Deborah Thompson's Breaking the Hippocratic Oath is a series of short stories that include such themes Nike Tn and various genres as physician's gone bad, alternate realities, horror, adventure, and science fiction. Ideally, this is a great collection of stories that caters to myriad audiences. While the author herself makes it clear that there is no apparent theme linking the five stories together, it is evident that the stories are heavily plot-oriented. Stories such as the "Brantley Boys" are fondly reminiscent of Mark Twain's daring and fast-paced adventure-comedy Huckleberry Finn. While the book is titled Breaking the Hippocratic Oath, the text is broken down into five stories: "Breaking the Hippocratic Oath," "The Dater," "Backspace Key," "Adventures of the Brantley Boys," and "Terrarium World."
"Breaking the Hippocratic Oath" is a tale of transformation, from a hard-working physician to a drug peddler. The reason for this transformation is financial trouble, very believable and appropriate, exemplifying the recession era of 2010. What's different about this story is that it is a physician-a renowned one at that-who succumbs to the financial pressures of society. On a more universal level, the story relates the hectic life of a working man who tries to balance family, finances, and life.
Thompson's "The Dater," is a revolutionary story of the mask that is known as online dating. The plot revolves around a 30-something woman who turns to internet dating to find companionship, but it is not the kind of companionship you expect.
"Backspace Key" is an entertaining, alternate reality story where the characters are allowed to undo one event in their lives-but only one. The themes of this story revolve around karmic results as the main character, Martin, redeems himself by becoming a responsible family man after a life full of transgressions and white-collar crime. Ironically, at the end, Martin finds himself on the receiving end of a robbery. The catch: both Martin and his wife have used their backspace keys. This is a must-read, action-packed, creative story.
"Adventures of the Brantley Boys" contains stories within the story itself, detailing the adventures of the Brantley Boys. The story takes place in the South and the main characters are Billy G. and Junior Brantley, who parallel Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in more contemporary times and adventures.
The last of the collection of stories, "Terrarium World," is a science fiction thriller describing the eerie inhabitation of the earth-by other life forms-unbeknownst to humans. The alien species learns to communicate through a five-year-old child named Max. While the protagonist of the story may be a bit young in age, it gives the story a unique perspective. These other life forms - the Interras - are a peaceful species that thank their human hosts by bestowing lasting gifts of peace and humanity upon them.
Ultimately, these stories are well written in terms of plot and style. The visuals are aesthetically pleasing and easy to imagine. This collection of stories is a must-read.
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