Flirting with Death by Al Steiner

Review by Celeste   [other reviews by Celeste]

Reviewed:

Fortunately (for my schedule), this story is not nearly as long as the OTHER tome for which Steiner likely is best known, but the author's care in crafting his tale is no less obvious. Only a few minor grammatical errors ("I also have a fuel checker, which I use to test a sample with each time I refuel the plane..." - the verb phrase 'use to' makes 'with' redundant) kept the technical score just under perfection.

Steiner's strength is his innate ability to keep the reader attentive, if not riveted, to a story in which sex nearly is an afterthought. Indeed, in context, the sex seemed too brief; this, having just congratulated a different author for descriptions "without unnecessary linger", seems almost contradictory, but is not.

The only other fault with 'Flirting With Death' is its ending: without giving anything away, it was just too pat, too easy. I could nearly hear Steiner say to himself, "wow, what a great story... now how do I end this thing?" I'd have done something more in line with the title but, then again, that's just me (of course, I'm the same guy who wrote a new ending to 'Star Trek: First Contact' because it left me unsatisfied).

Its faults are minor, however, and 'Flirting With Death' can be recommended for a good read.