Washoe Moon, Dorian, Symbiotic

Purple Mist: Strange Novelette Trilogies, Volume 1

By: R. Manolakas

Narrated by: Paul J. McSorley

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

This fresh release is the first book in the series Purple Mist - sci-fi/horror novelette trilogies written specifically for audiobooks and e-books, and for binge listening. You'll enjoy a spine tingling, Outer Limits feeling, and a quicker dramatic payoff than with standard-sized novels. Each is a third the size of a full-length novel, and is divided into three parts at memorable plot points, for convenient pauses. They're told in present tense - for immediacy of experience. This unique, entertaining structure is ideal for busy, multitasking lifestyles and Audible app-enabled smartphones or Kindles. 

Our first short novel involves a present-day family and their Thanksgiving retreat near Lake Tahoe, Nevada; instead of a warm and fuzzy, they have a rather bizarre and harrowing experience. 

Our second story concerns a brilliant young IT man - 40 years in the future - who clicks on a hypertext that none of us would want to click on.

Our last features a young, beautiful doctor who practices in a small town in 1919; her cures could be much worse than the disease. 

With modern practices of listening to books on convenient devices, it is essential to consider both story and structure/format going forward for maximum listener enjoyment, and this book does.

©2017 R. Manolakas (P)2017 R. Manolakas

Short Stories to blow your mind

Purple mist is a compilation of three novellas that comes across as a homage to old tv shows like the Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and the Outer Limits. They definately have a Serlingesque quality to them. wo of the tales are more sci-fi, and the other is a horror story. Each stands alone, an island unconnected to the others, other than their"strange" flavor. R. Manolakas doesa great job crafting these tales, and you can tell he really put his heart into them. His thinking cap must have a +5 to intelligence, because the stories are brilliantly concieved, and hit every button they aim to push.

This is the second time I've listened to Paul J. McSorley, and he proves that he is a master narrator once more. He brings an intensity and an animus to the stories, knowing how to let tension build or action fly. He continues to impress me, and I can't wait to hear more from him.

I'd have a hard time picking a favorite story, Dorian was great, but then so were Symbiotic and Washoe Moon. SO, I'll just have to say this has become a favorite Book of mine, instead. Coming clean, I did get a code to do a review for this book, but I have stated honestly everything I have felt from this this book. If there had been a burr or a pitfall, I'd have said so. So, go enjoy this book!!

Great set of stories

Each story was better than the next. The last two I have to say threw me for a loop and I wasn’t expecting the endings which I enjoyed. The first story was very well written as well, but seeing the ending coming made the other two stories better. I highly enjoyed this set and I would recommend them to anyone. The great narration also helped to get me into this story. Great job to everyone involved.

Three scary short stories!

What more can you want? These are excellent! My favorite was Purple Mist. Beware of strange visitors.

Three Stories for Every Taste

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
These are truly horror stories but each one of them explores a different aspect of the genre.
The first story "Washoe Moon" is a typical gore-wrenching tale, a little too violent for me at times. The storyline is an interesting one, though I would have thought that mother's love would have offered a different outcome. Dorian is a sci-fi story set in a future that we all fear will eventually come. Symbiotic: Purple Mist, though also sci-fi, brings us back to a past where strange visitors made unpleasant things happen in quiet villages.
The narration is great and the stories are easy to follow and will keep your attention. Twists and turns made for an even more enjoyable listening experience.

Good episodic stories

Three entertaining stories, each would make a good bizarro TV show. The narrator was terrific. Will definitely check out the next book in the series when it comes out. Recommended.

Twilight Zone Remade

Zombies, AI trying to take over the world...you’ve entered the Twilight Zone...*insert theme music 🎶 *
This book contained 3 novellas. The 1st story was my favorite...nurse whose ancestors ended up on an Indian reservation in a snowstorm...I was so freaked out at one point that I yelped when my son came up behind me! Nurse Sylvia takes her kids to spend Thanksgiving weekend in a cabin that was supposedly built by her ancestors. The Indian medicine man warns her about the ‘tree pol’. Weird things start happening when the family arrives...no spoilers, just know that you won’t want anyone sneaking up on you!! The other two novellas were also futuristic and enjoyable. If you’re into the PRN-supernatural genre, you will love this collection. As always, this narrator does a fabulous job on this genre...seriously Twilight Zone!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Reminescent of the Surprise Twilight Zone Twists

What made the experience of listening to Washoe Moon, Dorian, Symbiotic the most enjoyable?

The stories flowed and each one was unique in its own way. Depicted true human dilemmas in the modern world.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The second story was most interesting to me. It's set in NYC and gives a simple, but chilling view, of the future that we all could experience.

Have you listened to any of Paul J. McSorley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Actually, I have listened to one other of his audios by chance and both were great. He really helps yo live through the experience and keeps the characters alive.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Nail biting suspense.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to another trilogy.

Binge Worthy

This book was exactly as described. I listened to the three short stories while working at the computer. They were easy to follow, enjoyable, and you quickly gained closure. It was easy to multitask while listening without getting lost. The narrator did a fine job of conveying the story. I’ll be looking for volume 2, highly recommended to combat sitting in silence.

I received a free copy of this audio book at my request in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Washoe

I really liked this trilogy of stories of the weird and spooky.The first was my favorite.A young mom rents a cabin that has history with her family.History CAN repeat iself!The next one gives a lot to consider as a possible Hitler type man comes to grips with his inner thoughts.The last is about a new vaccine for the flu. Paul J. McSorely was a good narrator.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Novelettes give food for thought.

Purple Mist is the first collection of novelettes in a planned series, with the second collection being forthcoming. The first story, Washoe Moon, is set in the present day but recalls real-life events from the infamous Donner party story. Dorian, the second story, takes place in the future, where robots and AI systems are ubiquitous. But have these tech creations become too entangled with humans to be kept under control? The final story, Symbiotic, steps back into the early 20th century, where telephones and vaccines are still new technologies. A journalist wonders whether the arrival of a new doctor into his small town is related to two meteors that recently fell near town. He also suspects the new doctor of being complicit in several suspicious deaths. The author has included an afterward that offers points to consider regarding each story.

This was an enjoyable set of longer length short stories, each containing concepts that gave me some food for thought. Paul J. McSorley performs well as narrator. I can appreciate this author's thought behind creating an intelligent collection of short stories that fill time while commuting, cleaning house, or other such activities. I would very much enjoy hearing the collections he has planned for the future.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge. This review is unbiased and the opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Murder them like the cockroaches they are.

A trilogy of short novellas, each deliberately also subdivided into three sections for easy stopping points if listening whilst commuting, during a lunch break, or similarly specific time slots. One is more horror, set in the present day but revisiting an unexplained disaster of more than a century before, the other two are more science fiction, one set in the near future,of 2058 and exploring human nature, the other in the past at a time when vaccines were still very much in their infancy. But all have a definite creep factor.
The titles:
Washoe Moon, starting at chapter 4
Dorian, starting at chapter 7
Symbiotic, starting at chapter 10.
Each new story is introduced with a brief burst of electronic music.
Narration by. Paul J McSorley was delivered with good intonation and understanding of the story and the protagonists were voiced individually. His timbre suited the feeling of the book.

My thanks to the rights holder of Purple Mist, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. These stories were great, of the old story teller style, and a very enjoyable listen. It is good to find a back to nature type of horror story which really is fear inducing: most seem to rely merely on gore for effect. A good collection to fill in fairly short time breaks - or just to read on!