Short Stories, Tall Stories

Stirring the Pot
In the three stories: “Atlantis”, “Password Cleopatra” and “Minotaur”, the Captain runs a tourist business out of his re-modelled fishing vessel. He is a flawed character who does not relate well to other people. He becomes embroiled in various adventures which have an underlying element of fantasy.
“Celebrity Chef”. You’ve seen his series on TV. He is arrogant and offensive and he’s not particularly good at cooking. Now you have a chance to look behind the scenes to see what really goes on while making his TV shows.
“Technophobe”. You know you are old when you find that modern technology is too much to cope with. The story is partly based on fact, namely, the writer made a simple mistake filling out his income tax form on-line and was credited with seventeen million by the Tax Man. Thank you very much. By the way, I am writing this from jail.
The three “How to Murder” stories continue the theme from the previous collections. No-one actually gets murdered; this is pure fun. The story entitled “How to Murder Aunt Agatha” is my version of PG Wodehouse who parodied the idle rich of his day. Here we have Bertie Wooster up against his formidable Aunt Agatha. The lady holds the purse strings and she holds them very tightly.
“Oh Henry” is a tribute to the famous early 20th century American short-story writer, pen-name O Henry, real name Porter. Many of his favourite characters are villains and down-and-outs. His use of language and the originality of his images have seldom been surpassed.
Heard it on the Grapevine
“Emma” is a modern version of the famous novel by Jane Austen.
“Fake” is about falling in love with a crook. But, which one is the “good guy” and which one the “bad guy”? It seems that both the art dealer and the art restorer have shady backgrounds.
“Neighbours” is a warning not to get involved with those people next door. They might be social climbers. They might be leeches and they probably aren’t your type anyway. Your home is your castle.
The proverb is: “Hell Hath no Fury as a Woman Scorned”. When emotions get out of control, people can do some really dreadful things. This is a story of jealousy, revenge and murder.
The three humorous stories about divorce are set in different countries: “Divorce Australian Style, French Style and South African Style”.
Big Companies for Dummies
“Executive Rat” is the name given to the person in charge of the factory. He is less powerful than you might think. All he can do is to sit in his office pushing paper and worrying about the next disaster about to befall the factory.
“The Best of Enemies” should really be “the best of friends”. However, when it comes to career, power and money, even the best friendships can founder on the rocks of ambition.
“The Perfect Manager” is a modern version of Mary Shelley’s famous novel: “Frankenstein”.
“The Outsider” is about office politics. When joining a group, the rules of the game are that the newcomer should be humble. If he or she is not, we can expect repercussions.
It Never Rains in Paddafontein
In “Constable Piet at Your Service” the village policeman assists a pair of criminals escaping from the scene of the crime. Constable Piet is not all that bright.
In “how to Bury a Donkey” we learn (not how to bury a donkey) but how to make excuses. Jasper, a vagrant, is an excellent teacher. He has perfected the art of excuse-making to a high level. Constable Piet redeems himself by catching the robbers.
“Love in a Hot Climate” is inspired by Nancy Mitford’s novel. Only, the Karoo is a bit warmer compared to the United Kingdom.
In “Twins” we have a serious look at prejudice. One’s view of one’s self and one’s position in society can be destroyed when one produces a child that does not fit in with society’s norms.