Lomer’s debut collection showcases his delightful wit, and his enjoyment in telling a good tale shines through in his prose. From love in the time of robots to endangered hipsters, he entertains with each story. Among my favorites were “So Ten Minutes Ago,” about those endangered hipsters—God, don’t we all know people like that?—and “Johnny on the Spot,” a more poignant piece on what two men do when facing the end of the world. The collection also includes “Royally Screwed,” which introduces Ewan Hoozarmi, a character who promises to return in Lomer’s upcoming Typo Squad. If Lomer’s novel is as good as this collection was, we’re in for a hell of a ride.

What a wonderful book debut for Stephen Lomer. He showcases his talents at developing complex characters and their relationships in a variety of genres. I can see the characters in my mind when I read these stories, and each tale strikes an emotional chord. We've all met people like the entitled daughter in "Stargazer Lilies," the metrosexual hipsters in "So Ten Minutes Ago," and the school-age friends in "Flattop Harris." There is humor throughout the collection but Mr. Lomer is also not afraid to tackle serious topics. "Running on Empty," one of my favorites, is both heartbreaking and illuminating. The "Lemon Drop" story sums up a nightmare on-line date in four painful pages. And the remarkable "Royally Screwed," the prequel to the forthcoming novel Typo Squad, especially demonstrates Mr. Lomer's wry sense of humor and clever word play. While the main characters are strong, I think underbutler Wrenchley steals the show in just one paragraph. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Lomer's work in Typo Squad.

This collection of stories reminds us that humor can be kind and polite. As some of the stories pull at our heart strings, they all pull at the corners of our mouths whether it be to express a wide smile or release a genuine chuckle. Stargazer Lilies or Nothing At All is an excellent collection to have on hand at all times for a laugh and a feel-good experience.

Unlike most short story collections, which tend to have a specific genre or theme, the thing that pulls this one together is the highly enjoyable, quirky writing style of its author. There's a little bit of everything in here, but all of it has a touch of humor and fun. Instead of reading one story after another that start to blend together, there's no mistaking how different each one of these stories are. Highly recommended.

The cool thing about this collection is that every story has a feeling of realistic quirkiness, even if it veers off into the realms of the supernatural. Some, like the title story, about a monstrously spoiled mother-to-be who insists on the exactly correct species of lily for her baby shower, and "Lemon Drop," a comically dismal and all-too-familiar online dating tale, are within the bounds of straight fiction. The characters are extreme but well drawn, and we've all met the basic types (unfortunately!). Then there are the stories that take their characters -- still quite realistic and familiar -- into the genres of sci-fi, ghost story, fairytale, and just way out there. "Running on Empty," for instance, is about a touchingly ordinary woman reaching for the extraordinary in her life, and being assisted by a heavenly being -- a surprisingly moving and quietly funny story that you feel is not necessarily pure fantasy. Stephen Lomer's writing is colorfully descriptive, with a jaunty pace and a pop-culture-savvy-wise-guy tone -- you feel him winking at you at some point in every story. I was glad to see that my favorite of the collection, "Royally Screwed," is to be the basis for a full-length novel, and I'm really looking forward to that! A big thumbs up on these short stories and highly recommended for lovers of realistic and fantasy fiction alike.

The titled story, Stargazer Lilies or Nothing at All, gave a good introduction to the rest of this uniquely written bundle of stories. It was funny and different and rivaled even the craziest stunts any Real Housewife ever pulled. The second story, one of my favorites of the compilation, Wallflower and Cassonova, was a fast-paced, action-packed dystopian that left me wanting more and wishing it was a full book. Johnny on the Spot was a sweet story of a hard-working man who never took a day off. Running on Empty was a captivating story of a woman fighting her way back to health and just when you think you know where it's going you don't. The Haunting of Flattop Harris is about four best friends thinking about joining the army. Three do and one decides not to go and the aftermath of their decisions plays out in an interesting way. Lemon Drop lets us peek in on an entertaining online date with a real Debbie Downer. So Ten Minutes Ago is a funny tale of two young hipsters and a little government intervention. Trouble Bruin is a bizarre yet clever retelling of the Three Little Bears. And finally, Royally Screwed, is about a police sergeant, typographical errors division, summoned to Buckingham Palace to protect the princess from the Wordmonger. It's a peek into what's surely to be an exciting first novel from Stephen Lomer, TYPO SQUAD.