Publisher's Synopsis
Another collection of six short speculative fictions by William Mangieri, in which we learn some life lessons: - Fear of the unknown is not the worst thing- It's hard to live up to your ancestors- Children never listen- You can author your own destiny- You can't buy luck- Some things are worth dying forIncludes the short stories: The Red Barrens"You have been found a vagrant, and will be remanded to civil authorities." This pronouncement following her husband's death from Agent Purple puts Mabel Jeffers on the Edge, where she's forced to play her part in terraforming a resistant planet with that same Agent Purple. But there are things that are worse than death - things that could drive her over The Edge and into The Barrens...Dempsey's DebutHow would you like to be abducted by alien mantises for some live entertainment, and that just because of your namesake? Jack Dempsey feels 'boxed' in when he's forced to carry on the family name, and certainly doesn't want to become part of the Krills' warped mating ritual. It's hard to live up to your ancestors. Look Both WaysEven if you knew every twist and turn of their potential timelines, would your children listen?The Final Ending?Faced with a seemingly immutable fate written by a hard-hearted author, what would you do? John Charming wants desperately to rescue his true love, but the creator of his particular story expects John to just sit back and accept his destiny. John has other plans.Close EnoughCould a Messier object be any messier? A government server glitch leaves Max Keppler no time to react to the comet barreling toward his and Rebecca's asteroid claim. See Max deal with an uppity A.I., an unhelpful helpdesk, and a comet named Napoleon as he works to minimize the impact of this sudden impact on their already shaky relationship. The Wolves Will ComeHow will you answer when they are at your door?The Tribe is leaving their world for a new home, but Bear is too old to make the journey. It is of no real consequence - neither is it in him to run from his enemies, nor to abandon his heart's home. It's just a matter of time before the Exiled find him - or will age and the wolves get to him first?(stories also available individually)
