Daniel Fiddler
Member Daniel Fiddler won Honorable Mention in the 84th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition:
Judge’s Commentary:
This is a genuinely funny book about the writer’s wartime experiences. It’s immediately clear from the tone of the book that although the writer is stationed in Korea for eight months, neither he nor his comrades-at arms are going to be facing serious danger. I think I enjoyed the small details relating to military life (the fact that decent-tasting milk wasn’t available; why C-Rations were served once a month; how passwords are created) the most. I like the way that the writer is able to present himself both as being rather naïve (as during his USO visit to Seoul) and rather sophisticated and experienced (as when he compares himself at the end of the book with the new soldiers who jump out of the vehicle to meet the prostitutes). I also particularly enjoy the story of how he meets someone he’d actively disliked back home and made his peace with him.
Inevitably, the book raises some questions that remained unanswered. Why was the protagonist sent to Geiger Counter School? Was he really given a dangerous dose of radiation while there? Why was he sent home from Korea early? Why was the Captain allowed to remain in his position if he was that incompetent?
The cover design is serviceable but not, I don’t think, especially compelling, which is surprising given that the writer is a graphic artist. If he does a new edition, I’d also encourage him to delete the hyphen from “Shut-up” and capitalize both words.
This is a genuinely funny book about the writer’s wartime experiences. It’s immediately clear from the tone of the book that although the writer is stationed in Korea for eight months, neither he nor his comrades-at arms are going to be facing serious danger. I think I enjoyed the small details relating to military life (the fact that decent-tasting milk wasn’t available; why C-Rations were served once a month; how passwords are created) the most. I like the way that the writer is able to present himself both as being rather naïve (as during his USO visit to Seoul) and rather sophisticated and experienced (as when he compares himself at the end of the book with the new soldiers who jump out of the vehicle to meet the prostitutes). I also particularly enjoy the story of how he meets someone he’d actively disliked back home and made his peace with him.
Inevitably, the book raises some questions that remained unanswered. Why was the protagonist sent to Geiger Counter School? Was he really given a dangerous dose of radiation while there? Why was he sent home from Korea early? Why was the Captain allowed to remain in his position if he was that incompetent?
The cover design is serviceable but not, I don’t think, especially compelling, which is surprising given that the writer is a graphic artist. If he does a new edition, I’d also encourage him to delete the hyphen from “Shut-up” and capitalize both words.
