Sparks from the Fire

 

Sparks from the Fire, a collection of strange short stories by Rosalie Parker. A dust jacketed hardback of 202 pages, there is also a numbered edition of 100 available while supplies last.

 

"There are many ways to tell a story . . . It is a question of choosing the right one." – "Sparks from the Fire"

 

The stories in Sparks from the Fire explore a wide variety of familiar characters and settings, yet there is always something else — a shadow world that haunts, disturbs, and threatens. Sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, recluses and lovers — all find themselves shifting between realities: the prosaic and the mystical, even between life and death. The horrors and wonders of these parallel existences are often glimpsed, sometimes revealed, and occasionally overwhelm. These nineteen tales inhabit a terrain in which the uncanny may at any time intrude into everyday life.

 

Contents

"The Bronze Statuette", "The Fell Race", "View from a Window", "Holiday Reading", "Sparks from the Fire", "The Birdcage", "Tour Guide", "Wing Man", "Jetsam", "Writers' Retreat", "House Party", "Job Start", "Productivity", "Voluntary Work", "Messages", "Entitlement", "War Games", "The Attempt", "Breath of Life","Acknowledgements".

 

Order copies here.

 

Reviews

Recommended Halloween reading from Michael Dirda in the Washington Post.

"Her treatment of the fantastic is often so light and ambiguous that stories in which it does manifest are of a piece with tales such as 'Jetsam' and 'Job Start', sensitive character sketches whose celebration of life’s unforeseen surprises will appeal to fantasy fans as much as the book’s more overtly uncanny tales. Parker proves herself a subtle and versatile writer." Publishers Weekly

"...there is not a single bad story in the whole book. Should you decide to secure a copy rest assured that you won’t regret it." British Fantasy Society