Flash in the Pantheon

by Rhys Hughes

Overview

A collection of 101 flash fictions by a writer who has made his reputation as a devoted champion of the short story form. None of the stories in this book are longer than 1000 words; many are under 500 words; some are less than 100. The very short story is a noble literary tradition and includes such renowned names as Kafka, Chekhov, O Henry, Frederic Brown, Daniil Kharms and Brian Aldiss among its greatest practitioners. Ranging the spectrum of the imagination and encompassing a diverse range of styles and moods including fantasy, science fiction, humour, irony, whimsy and satire, this collection is perfect for the contemporary reader in our modern busy world.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940032824053
Publisher:	Rhys Hughes
Publication date:	10/20/2011
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	220 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

I am a writer of Fantasy, Speculative Fiction and Magic Realism who often uses comedy and absurdism to examine philosophical issues. I am known for my original ideas, intricate plots and entertaining wordplay! I write short stories, novellas and novels.

I have been a writer from an early age. I completed my first proper short story when I was 14. It was called 'The Journey of Mountain Hawk' and I still remember what it was about, even though it no longer exists. None of my early work exists. My earliest surviving short story dates from 1989, and since that time I have embarked on an ambitious project of writing a story cycle consisting of exactly 1000 linked tales. Recently I decided to give this cycle an overall name -- PANDORA'S BLUFF.

My main influences are writers such as Italo Calvino, Stanislaw Lem, Boris Vian, Flann O'Brien, Jack Vance and Jorge Luis Borges, all of whom have a very well-developed sense of irony and a powerful imagination. I love irony and satire, not only the 'negative' kind that seeks to undermine some form of injustice but also the 'positive' kind that takes sheer delight in its own playfulness. And yet I am also fully committed to engaging with serious themes. In fact, many years ago, I decided that I should find my own name for the style of writing I like best and the name I came up with was: "Romanti-Cynicism." The main idea behind this new genre is to combine humour and seriousness, to fuse the emotional with the intellectual, the profound with the lighthearted, the unfettered with the precise.

My first book was published in 1995 and sold slowly but it seemed to strike a chord with some people. My second, third, fourth, etc, books sold much more strongly as my reputation increased. I have been told that I am a "cult author" and I'm pleased with the description, but obviously I also want to reach out to a wider audience! My twentieth book has just been published and I have many new books due to be released in the next two years.