All the Right Places Short Stories
LGBT Fiction Short Stories
Independently Published
February 11, 2020
228
All the Right Places is a collection of short stories, most written for submission to anthologies or collections. Starting in the near future and proceeding to the near past, men interact with other men in the pursuit of love and companionship.
Reviewed By Aethena Drake
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This book is a collection of short stories that take place around the world in a variety of different time periods. From virtual reality in the future to 18th century Japan, each story conveys the challenges a gay man encounters while seeking companionship.
The stories are all succinct, but they impart a completed idea. Wayne Goodman has a talent for developing a full story in a very concise fashion. I would be interested in reading a few of these stories if they were ever developed into a full length novel, but the short stories are entertaining in the original format.
I enjoyed the raw nature of the storytelling in this collection. All the essential pieces are in each short story. Plot, setting, character, conflict, and resolution are all there. By not adding superfluous details, the author constructs just the right amount of story to let the reader’s imagination flow. The descriptions of Oscar Wilde, a lighthouse keeper, a Confederate soldier, and a multitude of other characters triggered my curiosity. I found myself searching the internet to learn more about the historical places and people that I had just read about.
I would have liked to see a little more emotion from the main character of each story. I wanted to have just a little bit better understanding of the main character’s response to difficult situations. Since this might have detracted from the intent of the story because the reader is meant to be viewing the events through the eyes of the main character, I consider that declaration more of a personal preference than a criticism of the writing.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a handful of short stories that takes you on an imaginative trip through time to some very interesting places where you get to meet some very interesting characters.