Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Asking an author to rank their works is like asking a parent to rank their children. It’s an impossible task that should never be entertained, but the human psyche does enjoy a good listicle, so we do it anyway.
This particular list was inspired by a newsletter question. A reader asked, “Given that Twisted Simulations are all stand-alone tales, which ones should I read first?” Or in other words, “Which ones are your favorites?”
Funny enough, I had never considered this question up until that point. There is no rhyme or reason to the story order outside of their completion dates. So I got to thinking, if all ten tales were completed at once, how would I release them?
After careful consideration, I created the following spoiler-free ranking list.
THE TOP FIVE
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to separate the rankings into a top and bottom five. When you love them all, it’s more about highlighting the favorites.
1) The Survey
Put simply, this is my favorite short story that I have ever written. I have never nailed my intent so thoroughly and I am immensely proud of the result. Whenever I think of Twisted Simulations as a series, this is the story that immediately pops into mind.
2) Hitchens Manor (free to download)
The idea for this story needled my brain for many years. It was originally planned as a full novel, but I was afraid that the shtick would get too repetitive. Once I reworked it as a short story, it sprang to life and became the first release. I adore this quirky tale.
Another story that I had planned as a full novel. But this time around, I felt that the big reveal would get diluted by a lengthy narrative. Less horror and more psychological trauma, this gut-wrenching tale is the longest of the series and carries the most heart.
4) The Asteroid Cafe (free to download)
This story was the result of my horror-comedy brain firing on all cylinders. Per the review from Readers’ Favorite, it “masterfully combines absurdity, dark humor, and unnerving revelations.” It’s the only title that combines my entire genre repertoire.
I love the core concept for this story, but it was a struggle to write. It was released as the tenth title in the series because it took me a very long time to work out the kinks. But once I did, this haunting tale became one of my favorite publications.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
The remaining stories could be placed in any order and I would be happy with the ranking. Each tale has its own strengths and charm, so let’s muse on their merits.
6a) The Eyes of Owen
My first foray into cosmic horror, and I think it came out great. I went through many iterations of this idea, where humanity sends one-half of a wormhole portal into deep space. It started as a fun exploration tale, but ended as a Twisted Simulation.
6b) Calum’s Descent
I knew this was a very strange story from the start, but I love how it came out. It starts off as a prison escape, then abruptly morphs into a psychological brain-bender. The idea came from a much broader idea that got distilled into a single chilling encounter.
6c) Bandolier
This story was the result of a nagging question: How do you infiltrate a powerful group that has no obvious weakness? I chewed on it for a long time until an unrelated question offered a solution. Fun fact: this was the opening scene of a planned novel.
Fun fact 2: this was the climax of that same novel. The problem was, the rest of the story wasn’t that interesting. I loved these two scenes, so I plucked them out and gave them their own contexts. This story is perhaps the most cinematic of the simulations.
6e) Noros
This is a very meaty story with a psychological punch. It’s my take on the “mad king” trope. I wanted to explore the mental decline of a ruler who conquers everything, then faces sudden irrelevance. You may be shocked to learn that it doesn’t go well.
And there you have it!
The official ranking list for my twisted little children. It should go without saying that I love them all, as evident by the fact that they’re published. There are several other stories in the works for upcoming releases and I’m sure there will be an updated ranking sometime in the future. But for now, enjoy the tabulation.
(And feel free to tell me how you would rank them.)
