The Signpost Up Ahead: A Short Story Collection by Stephen Wise - A Stupendous Collection Of Tales To Stimulate The Imagination

The Signpost Up Ahead: A Short Story Collection by Stephen Wise

"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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stephen Wise is a multiple award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker with a Batchelor's degree in film production from the University of Central Florida. His films have been screened in over a dozen countries. He is a co-writer of Batman:DarkKnight, which IFC lists as one of the seven best unproduced Batman screenplays. He is a Michigan native and currently resides in Northwest Florida.

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Portals Of The Mind: A Short Story Collection By Stephen Wise - Eleven Unique Stories That Will Entertain The Mind

Portals of the Mind: A Short Story Collection by Stephen Wise

The book's title hints at the content, but it doesn't even scratch the surface of what is between the sheets. As a reader who enjoys short stories, I found this edition full of literary gold. All the contents are fun to read and thought provoking, and there is something for nearly everyone. The stories are quite diverse and include, along with sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and a western. One thing all the stories are thrilling reads.

The opening tale is about a 14-year-old kid whose weird uncle Bob disappears. Max misses his uncle and intends to find him when he gets messages from Bob on his electronic devices. What follows are stories from other portals that may or may not be from another plane of existence.

From the blurb on the back of the book, here is a small sampling of the eleven stories in this volume...

- A man returns to consciousness with a slowly returning memory and a body that doesn't function normally.

- A college student working overnight at a convenience store faces an unspeakable terror.

- After attending his best friend's funeral, a young man confronts grief, guilt, and a ghostly apparition.

- A band of killers track a desperado across the desert and to a deserted mission, where a final showdown ensues.

- Strange music draws a young boy to an old mill in his town, where he is presented with a wondrous new world and a tough choice.

And that barely describes the contents. There is so much more.

My favorite story of this collection is entitled Happy Camper. 24-year-old Ronnie reluctantly agrees to go camping with a couple of his friends. Normally, Ronnie spends his free time in his apartment gaming. When the trip begins, he is overwhelmed by everything he encounters. Every noise and movement cause him anxiety. He finds himself surrounded by nature and is experiencing nearly everything for the first time, and he is not enjoying his experience. He longs for the familiar surroundings of the city.

What happens to Ronnie is a kind of transformation as he discovers things about himself and what he is actually capable of.

My takeaway from Happy Camper is to always remain open to new and unfamiliar experiences. You never know what you might learn about yourself and others as well.

I recommend Portals of the Mind for any reader who enjoys a good short story collection. It is entertaining, and sometimes a little scary. Every story is a gem. The world building is excellent and the characters are fascinating. Stephen knows how to create characters a reader can care about in a very short space. I had a lot of fun reading this collection.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stephen Wise is a multiple award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker with a bachelor's degree in film production from the University of Central Florida. His films have been screened in over a dozen countries. He is a co-writer of Batman: DarKnight, which IFC lists as one of the seven best unproduced Batman screen plays. He is a Michigan native and currently resides in Northwest Florida.

To find out more about Stephen Wise and his work, visit StephenJWise.com

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The Melting Man By Stephen Wise - Just In Time For Halloween, This One Will Give You The Heebie Jeebies

The Melting Man by Stephen Wise

The Melting Man is a short horror suspense story from screenwriter and filmmaker Stephen Wise, and it is brilliant. Just in time for Halloween, this story will give you the heebie jeebies. It is written in a noir style appropriate for a great Twilight Zone episode. It is a fun story that will take less than an hour to read and there is never a dull moment.

Retired Detective Peale lies waiting for death and thinking about his life. He writes about a memory from his days as a young detective, a memory so disturbing, he's told no one about the events that have haunted him over his entire adult life.

Hoping to find peace with himself, Peale writes about a couple he's had dealings with during his early days. The Harlins are a tumultuous couple who always seem to be down on their luck. Their lives together are filled with constant fights that often become physical. When Peale volunteers to check in on them, he expects to find them both dead in their ramshackle home. He finds the male, Todd, still alive, tells his story that amounts to a confession so macabre, it terrifies Peal to his core.

Peale doesn't know if his own confession will be read but hopes for some small amount of comfort before he succumbs to his own disease.

Speaking for myself, the best part of Melting Man is how Wise describes the settings in the story. As I read, I could see the shadowy black and white pictures clearly in my mind. That particular aspect greatly enhanced my enjoyment of a bizarre tale within a tale.

The theme that stood out to me the most is how, even in the most dysfunctional relationship between two people, there can still be love and caring. You'll just have to read the story to see this, but for me, this element of Melting Man was like a flower growing in the middle of a busy sidewalk; it shouldn't be there, but nonetheless, it inspires a small token of hope. Brilliant!

Melting Man is an excellent story. It is compelling, well written, and well edited.

When I finished reading, I had an idea to make it an addition to a Halloween celebration. If one is planning a party, turn down the lights, light up a few candles, and have someone read this story to the guests. The spooky nature of the story will add to the atmosphere and entertain everyone in attendance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stephen Wise is a multiple award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker with a Bachelor's degree in film production from the University of Central Florida. His films have been screened in over a dozen countries. He is the author of the collection of short stories Portals of the Mind and a co-writer on Batman: DarKnight, which IFC lists as one of the seven best unproduced Batman screenplays. He is a Michigan native and currently resides in Northwest Florida.

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