A CREATIVE EDGE – TALES OF SPECULATION
STEVE LAZAROWITZ
ISBN: 1-931201-58-7
November 2004
Twilight Times Books
www.twilighttimesbooks.com
E-Book
$4.50
166 pages
Science Fiction
Rating: 3 Cups

A CREATIVE EDGE:

Being a struggling author, Sandros Lefrak is given a machine that will help him write his books.  However, there is a price to be paid for being a successful author, as Sandros is about to find out.  Will he pay or will he not?

Sandros is willing to do anything to be successful and to be given the opportunity to do just that is something he cannot pass up.  Only his greed gets the better of him and the
consequences of trying to renege on the agreement are not nice.

THE TREE:

The Tree is an alien life form that gathers and retains knowledge from those foreign to it. Morgan Gregory acquires the Tree, after it is transplanted to his bio-dome.  

Unbeknownst to Morgan, the Tree begins to attain emotions from Morgan himself until it
is finally able to communicate with him.  What is the Tree seeking?

With the information the Tree gains, it is able to feel emotions that make it almost human.  Knowing that a being such as a tree can have a mind of its own is scary, but this tree is not looking to hurt anyone.  It wants to gain any and all knowledge for the longevity of its own life.

SO MANY DIFFERENCES:

John Ferris is the Captain of The Wanderer.  Stopping on planet Gendros to find a new crewmember, Captain Ferris also intends to make sure the new member is a shape- shifter.  One of his crew is not who they should be, and he must now find out who that is before he and the rest of the crew die.

John Ferris has treated his crew as equals, no matter what alien race they are. Nevertheless, because he is too trusting, John comes across a problem.  His faith in himself and self-preservation come to the forefront, and he must trust his crew to help him.

A MATTER OF FAITH:

Two men are on a ship that is losing power.  Mordecai has a belief with his religious faith, Judaism, so he prays to his god for help.  His partner does not believe in anything and thinks that they are doomed. Can Mordecai’s confidence in his god save them or will they die before reaching their destination?

Short though this story is, it is also about having faith and believing even if you do not really follow any religion.  Is Mordecai devout enough for both of them and able to get his partner to trust that they will be saved?

ROLE-PLAYING:

Keller is the bait to lure the creatures into a trap he has set.  Will the ambush work and will they win the battle?  It all comes down to timing and how strong Keller and his friends are.

This is another short story full of planning and cunning wit.  Keller and his friends must figure out a way to win against creatures that are stronger and quicker.  Keller and his friends must play the game to win against their opponents.

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT:

Daniel’s father is dying unless Daniel can find the herb that could help his father recover.  With the help of Darion, a priest from the temple of Abrasius, Daniel sets out to find it.  Although there is danger ahead, Daniel will not stop until he finds the herb.

Daniel will do anything to save his father, including searching under dangerous conditions.  With Darion, he sets out on his journey.  This is a story of trust and belief, because Darion has been praying to help someone before he dies and Daniel has been looking for a meaning to his life.

MUSIC TO MY EARS:

William Jameson has searched for a musician that he thinks is the creator of the music from his childhood.  When William finally finds Fransisco Clemente, he realizes that it was the flute and not Fransisco that made the music.  He takes the flute, but comes to understand why once it was gone; Fransisco really did not want it back.

William has been seeking a piece of music that has haunted him from childhood.  When he finds it, he understands why the man who had it was an outcast and a lonely man. The moral of the story is be very careful what you wish for because it might come true.

A STAR IS BORN:

Being born is exactly like starring in your own show.  The production is about to start, so everyone must be prepared to play a part in this story.

This is a short story of the miracle of birth.  It begins with the thoughts of the person who believes that the world is a stage, and he is but an actor playing a part for the benefit of those following a script.

VIRTUAL CONFUSION:

Virtual reality has never seemed so real, but to Bob and Gloria it feels like their real life. Bob remembers both lives, virtual and real, but which one is real and which one virtual?  Can they find out before they both lose their minds and their lives?

Bob can remember his lives but does not know which one is real. Gloria wants someone to love and feels that Bob is the one.  Only Bob loses track of what is fake and what is real.  Gloria is going to return to the real existence or is she?

BIRTHRIGHT:

Errol, a palace guard, is told a story by one of the prisoners in the dungeon.  Unsure whether to believe the story or not, Errol goes to Lord Andrac, with the tale.  Andrac’s father, the High Lord Elvior, had the King of Kelrak kidnapped a year before.  With the help of Lord Andrac they rescue the King, but will he reclaim his throne or not?

Errol has never believed that he could be anything more than a guard. After rescuing the lost king he is given the opportunity to be a Lord, but he decides to be something else entirely.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR:

Eric has always remained behind his locked door, never knowing what is on the other side.  After his son relays to him the wonders of being one of the Outsiders, Eric becomes curious and ventures outside.  However, he has other ideas about breathing the fresh air and the luxuries afforded to him from the agency.

Eric has never had the courage to check the outside.  When he does, he is afraid to fully give up the life he grew up with.  He remains locked inside his own personal world, one of being free but relying on someone else to tell him what is right and wrong.

SEA TRAP:

Given the job of exploring the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, Dr. Robert Evans and his colleagues set about doing the task.  They hear a strange transmission, think it is strange, but do nothing about it.  Things are going to become even weirder, especially when the truth finally comes out.

Dr. Evans has become aware that something has happened.  When he finally learns what it is, he tries to do something, but it will be the last thing he will do.

FLAME ANGEL:

She had always been curious about how her father was injured.  When an old friend of her father’s comes to visit, she makes him tell her just how her father was crippled.  This
is when she hears the story of the Flame Angel; a tale about a creature that obeys the killing wishes of the person who wears the ring, and how her father became crippled.

This is a fascinating story of magic, wizards, and beasts of flames that kill at the wishes of their master.  Intrigued by these tales, she learns what her father used to do for a living, and what happened to him years before.

BORN OF DARKNESS:

Raven has no memory of his life, so as he searches for answers.  He finds Celeste, a beautiful woman that seems to know more about him than he does himself.  Finding the truth is something they will do together, traveling to a city that he has dreamt of.

Raven is looking for a life he can no longer remember.  With the help of Celeste, he is finally able to understand his purpose in life.  He does what he thinks he needs to do.   However, he finds out that when you love someone else more than yourself do, it will sometimes hurt.

THE ADVENTURES OF ALARIC SWIFTHAND:

Alaric has left his home in Modron after being accused of killing Lady Theona, a woman with whom he had fallen in love with.  Is she really dead?  Why would someone kill her?

Alaric must come to terms with the implications of being called a murderer.  He must also find out the truth of why and how his beloved died, although the truth can sometimes be hard to swallow.

NECKLACE OF N’LARIKAN:

Three men of three different races have come to the Temple of V’aldris to be told that the necklace of N’larikan has been found.  It is an artifact that has been lost for years and is of importance to their people.  Something is not right, for although there is a warding spell around the altar where the necklace sits, it is somehow stolen.

This story is about the greed of men and what they will do to get a coveted prize. However, they will also know the punishment dealt out to them for stealing something very precious.

TALES OF SPECULATION:

This is the conclusion of the book as told by Alaric “Swifthand” Mason.   He also tells of the mutiny on this book of tales by most of the lead characters.  Their victim is their creator and author Steve Lazarowitz.

All of the tales in this book are short stories; tales of betrayal, greed, revenge, birth, death, faith, love but also heroism.  They are tales of people and creatures given the task of completing adventures in which most people would never partake.  Never before have I read such stories as are in this book, and never would I have thought to put them all together.  For me, this was a fascinating aspect of storytelling that kept me interested to the end.  I enjoyed reading it.

Sheryl
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance