Comments on Landless: #FridayFlash: Truly, Deeply, Endlessly

Ohh, you grabbed my attention so hard from the beg...

2010-06-27T07:05:03.382-04:00

Ohh, you grabbed my attention so hard from the beginning that I'd never suspect the ending. Fantastic!

What a cold hearted woman... heh

Hi Tony, That was fun. I never saw the ending co...

2010-01-15T11:48:33.645-05:00

Hi Tony,
That was fun. I never saw the ending coming and I too like the twist you made of zombie lore. Sometimes I feel like a zombie on the internet ;)

-Tim

Mark & Elaine - I'm glad you liked ...

2010-01-14T06:41:15.128-05:00

Mark & Elaine - I'm glad you liked the ending. I like finishing a story with a bang.

;-)

Hi Tony! I love this one! Great ending.

2010-01-14T03:26:59.221-05:00

Hi Tony! I love this one! Great ending.

No zombie like a dead zombie. If she hadn't bl...

2010-01-12T18:18:45.776-05:00

No zombie like a dead zombie. If she hadn't blown him away he would have offered a sheepish apology for eating her brains.

I appreciate the comments, guys, thanks! I contin...

2010-01-12T16:25:22.645-05:00

I appreciate the comments, guys, thanks!

I continue to be especially gratified by folks like Virginia, Petherin, et al. who don't much care for zombie stories, but who like this one. There's a greater degree of satisfaction in overcoming a "reluctant reader", isn't there?

Very cool. There's one less zombie we need to ...

2010-01-12T13:33:46.736-05:00

Very cool. There's one less zombie we need to worry about. Great story.

Like David, don't really go for zombie/vampire...

2010-01-11T14:10:28.541-05:00

Like David, don't really go for zombie/vampire/werewolf stories. But this really grabbed me & I loved the twist at the end. What a meanie...

Wonderful pacing to this story. The zombie killer ...

2010-01-11T11:13:23.915-05:00

Wonderful pacing to this story. The zombie killer twist was done nicely. Now, I'm wondering what the life of a zombie killer would be like?

Somehow, you made me feel sorry for the zombie! G...

2010-01-11T09:37:31.818-05:00

Somehow, you made me feel sorry for the zombie! Great story.

I have to admit, when I realised it was yet anothe...

2010-01-11T07:28:50.485-05:00

I have to admit, when I realised it was yet another zombie story, I didn't expect much, but the description of the zombie's head being blown off was brilliant. Excellent!

Thanks for reading, guys!

2010-01-10T22:28:09.305-05:00

Thanks for reading, guys!

Excellent, excellent. I felt bad for poor zombief...

2010-01-10T17:24:07.679-05:00

Excellent, excellent. I felt bad for poor zombiefanboi. Can't a zombie just get some love?

Very cool story, Tony.

I must admit I don't usually enjoy zombie stor...

2010-01-09T13:17:09.725-05:00

I must admit I don't usually enjoy zombie stories, but you have completely turned that around for me Tony. Fantastic dialogue, and a great twisted ending that I didn't see coming at all. Super stuff!

I don't know a lot about zombies, but I have n...

2010-01-09T09:54:13.413-05:00

I don't know a lot about zombies, but I have no trouble believing I have talked to them online. ;-)

I think it's terrific that this story is givin...

2010-01-09T08:11:23.487-05:00

I think it's terrific that this story is giving David, Cecilia, et al. the chance to find something new in the zombie story. On behalf of the entire genre, I'm glad I could help!

John Wiswell raises a good point about the difference between zombies, undead, immortals, etc. This guy is clearly not like the mindless shamblers, screaming sprinters, or rage-filled horrors we're used to. He calls himself a zombie because that is what society would call him. Whether that's kind, accurate, or even fair is irrelevant.

I can't say that I was trying to be especially overt about this with respect to the nomenclature, but the entire structure of the story (even before the gunfire) makes it clear that he and his kind have to hide, for their own protection. Pejorative names are the least of the social ills he has to suffer.

Thanks, Laura, glad you liked it! If fixed the gaff. I hate it when I let mistokes slip into a pots.

Ah, Melissa & Dan, that's the thing about this kind of story ... the innocent victim is always surprised when the monster drops the pretense and shows itself in a murderous rage.

Great use of dialogue to move this stroy through i...

2010-01-09T04:07:46.703-05:00

Great use of dialogue to move this stroy through its genre shifts. Brilliant twist and I can't help but feel sorry for poor Richard.

No fair! Totally didn't see the end coming. Wa...

2010-01-08T21:34:43.195-05:00

No fair! Totally didn't see the end coming. Was really holding out hope for a zombie/human connection. ;) Great story--great dialogue. And very smooth, as someone else pointed out. :)

Awww, poor zombie! Seems like he wasn't trying...

2010-01-08T19:51:21.197-05:00

Awww, poor zombie! Seems like he wasn't trying to get her, either. I was thinking today that I'm so over zombies, but I really enjoyed your story.

CD

Fun, fun, fun... didn't see the end coming, th...

2010-01-08T19:15:44.614-05:00

Fun, fun, fun... didn't see the end coming, though I should've guessed. Wicked twisted fun. Peace, Linda

Fantastic twist! I was lulled into it, even after ...

2010-01-08T15:26:43.865-05:00

Fantastic twist! I was lulled into it, even after he admitted what he was.
At one point in the middle you called her 'Michelle' instead of Melinda.

I object to Jesse because he isn't really a zo...

2010-01-08T15:05:16.463-05:00

I object to Jesse because he isn't really a zombie. He's undead, but if he doesn't shamble, can talk, think and write, can be near her without attacking - not a zombie. Perhaps one of Capcom's Not-Zombies! Of course he'd say he was because any undead individual to appear in this world would have that word affixed to them.

That said, I sort of saw the end coming. When I read I often create splinter possibilities that, if they aren't realized in the text, become my own ideas that I can write about later. I didn't think this would become about a zombie reaching out and getting snagged, but the idea rose out of this. Then you went and did it, Tony. The idea is yours and you did well with it.

Brilliant surprise ending. I never thought I'...

2010-01-08T14:50:19.443-05:00

Brilliant surprise ending. I never thought I'd enjoy a zombie story, but I loved this one.

I'm glad you liked it, everyone! Zombie storie...

2010-01-08T14:26:31.281-05:00

I'm glad you liked it, everyone! Zombie stories can get into a rut, where the surprise is no surprise at all. It sounds like I got the jump on just about everybody. As you guys are all well versed in plot twists, that makes the response doubly satisfying!

In particular, I blush and bow at your effusive responses, Carrie, Sam, Emma & Jim W. I'll try to keep hitting that same mark!

Heh, I know, Jesse, it looks like we have the same muse on speed-dial. 8-)

Gotta say I love it, but really? Zombies? That&#...

2010-01-08T13:38:36.317-05:00

Gotta say I love it, but really? Zombies? That's so over done. :P http://ow.ly/UiOl