
Speed Dialing:
500-Word Flash Fiction
John Frederick
(2023)
ISBN: 978-1-7351158-4-9 (paperback) /
978-1-7351158-5-6 (e-book)
New Book Offers Flash Fiction Plot Twists and Life Insights
John Frederick’s new book Speed Dialing: 500-Word Flash Fiction is a fascinating departure from Frederick’s previous nonfiction books, Prosperity Now! A 12-Week Journey to The Life of Your Dreams and Paris Histories and Mysteries. In Speed Dialing, Frederick shows an edgier side, one both romantic and somewhat cynical, filled with mystery and the supernatural, and full of insights into life’s meaningful moments and some of its less pleasurable experiences. The twenty stories in this collection are all roughly 500 words long, meaning they can be read quickly, but more importantly, their sparseness and tight style allow for sudden twists at the end that will surprise and please.
The opening story, “Speed Dialing,” provides a glimpse into a situation we can all relate to—the irritation of dealing with companies over the phone, their automated systems, and agents who can’t always help us. But this story has a twist. The caller is not only rude to the customer service agent, but he doesn’t deserve to have the extra fee the company charged removed.
While this first story is very much the result of the real world we all live in, others have a supernatural aspect. In “Under the Prairie Moon,” we find a group of American pioneers traveling West; their journey is full of atmosphere, making it epic and the story more like a fantasy novel than a historical moment as they encounter strange phenomenon and creatures they never imagined. Another story, “Down Truckee Lake,” depicts pioneers seeing the spirits of the dead as they starve through a cold winter. Both stories cross the line between reality and the supernatural.
Several of the stories appear to be rooted in Frederick’s personal experiences, especially from his childhood. They recall climbing trees, getting a sunburn on vacation, and being in a school Christmas pageant. Frederick also lives in Paris today, so not surprisingly, four of the stories are set there.
And then there are more sordid and cynical stories. In “The Ground Will Break Her Fall,” a young alcoholic taking care of her grandmother leaves her alone to go to the bar. Two other stories imply that adultery is taking place and that a rape will take place. One of the eeriest, yet most intriguing stories is “Dinner Companions” where an American man meets a German couple on a ship. I can’t say much more because it will ruin the stories for you.
One story, “The Unknown Girl of the Seine,” ends with the words, “Art. Saves. Lives.” I won’t reveal how art saved lives in the story, but the words seems like a manifesto statement that can be applied to the entire book. Writing fiction is a way people can make sense of their world, deal with the ghosts of their pasts, and try to find purpose and meaning amid all the tragedies or frustrations of life. I have a feeling John Frederick has done just that with this work—created stories that were therapeutic for him. Not only will these flash fiction stories entertain readers, but they will cause them to think about what true reality is and to recall similar personal experiences to those of the characters in these stories. The result will be new insights into their own lives.
For more information about John Frederick and Speed Dialing: 500-Word Flash Fiction, visit www.JohnAFrederick.com.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD and award-winning author of Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides: The Marriage of French and British Gothic Literature
