The only way to make it from day to day is to survive. Tom Paine’s “Scar Vegas” shows different means of survival in today’s world. “Scar Vegas” is a collection of ten short stories that vary wildly. Paine takes the reader from the open sea to the deserts of Saudi Arabia. These stories have been printed in multiple magazines and are now collected in one handy volume. The quality of Tom Paine’s stories is similar to a baseball batting order. Some stories are like the big home run threats, while others are similar to the little guy who is lucky to hit it out of the infield. Paine’s “Will You Say Something, Monsieur Eliot?” is the strongest of the stories. It tells of a wealthy young man’s sailing trip. Eliot loves his boat, and finds nothing is more relaxing than sailing alone. However on this trip, trouble gets the best of him. Eliot is lost out to sea with no hope in sight. After many days at sea, a raft filled with Haitians saves Eliot. The Haitians believe they will be saved because an American is with them. This story is very heart-rending and shows Paine’s powerful writing skills. “General Markman’s Last Stand,” is an odd tale about an army general’s last day before retirement. Paine throws together a twisted narrative that leaves the reader wondering why anyone would act the way General Markman does. The title story, “Scar Vegas,” is another strange journey that becomes confusing. This story is hard to follow and will leave the reader down and depressed. Paine does show great skill in involving the reader in the story. One can get lost in his words and feel like part of the story. The only draw back is that the stories are dark and sinister. A major highlight is “The Spoon Children.” It’s a marvel to see Paine write from the perspective of a troubled young teen headed cross country to attend an anarchist convention. The actions of the characters are believable, and one can feel sympathy with them. This is one of the very few stories that ends somewhat happy. Paine has amazing writing skills. However, he often wastes time in long, mindless stories. “Unapproved Minutes of the Carthage, Vermont, Zoning Board of Adjustment,” is a painful, hard to follow story about a zoning board meeting. The story has a strong underlying plot dealing with radiation from large communication antennas, but that is all lost in dialogue. “Scar Vegas” holds a high quality of writing. Tom Paine’s stories pull out a multitude of emotions. His style and language skills are unbelievable. However, the book’s content falls short. It is hard to read through an entire story without getting bored or tired of the story line. In short stories, there is little time for character development. This aspect of the stories makes it hard to care for the characters. The stories are vastly different, which keeps the book fresh. This book has received many rave reviews, and the stories are award-winning. However, “Scar Vegas” does not live up to the hype.