"You're traveling through another dimension — a dimension not only of
sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries
are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the
Twilight Zone!" - Rod Serling
Back when television was more than so-called Reality TV, there were programs
that told actual stories. Stories that were fun and interesting. Those days are
long gone, so those of us who want entertaining stories can still find them in
books. In this day of self-publishing, there are more books than one could ever
read of varying quality, and some of the best ones often go unnoticed.
Enter Stephen Wise, an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker who produces
stories leading readers into wondrous lands.
The Signpost Up Ahead is his second collection of short stories, and it
contains fifteen stories, all designed to fascinate and entertain.
The range of what to expect from these stories is diverse. There is a wide
range of styles and genres represented in Signpost, and the diversity of the
stories should allow readers to find something they can relate to.
I read this book in an afternoon, not being able to stop, because I wanted
to see what was coming next. I am astounded by the author's ability to put so
much into such a small place, but Stephen is masterful in every aspect of
writing from character development to world-building with brevity, but
effectively.
The titles of the stories in this book include (with my one sentence synopsis)
...
ELECTRONIC TELEPATHY- An android working as a cop investigates a murder.
IT'S LOGICAL- Friends cosplay at a convention.
ODE DE LA LUNE - An orchestra director gives a life transforming premier of
his original composition.
DERELECT - A family gathers at a party and shares their feelings.
THE CHOSEN ONE - A young man takes a journey to fulfill his destiny.
BANANAS - A young man tells a tragic tale to avoid something he loathes.
MOM - A young boy's imagination causes worries on a dark and stormy night.
A PERFECT COPY - An impatient man encounters a cranky copy machine.
THE POEM - A veteran teacher makes a difference in a student's life.
CLOSING TIME - A single mom rushes out of the grocery store at closing time.
THE BULLY - A middle school administrator makes a wrong assumption.
JUST A PHASE - A traveler takes a trip abroad.
SWEAT EQUITY - Former friends unexpectedly reunite.
THE BARN - A boy's routine chores are anything but.
VIKING FUNERAL - A last wish granted.
While I enjoyed every tale in this book, there were two that stood out to
me.
***Spoiler Alert***
There may be spoilers here, so you might want to skip ahead.
I enjoyed Ode De La Lune. An orchestra director has written and
prepares to conduct a premier of his own composition. He wants to deliver a
perfect performance, but there is something happening to him he cannot control.
It became a race for him to conclude the performance before he is overcome.
But the story that really got me was The Poem. If you are a teacher, this
one will deeply resonate with you, as it did me. As a matter of fact, it
brought me to tears while reminding me of all the young people I influenced
during my own twenty-six-year career as a music educator.
This is the story of a burned-out educator who has given up and is ready to
leave education. He gives a writing assignment to a class and, as he moves
among his students, making sure they are on task. One student stops him and
asks him to read her work. What he finds is a plea for help.
After reading this story, I had to put the book down for a long while. It
reminded me of why I was a teacher.
***End Spoilers***
At the beginning of Signpost, the author offers this...
"... This publication bounces all over the place. Expect the
unexpected, as the cliché goes."
Every story is a unique view into the lives of the characters. The
experiences are sometimes tragic, sometimes frightening, and sometimes deadly.
But every story is a fun little foray into many varied experiences - some the
reader can relate to, and others one could not possibly relate to, or at least,
I hope not!
My takeaway from Signpost is that it gave me an opportunity to reflect on my
former career, and maybe see that, as an educator, I did make some small
difference.
Stephen's first short story collection, Portals of the Mind, is an
incredible collection of tales to amaze and entertain readers. The Signpost Up
Ahead is another grand-slam collection from a writer I respect and admire. Both
books are worthy of attention to a writer who is rising above many others as a
master of his craft. I give my highest recommendations for Signpost and Portals
both.
You can find out more about Stephen and his work by visiting
StephenJWise.com. He is a good guy, tells a great story, and wears a really cool hat. It doesn't get
any better.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
No comments:
Post a Comment