Readers have generously compared my fiction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammett, Stephen King, Raymond Carver, Rod Serling, H. P. Lovecraft, Alfred Hitchcock, Franz Kafka, and Edgar Allan Poe.
I was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, received the 2018 Write Well Award for excellence in short fiction, was featured in a single author anthology and, twice nominated, received Honorable Mention in The Best American Mystery Stories 2017.
Additional background of my fiction at the Poets & Writers Directory, Amazon’s Author Central and https://talesofourtime.com/authors-note/.
A few comments from editors are listed below:
Thriller Magazine
Quote from the editor of Thriller Magazine which published “The Last Assassin” in their Winter 2025 Issue.
“It’s a sharp, stylish, and expertly crafted piece.”
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Quote from the editor of 7th-Circle Pyrite Horror Magazine July 2025
“Thank you very much for this short fiction submission, Arthur! While both of the stories you shared are wonderful reflections of your unique artistry, ‘The Head Within’ was a standout for us. The story is incredibly creative and well-written, offering whimsicality in its bold descriptions but also allowing its narrative to be propelled by grounded, introspective themes.
You also did a fantastic job leaving a bit to readers’ imaginations regarding exactly how the speaker looks, who he is, or how he’s been cursed, granting the story a memorability. This is great work! We’re looking forward to including ‘The Head Within’ as a part of our upcoming August issue.”
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Quote from the editor of Freedom Fiction Literary Magazine June 2024
“The Speckled Rooster” is brilliant. A short story that is a page-turner and a hoot to read. No one would cock a snook at your writing skills. This is a great yarn and the descriptions and scenes come alive. Very cool. Wonderful concept.
Your list of published stories showcases your adeptness at the craft of storytelling.
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Quote from the editor of Literally Stories Magazine March 2021.
Hi Arthur,
It’s great to see you back.
I thought the pace in this was ideal.
The MC hinted to begin with and the longer it went on, he escalated the hints until you were in no doubt.
You controlled this brilliantly.
Excellent!
Hugh
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Quote from the editor of Fabula Argentea Magazine September 2019.
WHY WE CHOSE TO PUBLISH “Killer Kid”:
Prolific short story author Arthur Davis has once again delivered a well-written and amusing piece of well-done fiction with snappy dialogue and well-drawn characters that make for thoroughly enjoyable reading.
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Quote from the editor of Fabula Argentea Magazine July 2017.
WHY WE CHOSE TO PUBLISH “Do Vampires Get Tooth Decay?”
We couldn’t resist the simple beauty and perfection of this story by Arthur Davis. It could easily have been titled “How to Save a Life,” but “Do Vampires Get Tooth Decay?” is perfect because it shows two levels of misdirection. First, it misdirects the reader by posing an interesting question. Although we quickly see that the story has nothing to do with vampires, we then discover that the question also misdirects the main character.
After that, unfolds the emotional and heartbreaking story of a man who believes he no longer has a reason to live… until he’s shown that he does.
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Quote from the editor of The Literary Hatchet May 2017.
Our editorial staff greatly enjoyed reading, “The Belly of the Beast.” It’s a truly engaging piece. One of our readers saw fit to describe it as having captured “everything so intriguing about Lovecraft without the overwrought prose.”
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Quote from the editor of a Speculative Fiction Magazine 2016.
I LOVED “The Chronicles of ChocolateBoy.” I totally did not see that ending coming, and you had more than one surprise in there. I thought it was a brilliantly concocted story.
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Quote from the editor of Dark Moon Digest 2013.
“Final Comments: Freaking BRILLIANT. “The Unwelcome Guest” is one of the most interesting and funny horror stories I’ve read while on staff. Wow! I loved your story. You had me enraptured through the whole second half. I didn’t even want to stop and edit until I’d made it to the end!
I actually laughed aloud during several parts. That’s hard to accomplish. (I have a reputation for being a stickler.) Fantastic, marvelous job.