Percy

I believe we're returning to a time when we work until death or nearly until death. The concept of a retirement where one does not work for the last 20-30 years of life is disappearing. This trend is starting with the baby boomers but I think with Gen X we will see this in large numbers.

I propose giving us the capability to opt out of having number of posts on our profile. On another site I participate in, we have a choice of whether to display that or not and it's a nice option. Instead of a ranked title linked to number of posts, let each member choose their own title. GA caters to creative types and this would be a fun way for people to personalize their identity, in addition to their name and icon. If people don't want to customize, the default title could be "Member since [year]."

It sounds like you have a lot of friends, Wayne, and that you don't take them for granted. And I'm with you on the painkillers. I did some painting this last week and aggravated an old shoulder injury. I think this is known as "life in your forties."

Wow, you did an impressive amount of research to lend authenticity to this story or you have an impressive well of knowledge to draw from. Interesting facts about the Mayans, archeological digs and the theories of ancient encounters with extra-terrestrial beings!

This was like being inside a graphic novel. I felt like one of the figures and the >,>.> moved me along from panel to panel.

Hmm. Not sure why my previous review came out in two different font sizes. Odd.

You didn't go too corny on the southern dialect which, having been raised in the south, is a pet peeve of mine. Good start there! Family dynamics can make for compelling reading and there are a lot of challenging family dynamics for brothers Braydon and Reilly in this story. I'm not sure the short story format can support both the degree of physical childhood abuse suffered by Reilly and the romantic, incestuous relationship with his older brother. Given the general disapprobation of incest, introducing that aspect in a longer story would help bring the reader along, give them a chance to integrate that complicated relationship with the bigger picture complications faced by the brothers. At its core though, this story is about a couple of teenagers, one suffering terrible hurt and the other tenderly and fiercely lending comfort. On that level the story succeeds. Braydon has an emotional maturity beyond his years in his care of Reilly and given their situation, it was a pleasure to read those heart warming moments. Good structure and pace to the story. Definitely an fitting contribution for the Pandora's Box theme!

A touching story with a happy ending. Thanks for sharing, Ieshwar.

Clever, gripping story. I liked the way everything pointed to the discovery of the Pandora as the root cause of Matt's string of woes, but that you also offered a logical explanation for the problems too. Made it easy for Matt and Kit to dismiss Pandora as a problem and leant an aura of looming doom. Perfect ending too. I liked this.

I like the way you based this story in the original myth. The conflict between mother and daughter felt authentic as did Pyrrha's struggle with how to assert her dreams and goals, which were contrary to society's expectations. Good story!

Amazing, suspenseful story. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Loved the flawed character of the narrator and the way this was as much a character driven short story as a thriller. You gave just the right level of detail about the apocalypse, letting the reader's imagination do the work. The random introspection on the mundane in the midst of peril was a perfect balance. This paragraph, for example: "That was the party where he told me he was gay and attempted a kiss, I smiled at the memory. We blamed the drink for his advances and bad timing for my rejection of them. I'd just started getting serious with Dan. It's strange how things work out all because of timing, a few weeks earlier I might have said yes to him, a few weeks later I might have been single again, now he's gone and I'm with Dan forever, like things aren't scary enough. I mean really how can you ever split up with someone during an apocalypse? It really is til death do you part now." I recently finished "McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales" which is a collection of adventure short stories from noted authors. Frankly this was better than most of what was in that collection. I'd recommend a second eye on your writing for grammatical corrections but that's about it. A big Like from me!

I agree with Lisa. The epilogue gave me chills. Well written and well structured story here. Look forward to reading more by you.

I liked this. It took a while to see where you were going with the story and it ended up going in a surprising and entertaining direction. Loved the dynamics among the family members at the end.

It takes a good friend to hold a mirror up and make you look at yourself. Nice job, Cia!

Lots of creepy detail here, especially in the basement of the house. The vampire at the end took me by surprise even though I had been partly expecting it from the story tag.

Sweet romance between teens. Nathan was the "Pandora" in this story - ever curious about what was in the diary and finally unable to resist opening it. Nice interpretation of the theme.

Nice take on the theme, aditus. Good pacing to the story. Easy flow to it which is particularly impressive given that there was very little dialogue or even internal monologue. Glad you tied it out with a hope of a happy ending for Sam.

This investigative report writing style worked for the anthology, and the subject matter incorporated the theme well. Would be interesting to see what you could do with something longer. An epistolary style story might be a fun approach, something you touched on with the diary entries. Good contribution here!

Wow, this was a powerful little vignette with just the right emotional punch. Well drawn characters. I look forward to reading more from you.

A story poem! This was very enjoyable, Dolores, and impressive. I admire the way you so deftly create a medieval, fantasy world.

A fun romp, KC! I think we need the URL to this site!

This put a smile on my face. I think Jeremy (and the author who came up with him) has a fine sense of humor.

Lovely and well put together. I like the verse about ideas best, which can be hopeful and chaotic.

The 40s are a time of contemplation, for sure, and it sounds like your experiences have brought some sharply focused insights. Always good to get the updates of improvement from you!

Carrington is one of the best writers on GA and I'm glad to see you've highlighted this story, KC! One of the best aspects of Carrington's writing is that it doesn't fit easily into any specific genre. Characters are fascinatingly fresh, familiar and yet unexpected. Like real life, the characters in Man of Montana have mysteries that they continue to discover about themselves and each other. This is a really great read. Highly recommend!