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Dreams of the Moon
A new collection of 10 fantastica short stories by Lorina Stephens. Darkness and light. Wonder and sorrow. The ambiguity, sometimes, of reflected illumination: Dreams of the Moon.
In this new collection of both previously published and new short fiction, Lorina presents a progression from darker, sometimes horrific stories which explore religious mythology, mental health, and the beloved dead, to the more light-hearted explorations of spirit guides and illustrations made manifest.
In this new collection of both previously published and new short fiction, Lorina presents a progression from darker, sometimes horrific stories which explore religious mythology, mental health, and the beloved dead, to the more light-hearted explorations of spirit guides and illustrations made manifest.
104 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2021
4 people want to read
About the author
Lorina Stephens
21 books72 followersLorina Stephens has worked as editor, freelance journalist for national and regional print media, been a festival organizer, publicist, lectures on many historical topics from textiles to domestic technologies, teaches, and continues to work as a writer and artist.
Her short fiction has appeared in Polar Borealis, On Spec, Strangers Among Us, Postscripts to Darkness, Neo-Opsis, Stories of the Deluge, and Sword & Sorceress X.
Book credits include:
Tesseracts 22: Alchemy and Artifacts, co-editor with Susan MacGregor, Edge Publishing, 2019
The Rose Guardian, Five Rivers Publishing, 2019
Caliban, Five Rivers Publishing, 2018
Stonehouse Cooks, Five Rivers Publishing, 2011,
From Mountains of Ice, Five Rivers Publishing, 2009,
And the Angels Sang, Five Rivers Publishing, 2008,
Shadow Song, Five Rivers Publishing, 2008,
Recipes of a Dumb Housewife, Lulu Publishing 2007,
Credit River Valley, Boston Mills Press 1994
Touring the Giant’s Rib: A Guide to the Niagara Escarpment; Boston Mills Press 1993
You can follow her at:
fiveriverspublishing.com
@LorinaStephens
https://www.facebook.com/LorinaStephen...
Her short fiction has appeared in Polar Borealis, On Spec, Strangers Among Us, Postscripts to Darkness, Neo-Opsis, Stories of the Deluge, and Sword & Sorceress X.
Book credits include:
Tesseracts 22: Alchemy and Artifacts, co-editor with Susan MacGregor, Edge Publishing, 2019
The Rose Guardian, Five Rivers Publishing, 2019
Caliban, Five Rivers Publishing, 2018
Stonehouse Cooks, Five Rivers Publishing, 2011,
From Mountains of Ice, Five Rivers Publishing, 2009,
And the Angels Sang, Five Rivers Publishing, 2008,
Shadow Song, Five Rivers Publishing, 2008,
Recipes of a Dumb Housewife, Lulu Publishing 2007,
Credit River Valley, Boston Mills Press 1994
Touring the Giant’s Rib: A Guide to the Niagara Escarpment; Boston Mills Press 1993
You can follow her at:
fiveriverspublishing.com
@LorinaStephens
https://www.facebook.com/LorinaStephen...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 3, 2022
NOTE: I won a free eBook copy of this book in MOBI format from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (June 2021).
This collection of ten tales walks the fine line between reality and fantasy. Stephens' prose is clear and keeps each story grounded within the realm of what is possible, while exploring the infinite limits of the impossible. In the forward, the author states that she sequenced the stories from "dark to light," and I enjoyed experiencing the unfolding of this tonal trajectory as I progressed through the book. However, for the life of me, I could not find the ambiguous "common thread" that Stephens claims runs through the entire collection. Was it immortality? Loss? Maybe I am due for a more critical rereading.
Here are my reactions to each individual story:
"Dreams of the Moon": Very abstract. Nephilim always kind of lose me.
"At Union": A contemporary crossing of the River Styx.
"Gravity": A lamentation on being tethered.
"Wendy": The Doctor ran an inn and took military men as lovers.
"The Intersection:" First story in the collection that made me smile. If only the ones we need could be there when we need them.
"Civil Liberties": Times (and space station living) don't change everything else very much.
"A Bear at the Fridge": Never underestimate the power of dreams.
"Fall Arrest": Alice, Prime Minister of Wonderland?
"Occupational Hazards": If art could talk.
This collection of ten tales walks the fine line between reality and fantasy. Stephens' prose is clear and keeps each story grounded within the realm of what is possible, while exploring the infinite limits of the impossible. In the forward, the author states that she sequenced the stories from "dark to light," and I enjoyed experiencing the unfolding of this tonal trajectory as I progressed through the book. However, for the life of me, I could not find the ambiguous "common thread" that Stephens claims runs through the entire collection. Was it immortality? Loss? Maybe I am due for a more critical rereading.
Here are my reactions to each individual story:
"Dreams of the Moon": Very abstract. Nephilim always kind of lose me.
"At Union": A contemporary crossing of the River Styx.
"Gravity": A lamentation on being tethered.
"Wendy": The Doctor ran an inn and took military men as lovers.
"The Intersection:" First story in the collection that made me smile. If only the ones we need could be there when we need them.
"Civil Liberties": Times (and space station living) don't change everything else very much.
"A Bear at the Fridge": Never underestimate the power of dreams.
"Fall Arrest": Alice, Prime Minister of Wonderland?
"Occupational Hazards": If art could talk.
August 13, 2021
Beautiful and strange stories. The book starts with dark, very dark stories, and it gradually gets lighter.
The stories are different, I liked that.
One piece of criticism: next time more stories please, and less preview.
The stories are different, I liked that.
One piece of criticism: next time more stories please, and less preview.
August 19, 2021
I have not finished the book yet, I have read three of the twelve stories.
I really love the stories.
The writing is good and I can 'feel' with the subjects involved.
I really love the stories.
The writing is good and I can 'feel' with the subjects involved.
February 17, 2022
To read Dreams of the Moon is like to look at a generous buffet with lots of delicacies to choose from. None of the stories are copies of each other, or even in the same genre, they run the gamut of dark fantastic (the titular story) and science-fiction, progressing from the darker tales to the more hopeful.
I was specially touched by "Intersection" set in Toronto, with a very (apparently) simple problem to solve. Crossing a wide street; how difficult can it be? The answer : veeery difficult when you're an autistic. The story seamlessly mixes SF and mental health.
But I also discovered the woes of being an immortal with people passing through your life, or trying to reconnect with your dead daughter in the subway, or celebrating family in the far space...
Lorina's buffet is full of strange encounters, like a grizzly casually drinking Coke from your fridge and philosophing. Bon appétit!
*****
Le recueil de nouvelles de Lorina Stephens, Dreams of the Moon réunit des récits fantastiques et attachants en un buffet varié et appétissant.
Mon histoire favorite était Intersection, qui se déroule à Toronto. Qui aurait dit que traverser Bay Street pouvait être si difficile pour une angoissée? Heureusement, la technologie et un frère aimant peuvent aider. Un touche délicate sur la santé mentale.
I was specially touched by "Intersection" set in Toronto, with a very (apparently) simple problem to solve. Crossing a wide street; how difficult can it be? The answer : veeery difficult when you're an autistic. The story seamlessly mixes SF and mental health.
But I also discovered the woes of being an immortal with people passing through your life, or trying to reconnect with your dead daughter in the subway, or celebrating family in the far space...
Lorina's buffet is full of strange encounters, like a grizzly casually drinking Coke from your fridge and philosophing. Bon appétit!
*****
Le recueil de nouvelles de Lorina Stephens, Dreams of the Moon réunit des récits fantastiques et attachants en un buffet varié et appétissant.
Mon histoire favorite était Intersection, qui se déroule à Toronto. Qui aurait dit que traverser Bay Street pouvait être si difficile pour une angoissée? Heureusement, la technologie et un frère aimant peuvent aider. Un touche délicate sur la santé mentale.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews