You may notice that the “k” is flipped around on “Havok” on the cover of the anthology Rebirth: Havok Season One. I can’t make the “k” flip around without drawing it, so you’ll have to put up with my misspelling of the title. Rebirth is a compilation of flash fiction (primarily) of fantasy and science fiction. Reviewing a novel where each story is unique and written by different authors is no small order. It’s a challenge to evaluate a book of short fiction by the same author let alone one written by multiple authors.

Inevitably, a rating of a book of this nature won’t be the highest or the lowest. Some stories are spectacular, others are so-so. Some genres and storylines in Rebirth I could read all day long, and those stories receive applause and accolades.

Allow me to explain how I reviewed Rebirth. After reading each story, I rated it one to ten with ten being “the best.” The average of these stories, rounded up, is seven. I would describe a seven as “very glad I read it.” Therefore I believe a reader of scifi and fantasy will enjoy a large majority of these stories.

There are so many tales I can’t put them all in this review so I’ll hit the highlights. Certainly one of the best stories in the collection is If These Walls Could Talk. A fantastic blend of language, atmosphere, and voice, this story would stand out in any anthology. Kudos to author J. L. Knight. Another great corner of this novel is Words, a fascinating, well-executed concept. This story, authored by Katherine Vinson, has a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming (shame on me) but absolutely admired. Words would make a terrific novel. Every Drop of Soul is another clever entry that I enjoyed quite a bit. Lila Kims’ tale of two incongruous characters who meet under mysterious circumstances will remain with me for a long time. I went back and read it with a new perspective. And then there’s Ghost of the Golf Course. Both spooky and hilarious at the same time, Kristiana Y. Sfirlea’s gem of a story does what Richard Matheson did so well…put horror & humor in your backyard. This story reminded me why I like short fiction. Don’t miss this one!

More honorable mentions include A Symphony of Words (Kerry Nietz), Window (Carie Juettner), The Devil Went Down to Costco (Stephanie Scissom), Humdinger’s Army (A. C. Williams), and Life Cycle 63 (Just B. Jordan). All of these stories were well-written with fresh ideas. Who would’ve thought you could get so much mileage out of combat training or a grocery store line?

If I haven’t mentioned the other stories, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like them. It’s more about the quantity of stories (48!) than the quality. There’s not enough space in the review to discuss mysterious bridges, games coming to life, or bizarre circuses. I’m sure readers will eat this anthology up, and for my friends who tell me “they can’t read anymore because they can’t focus,” I plan to hand them this book. A great series of short fiction, Rebirth will have you up reading late into the night.

Now, I’m off to figure out how to turn around that darn K.