Blood And Electricity
“We took an excursion around the sun again this year, five hundred million miles back to where we started.”
From A Brief History of Time in our House, a story in this collection.
There are no UFOs or extra-terrestrials in this first collection of short stories and flash fiction by Steven John. Blood and Electricity is about the vital currents that flow through and around us, powering our lonely orbits of life. We are all bright stars that appear close to one another when viewed with the naked eye, but the truth is, we’re separated by incomprehensible distances.
Published by Bridge House, 2024 (ISBN 1914199804). Paperback and Amazon Kindle.
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PRaise for ‘blood and Electricity’
“….(Steven’s) characters, sometimes isolated, or even invisible, may feel either disappointment or joy. But they are more often on a knife-edge between these emotions….. As readers, we share the characters’ fears and hopes, and recognise their vulnerabilities in ourselves. Overall, I would say that we understand ourselves better for reading his stories.”
John Holland, (Writer, Director of Stroud Short Stories).
“My dear friend Steven John has a collection out. It’s wonderful! A mixture of flash and longer. Highly recommended!! “Giants” has long been one of my favorites, and it’s included in this terrific collection.”
Meg Pokrass, award-winning writer of flash fiction, prose poetry, and hybrid work.Blood and Electricity by Steven John is a collection of original short stories. They all range in length, tone, and tenor, depicting a series of ordinary moments infused with rumination, emotional undercurrents, and subtle shifts in human interactions, even in decidedly non-human scapes. In The Orange Tree, a family’s vacation in Portugal highlights tensions, routines, and quiet resolutions as Philip and his children establish a morning ritual of picking oranges. A Gathering of Driftwood follows a couple on a remote beach, capturing their shared but distanced experiences as they collect mussels and driftwood, culminating in a quiet evening meal. Under the Paint depicts an encounter between Simon and his reclusive neighbor Gabrielle, where unspoken tension lingers as she remains detached, staring out at an approaching storm.
Steven John’s Blood and Electricity is a truly fantastic compilation of short stories, each brimming with sharp prose and a brilliant display of the minutiae that matter. The writing is so well done, and it was not easy at all to choose a favorite. The two standout stories for me are the titular Blood and Electricity and The Echoes. The former is a raw, unflinching look at youth, recklessness, and self-destruction, following Simon’s downward spiral in a haze of drugs and regret. The latter, a beautifully melancholic meditation on time and memory, perfectly mixes the past and the future as Thomas reflects on his life while his granddaughter reaches for the stars. The contrast between frailty and boundless ambition is really lovely, and the setting is spectacular. I would read another three dozen stories that take me into this author’s imagination. This collection proves that short fiction, when done right, can be more powerful than books many times longer.
Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite
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“Steven John’s stories use everyday detail to reveal truths about life and growing up and relationships….”
“Each piece beautifully written by Steven John, rich with detail and emotion. Always interesting and thought-provoking and kept me turning pages for the next story in this gorgeous collection…”
“Steven John is a master of words, but also so able to write situations and characters with which we immediately identify. Often the stories are about insecurities or love just not running smoothly, but in every case the delivery is impactful and thought provoking.”
“Steven John is a master of short fiction and this collection does not disappoint. Heartfelt, poignant, sensitive and beautifully crafted…”
Steven John 
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