This one-two jab is literally out of this world

Blazing Reader,

I'm a big fan of stories that end with a one-two jab. I did this with Much Ado About Corona. When you thought the story was concluded, I added another twist. I've done an even better one-two jab at the end of All the Humans Are Sleeping.

Before my father was married, he had a housekeeper who always served two desserts. A slice of pie followed by something else. He gained a fair bit of weight under her care. That's what a story concluding with a one-two jab is like.

Fortunately, an extra plot twist at the end of a story doesn't affect your BMI like pie and pudding.

A fictional commercial circulating the net, offering four years of cryogenic freeze to those upset at Trump's election victory, has such a brilliant one-two jab ending. The short skit has a mildly satisfying and expected ending... but follows with a second ending (an epilogue, if you will), which is unexpected (well, I guess I ruined that part for you — try to forget it's coming) and literally out of this world.

You can watch it here: https://x.com/justin_hart/status/1856722404996755526

Stay sane and read great books,

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona, All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of philosophical fiction that are "so completely engaging that you find yourself alternately laughing, gasping, hanging on for dear life." Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber.