The two best shorts in this collection, "Dean & Daisy Talk About Sex," and "Dean & Daisy Bake Cookies," are solid examples that this author knows realistic dialogue. I would like to see him focus on these two characters for an entire work, perhaps a novel or screenplay? Clearly a couple that anyone and everyone can relate to.

"The Psycho of Happiness" is a fine collection of psychedelically laced, location based, fantasy & autobiographical sketches from the College plus years of a talented young writer.

Craig Douglas is the author of Pleasure/Time (1970) & Our Loving World (2000) [R & XXX Rated FutureSex Adventures]

This book was hysterical. I had no idea this book existed, but just took the chance while I was doing a search through Amazon.com. Boy was I surprised. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good, amusing read through a series of short stories that you'll remember long after you are done. It's like Armistead Maupin's Tales from the City, without all the sex.

This audio collection contains two cassettes and unabridged versions of many of the short stories in Guterson's collection, but not all stories are included in the audio version. Sorry I can't tell you which ones are here, cause the cover for some reason has no contents listed, and narrator Campbell Scott often moved so fast from one story to the next I never heard the title of half of them.

By and large, I liked the stories on tape number one, especially the poignant tale of two brothers growing up in the 1960's whose family leaves their Oregon coastal motel and moves to Seattle. I think that one was titled "Day of the Moonwalk" or something like that. There is a real sense of nostalgia here, and the interplay between the brothers was heartwarming as they realized they didn't share a bedroom anymore, and as they scoured downtown Seatlle for a basketball hoop.

I also enjoyed the duckhunting tale (probably "Opening Day"), as well as the doomed romance between a bookish young girl and a minor league pitching prospect. I thought the book was narrated effectively by actor Campbell Scott (he of the movie "Singles"), who handled dialogue especially well.

However, especially once we get to tape two, Guterson sometimes lapses into an overly descriptive, somewhat experimental style that probably would give creative writing professors nationwide fits. I was particularly appalled by the story involving the young guy who wanders over an old man's land in Massachusetts, on his way to a nursing home to care for the elderly. Throughout the story, Guterson bombards the reader with an endless array of adjectives and adverbs, over-extending his sentences with unnecessary verbal flourishes that ruined the otherwise mediocre story for me. Hemingway, always a proponent of lean, unflowery prose, would have spun in his grave had he heard this one.

I really liked Snow Falling on Cedars, and Guterson has a knack for writing about the Pacific Northwest and using the setting as an integral part of the story. These stories show a young writer first experimenting and finding his voice, with a handful of successes surrounded by an occasional clunker.

I'm surprised how many really did NOT like his stories. It seems that after reading his novel, they wanted greater things from these early short stories. I found lots of promise in these short stories with much of the subtle style that he uses later in Snow Falling. The strongest stories in the collection involve young boys growing up in the Northwest. Although the action is lots of hunting and fishing, there is a major undercurrent of emotional tension and frustration. In some ways, these remind me of some of Hemingway's early stories, not so much in terms of style, but setting. The Hunters, for instance, brought back images of Hemingway's The Battler. If I could have given this collection 3 1/2 stars, I would have, but it's just short of 4. Still, I enjoyed almost every story in the collection. Guterson is a "show" not tell type of writer, so I suspect some readers weren't watching closely enough. There's beauty and depth in some of these stories.

I'm aghast when I read the reviews of my fellow readers but then I take in account the common misperception that a short story is somehow easier to write or a lesser achievement than a novel. The truth is that short stories are more difficult to write, every sentence must punctuate, there is no breathing room. In the two novels I have read of Guterson, the endless pages of description are wonderful but can be top-heavy at times, whereas these stories are lean creations, leaving me wanting more. While it's no Pigeon Feathers, Guterson has been handed the wordsmithing baton from Updike, and the rich prose reminds me of Updike, satiating a yearn I have for quality short stories. I thoroughly enjoyed these, I liked them better than either of his novels, I hope he writes more.

Being a resident of St. Louis, I was thrilled at the prospect of learning more about the nearby New Madrid Fault. Peter Hernon has distinguished himself as a first-rate researcher. His non-fiction history of the Anhueser-Busch dynasty is a terrific read. On a technical level, I thought 8.4 was interesting and well researched - as I expected it would be. Although I found the crazy nuclear bomb scenario, starring the President of the United States, strange, I could accept it. After all, this is a techno-thriller. I can suspend my disbelief on many levels. However, the one thing I will not accept is a cliche romantic subplot. I may be naive about the publishing industry, but I just don't understand why every techno-thriller must have a love story. Why the embarrasing, endless dribble about how Atkins looks into Holleran's eyes and sees "intelligence and beauty?" Here's an alternative and more appropriate love story for 8.4: Neutron, the robot - a sensitive and misunderstood soul, falls in love with the nuclear bomb he cradles in arms during the harrowing descent to 1,800 feet below the surface of the Earth. He refuses to allow the scientists to explode the bomb - a bomb he has grown to love for its beauty and (artificial) intelligence. Their love triggers a thrilling battle between man and machine - a battle that will seal the fate of the entire nation... What do you think? Yeah, that would be pretty bad too. Maybe the best solution would be to avoid writing sappy romance. Seriously, great science, the plot was silly, but fun - like a Dean Koontz novel.

I'd never heard of author Peter Hernon, but when I saw the subject matter of "8.4", and that it was on the clearance shelf for practically pennies, I gave the book a try. And, while I can't say that this is one of the top 500 books that I've read, it passes the mark. As one would guess from the title, this is a story about earthquakes. It particular, the "Mother of All Earthquakes" that being the one that seismologists have been predicting for years, the quake along the New Madrid Fault.

I've been somewhat interested in this topic for some time now since I live in an area that might be affected by such a quake. And as people in this area know, the New Madrid Quake may be even more devastating that the San Francisco and Alaskan quakes that created such widespread damage in the last 100 years. And, if you too live along this faultline, you may not want to read this book because if Hernon is right about "the big one" you might choose to find a new address.

Hernon has done a good job for the most part with his research and in some cases, the book reads like something out of Michael Crichton. Seriously limited though, is Hernon's character development and any "connection" that the reader might have with these characters. They're just not very interesting. I don't know if that flaw is by design or not, because the real star of the story, of course, is the quake or quakes.

The book has suspenseful moments and even includes a little sabotage and deceit along the way. It's a very quick read and good for passing the time. In reality, though, this book will probably have only limited appeal to those readers who don't live in this area.

For better books about the New Madrid faultline and the coming quake, I'd suggest "The Rift" by Walter Williams and "The New Madrid Run" by Michael Reisig (a superior, yet too short book, from an outstanding storyteller).

I just read 8.4, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I like earth science- earthquakes in particular - , and have always enjoyed learning more. I learned a great deal with this book - mainly, the scary picture of what would happen to the entire United States the NMSZ goes off as it did almost two hundred years ago. I currently live in a moderate damage area, but I have close family in the direct hit area. It is disturbing to contemplate. I recommend this book, as well as The Rift, by Walter J. Williams.

scymanski has an ok story here. price has a good one about the gorgon. that one was very enjoyable, and had some lovely details. otherwise, this was dreary read. so many of these stories were not only badly invented, but seemed so uninspired to. i almost felt sorry for the writers, for making so bad stories. i think this is chaosium's worst.