My Story in the Green Hornet Anthology

I haven't written a short story in quite awhile, but was invited into this anthology. Didn't think I could pull it off, but I made it! Chaos and the Year of the Dog has gone through its final edits and has been accepted.

While reading last year's anthology and watching the television series, I became a late-to-the-party fan and I am very honored to be a part of the next book!

In the meantime, check out my review for last year's Green Hornet Chronicles (Moonstone Books). I meant what I said in this review. You don't have to be a fan of the Green Hornet to enjoy this book. Good writing and big fun all around.

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FROM AMAZON.COM

I'll admit, I didn't know much about the Green Hornet before reading this book, but the stories are written in such a way that it doesn't take long to figure things out. The Hornet isn't really a bad guy. He uses the Hornet identity to fight crime. Britt Reed, owner of the Sentinel and his partner Kato (I absolutely refuse to think of Kato as his side kick) fight crime and shake down the bad guys by posing as the bad guys. This could be done badly (Hannah Montana), but it works here and feels true and fun. I only wish I had seen the TV show, but it was before my time.

One of the things the writers' do very well is maintain character identity throughout. Despite the varied styles and stories, every interpretation of Kato, Britt, Case and Axford feels consistent. Even sentimental stories like RICHARD DEAN STARR'S NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY manage to keep the characters in character while taking a different route. In NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY we find a reflective Kato. His past comes back to haunt him, but there is never a minute where this depiction reads like a lesser-Kato. In fact this is one of my favorite stories in the book. There is action, but there is something more here. NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY is Kato's story and it gives the reader a look inside the man.

JUST A MAN by THOMAS BRANNAN is another story that delves a little more into emotion. This time it is an injured Marine in turmoil. Seeing the Hornet from his pov is interesting. What's more interesting is how the situation plays out. JUST A MAN does have its share of action, but the writer takes time out to weigh the situation emotionally which makes the story feel very whole and true.

As far as pacing and story construction, two stories near the end of the collection have mastered this. FANG AND STING by WIN SCOTT ECKERT and INSIDE MAN by MATTHEW BAUGH. It is obvious that these men have been writing for a long time. Their understanding of story, what works and what doesn't, is very telling. INSIDE MAN for example: had Tim Nektosha been pure villain this story wouldn't be nearly as strong. The details of his time with family and his interior thoughts paint the picture of a man who is desperate. Not a bad guy simply because a bad guy is needed for the story. ECKERT AND BAUGH give details about the city as well, small things that blend so effortlessly with the prose that you believe every word they write.

As far as action, there is plenty of it in this book. THE CRIMSON DRAGON by MARK JUSTICE comes to mind. Pure fun and fight. The writer knows his terminology, but doesn't weigh the story down with what he knows. Instead, he uses it to create tension. One almost believes Kato and Hornet have met their match in this story!

THE SOUL OF SOLOMON by HARLAN ELLISON . . . okay, it's not really a story, but it is HARLAN ELLISON. When his muse failed and he couldn't come up with the right story bits, he wrote an essay explaining why he couldn't finish his story. Personally, I loved his musings and reasonings. A glimpse inside HARLAN . . . a few months in the life of a writer? How rare is that? There are so many good stories in this collection that SOLOMON being incomplete hardly matters. File it under the other fun stuff in this book: interviews and intros with and by Hornet alum, wonderful illustrations by Ruben Procopio . . . It's all good and gives the collection a nice quirk factor.

As with most anthologies, some stories are better than others--some MUCH better than others. One or two far-fetched scenarios, but not many in a collection of this size.

I would certainly encourage others to read this book. You don't have to know about the Green Hornet to understand and enjoy the stories here.

Buy the book here: http://moonstonebooks.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=29