Review: Honest Fibs by Nicholas C Rossis

Before I continue I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone.  The whole amazon thing was very raw yesterday and I’ll admit I’ve feared my own account being closed for just reviewing items I was sent.  We’ll still have to see how the whole amazon thing plays out for books but I don’t want to dwell on the bad.  I just wanted to say thank you for all the support.  I’ve received a lot of supportive messages both here and in other places (I’m still replying to them) and it’s really restored my own confidence as a reviewer.  You all deserve a hug and cheers for what wonderful people you are.  And thank you all for the additional follows.  Now, let’s get on with the review.  Please do check this out as it’s an amazing book I couldn’t put down:

I was kindly sent this book by the author Nicholas C Rossis.  ‘Honest Fibs’ is a collection of science fiction short stories, here is my review:

Two men go on a fishing trip together, telling tall tales to pass the time. Each of their science fiction stories is more amazing and strange than the last. But is there more to their own simple fishing trip than first seems?

Oh my goodness ‘Honest Fibs’ is just amazing! It’s a collection of science fiction short stories and almost all of them has a really good twist. I’ve always loved short stories that come with a twist, but sadly some twists are easier to spot or just don’t have as much of an impact as others, but the ones in ‘Honest Fibs’ have made me smile – I never know how the story is going to end.

Being a collection of short stories the book isn’t very long and I read it all in one sitting. The story starts off with two friends on a fishing trip. This story like almost all in the book is told in the first person. This particular story titled Honest Fibs is also told in the present tense and in a way glues other stories together. As the fishing friends start to tell each other tales you get to read entire short stories and then dip back into Honest Fibs. I like this way of giving us a selection of stories rather than just one after another, however Honest Fibs has its own conclusion which happens about half way through the book. I love the ending of this one, though I had to read it again as the ending was so…well I don’t want to spoil it but interesting and weird.  Although the ending was good I would have preferred it if Honest Fibs continued throughout the entire book and concluded at the end.

The stories are fast paced and as I said most come with a twist. Now I’ve read many tales with a twist over the years and I’m a keen fan of science fiction and I have a good imagination, but I couldn’t predict these stories at all and I love that.  As well as being unpredictable and well written each of the stories really opens up your mind to what’s possible in the future or even now.

There are ten stories in total and I actually preferred stories further in than the first ones I read. Favourites of mine are Best Halloween Ever, For The Last Time!, The Hand of God, the only story where I managed to predict the twist but only seconds before reading it, The Things We Do for Lust, the last line of which had me laughing, and Sex and Dinner. This last one isn’t even two pages long but its got such a good twist I had to mention it!

There’s no sex scenes in this book, despite the story title mentioned above. There is one use of the s swear word and there a few descriptions which might feel a little gory for younger teens but I’d say that this book would be enjoyed by teens and adults who have an interest in science fiction.

I really can’t recommend this book enough, maybe it’s because I love science fiction and twists, but it’s a really great collection of short stories and I’d urge anyone interested to read.

EDIT: As pointed out to me Honest Fibs DOES actually end the ‘Honest Fibs’ collection of stories.  The mistake was mine and not a fault of the book’s format.  The other stories after it are a selection of short stories from two other books by the author.  Most of which I chose as favourites.  I can’t wait to try the other books too!

Rating: 5/5

Review published on Goodreads, click here

Author’s website: http://nicholasrossis.me/

Book Blurb:

A mermaid turns out to be the perfect bait. A young man in the Badlands discovers the price of business. And a man desperate to escape his life finds out he’s not the only one. These are just a few of the stories in Honest Fibs, a collection of speculative and science fiction short stories that explore our perception of the world around us. Is there more to the world than we can see? How far can we trust our senses? And in a digital society, can any of us tell what’s real? “Nicholas Rossis is a master of the craft… I found myself looking forward to coming home so I could dig into the next story. Each story pulls you into its unique little universe and takes you on a ride where the tracks are hidden, and you can’t see the corners up ahead.” – Nat Russo