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Claire Buss
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The Blue Serpent & other tales Kindle Edition

by Claire Buss (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
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A collection of flash fiction, or very short short-stories, from sci-fi, fantasy & contemporary author Claire Buss. Delve into her imagination and be delighted, amused and intrigued.
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  1. Print length
    52 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 23, 2018
  5. File size
    2171 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07BPFDPGY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CB Visions (March 23, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 23, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2171 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 52 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Claire Buss

Claire Buss

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Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet based in the UK. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with her debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting her writing career in motion.

You can follow her on Twitter @grasshopper2407, Facebook.com/busswriter and visit her website www.clairebuss.co.uk for more information about Claire and her writing.

Sign up for Claire's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c93M2L

~Writing passionately and hopelessly addicted to cake~

Claire's Books:

**Hopeful Dystopian Trilogy The Gaia Collection**

The Gaia Effect - winner of the 2017 Raven Award for favourite Scifi/Fantasy novel

The Gaia Project

The Gaia Solution

**Humorous Fantasy**

The Rose Thief, Roshaven book 1 - winner of the 2019 Raven Award for favourite Scifi/Fantasy novel

The Silk Thief, Roshaven book 2

The Bone Thief, Roshaven book 3

The Interspecies Poker Tournament, Roshaven novella, Case File 27

Ye Olde Magick Shoppe, Roshaven short story

**Short Story Collections**

Tales from Suburbia

Tales from the Seaside - winner of the 2018 Best Indie Book

The Blue Serpent & other tales

Flashing Here & There

**Anthologies**

'Underground Scratchings', Tales from the Underground

'Patient Data', The Quantum Soul

'A Christmas Badger' co-written with CH Clepitt, Sparkly Badgers' Christmas Anthology

'Dress Like An Animal' + 'Afraid of the Dark', Haunted - The Sparkly Badgers' Anthology

**Poetry**

Little Book of Verse

Little Book of Spring

Little Book of Summer

Spooky Little Book

Little Book of Winter

Little Book of Love

Little Book of Autumn

Little Book of Christmas.

Thank you for visiting my page! Please Follow my profile for important updates. And thank you for your reviews!

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Judith Rook
4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Narratives
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2018
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“The Blue Serpent and Other Tales” by Claire Buss is rather like a box of chocolates, very classy hand-made chocolates, each of which is a different and delicious experience, and as far removed from the supermarket chocolate bar as one can imagine.
Apart from the two first chapters of the author’s novels which round off the collection, the stories are short, compact, interesting, curious and fall into the sub-genre of Flash Fiction, which has been around since the days of Aesop’s Fables.
They are also very well structured. It is not easy to include all the elements of a good short story within the limits of one or two printed pages, but this writer does just that, especially in her creation of characters, which tend to come to life in the first few sentences. She also displays a fine descriptive power which is not over-used but enhances the strong impact of each brief narrative.
Some of the stories are powerful, others more delicate, but they all progress to the surprise ending, which is one of the basic characteristics of an accomplished short story.
The two excerpts from the author’s novels show that this writer is in full control of both large-scale and miniature narrative and in general, this is a highly enjoyable book which leaves the reader with plenty to think about.
Highly recommended to all adult readers, especially those who commute by public transport.
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Joseph A Congel
5.0 out of 5 stars Short. Concise. Thought provoking. Fun. :)
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2018
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Flash fiction stories are not easy to write. They have to catch your attention quickly and leave you satisfied yet wanting more. I love reading flash fiction when done right, and Claire Buss is very good at constructing fun, easy to read, enjoyable shorts. The collection takes its name from the first short, and after reading the title story, I knew I was in for an interesting, wild ride! Each of these fifteen little gems transport you into their world quickly. Some build to a surprise ending and some bring you on a thought provoking journey. All are entertaining and a great way to spend a couple of hours. I really liked this eclectic mix of short stories, and I know you will too! I give this collection a 5 ⭐️ review as I know how hard it is to pull off good flash fiction, and Claire Buss does it admirably!
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MapleLeafAussie
4.0 out of 5 stars A collection well worth reading.
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2018
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Having recently read and loved 'The Book Thief', I was keen to read this brand new collection of flash stories by Claire Buss. They are very different than her excellent novel, but they are great stories nonetheless.

Each story is a brief vignette of a life, a mind, a heart, a soul. Some of them are lighthearted and entertaining, others are much more sobering. I found 'Possibility' to be very poignant, while 'Once Upon a Time' turned out to be a very powerful commentary on our society that was further developed in 'Data Stream'.

I appreciated each of these stories for its own qualities, and for the way it made me think about things other than the demands and worries of a busy day. I enjoy reading short stories when life is hectic, and this book has filled bill perfectly.

This is a little gem of a book that is well worth reading.
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GXPsyRose
3.0 out of 5 stars Different
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2018
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Different, short and change of pace in the story lines. Variety is a definite alternative to epic. It's mindless entertainment.
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Vidar
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice crisp set of stories
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2020
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What a lovely set of very well crafted, thought provoking short stories. Short stories are the most difficult to do well of any form of writing and this author is a master. Highly recommend, especially for those with busy lives who need a treat, but don’t currently have time to read a novel, novella, or novelette. I read it straight through, it was just such a delight, but now I’m going back to savor each individual story. Some are the kind of thought provoking that sticks with one. Speculative fiction at its short story best.
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Jeff E
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking and Fun
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
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This collection of short stories or flash fiction is an enjoyable and thought provoking read. Perfect for reading whenever you have a little free time. Each story builds up to a different type of surprise or theme, keeping things fresh while often making you stop to think. I enjoy Claire's style of writing, she makes great use of limited words and paints a solid picture of the action along with the characters. Good dialogue too, very natural sounding. Overall a great read!

Included are excerpts from two of Claire's novels, 'The Gaia Effect' and 'The Rose Thief', both excellent introductions. I was especially intrigued by the beginning to 'The Gaia Effect.' I'll be adding it and 'The Rose Thief' to my collection.
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Joan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Short Story Collection
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2018
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This imaginative, diverse collection of short stories is an excellent example of how to write shorts. Ms. Buss uses themes about data, technology, and society, to not only wake readers’ up, but to entertain. No matter what your taste, you’ll find something in The Blue Serpent that will wet your whistle, tickle your fancy, or provide other pleasurable metaphors and cliches.
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Bklovingangel82
4.0 out of 5 stars Really fun and imaginative stories
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018
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This is a fun short read with multiple stories circling around Sci-if, everyday life and even nursery rhymes. (That was probably my favorite story.) Perfect for readers on the go (especially if book lovers become obsolete as one story suggests!) I loved the imagination.
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Top reviews from other countries

Chris Graham
4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to a talented writer.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2020
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16 very different and entertaining short tales from the amazing mind of one writer.
Plus, excerpts (chapter 1) from The Gaia Effect (Post-Apocalyptic Hopeful Dystopian) and The Rose Thief (Humorous Urban Fantasy)
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Angela Hayes
4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
Reviewed in Australia on November 13, 2019
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4 Stars

Reading “The Blue Serpent & other tales” by Claire Buss was like unwrapping a beautiful box of assorted sweets. This is flash fiction at its best. Each tasty morsel drew me further into the book- keeping me turning the pages to see what her imagination would come up with next. This is an original read- clever, creative, imaginative, fun and entertaining. Full of quirky and interesting characters- who were really well crafted. Considering that each story was only a couple of pages long- the characters were fully realised individuals. Not such an easy feat within such a small word count. It certainly highlights the wordsmithing skills Ms. Buss has at her fingertips.
From fantasy, to sci-fi - to a twist on some classic nursery rhymes- these stories were definitely fun to read. There is drama, mystery, thought-provoking details, suspense, and even a few surprises. I also felt there were a few messages and ‘lessons’ to be learned along the way.
There are 15 stories to tempt you:

-The Blue Serpent
A paranormal story with a bit of a supernatural twist. Mysterious body paint, with a surprising ending.

-Possibility
A ‘Dear Jane’ letter. A painful breakup. Broken hearted, full of grief and pain. A cursed house. Finally finding peace, or is that a dose of Karma?

-Passion
What if you were incredibly passionate about books, about the way they made you feel- a story with a surprising revelation.

-Once Upon A Time
A definite sci-fi story, looking at the effects that social media and our dependence on technology has on people and society. With a Cognitive Thought Processing Crisis. This felt like a bit of a warning. A glimpse of where humanity, and our society may end up in the future.

-Inspire-O
One of the more intriguing stories in this collection. Another sci-fi story with superb world crafting on display. A world with no criminals, no war, no armies, no Presidents. Sounds ideal doesn’t it? How did humanity accomplish this? But, at what cost?

-Data Stream
A look a data streaming. What if we were “jacked-in” at all times right from birth? An intriguing premise and probably not far off the mark. Another intriguing and thought-provoking sci-fi story.

-Coffee With the Nursery Girls
We meet Mary, Jill, and Polly. What a fun read this was. A twist on some classic nursery rhymes- ‘Miss Polly had a Dolly”, Jack and Jill, and “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary”…. And contrary she definitely was!

-Coffee Shop
A coffee shop. Perfect pastries. And a writer who is served more than they’d bargained for. A twisty little tale.

-You Should Be Ashamed of Yourself
This takes place in a courtroom. The defendant is charged with excessive procreation. With the law determining the number of children you can have, this story has a bit of a dystopian feel. It was also quite emotive. I really felt sad for the woman. And the shocking ending.

-The Girl and the Bear
A travelling circus, a young girl, and a bear. An intriguing combination. And a bit of a mysterious story.

-The River Flows in You
A story of aging. Haunted by memories and regrets. Lost in grief. Too late to say everything you wanted to. A story with a message and plenty of emotion.

-The Wrong Note
This was a flash fiction thriller. About dodging a bullet- and a very luck escape for one.

-The Party’s Over
Now this story put a whole new meaning on Fairy God Mother! A tempting offer. A decision to be made. What will she choose? Cinderella with a twist?

-Laughing Man
Crazy and unhinged? Or superhero? Well worth the read to find out.

-Looking In
This story was so well written that I could hear the ‘voyeurs’ Cockney accent as clearly as if he was actually speaking to me. An intriguing story from a ‘Peeping Tom’s’ perspective- or is he?

I can’t wait to see what Ms. Buss does next!

Thank you, Ms. Buss!
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C. Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars I like Claire Buss's writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2018
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I like Claire Buss's writing, as you may have guessed from my review of The Rose Thief, so when I was asked to review this compilation of flash fictions of course I jumped at the chance.  Flash fictions are notoriously short, but Buss manages to create thought provoking and insightful stories that have you asking questions of your life.

I was amazed by how much I enjoyed this collection, some stories made me go eeek, some made me go eurgh, and some just hit a little bit too close to home, but none disappointed.  If you like Black Mirror you'll like this.

For flashes of genius, this gets 5/5.
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Sue Maynes
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read
Reviewed in Australia on May 28, 2018
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There were some great little stories here. All sorts of themes and characters and great little hooks on each story. Especially enjoyed the twist to Coffee with the Nursery Girls - never saw that one coming!
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Ramon A Grosu
3.0 out of 5 stars Very Short.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2019
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Short, not bad... but shorter than other short stories.
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