Editor’s Comments

Readers have generously compared my fiction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammett, Stephen King, Raymond Carver, Rod Serling, Andre Dubus III, H. P. Lovecraft, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Bukowski, Franz Kafka, Anton Chekhov and Edgar Allan Poe.

A few comments from editors are listed below:

 

Quote from the editor of a Horror magazine 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!

This story was flawless! Wonderful work. It was truly a pleasure reading. Thank you so much for submitting and I highly encourage you to submit again if you ever find yourself writing horror.”

 
* * * * *
 
 

Quote from the editor of a Science Fiction/Fantasy magazine 2016.

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.”

* * * * *

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.

* * * * *

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.

 * * * * *

Quote from editor of Literary magazine September 2019.

Glad this worked out. I’ve been a fan of your work for some time now.

* * * * *

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.

* * * * *

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 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

* * * * *

Quote From Editor

This was consistently amusing. The sheer surfeit of bizarre and absurd details you include make this piece more distinctive than the average story we receive. I especially appreciated the concept of a New York Times paper towel critic.

Your piece was rollicking, joyfully irreverent, and frequently unexpected.

* * * * *

Acceptance email from editor of Freedom Fiction

June 4, 2024

This 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. We would love to publish this. Please let us know if we can go ahead with the same.

Thank you for submitting. Your long list of published stories showcases your adeptness at the craft of storytelling.