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Allen's collection of sixteen stories explores our natural world and the surreal in surprising ways. The author contemplates the full range of human emotion and response to startling circumstances with each wild tale. Some stories could be fables, while others are purely science fiction. However, all are unsettling, joyous, or fantastical.
For example, "Blush" imagines a reality where human imperfections can be hidden or erased, but at what cost? In "Minstrel Boy Howling at the Moon," a young man's respite from boring routines is both welcoming and terrifying when he inexplicably conjures up the magic of tribal folklore. The longer piece, "Crying in the Salt House," will leave readers shaken and looking at salt entirely differently. And one of the shortest pieces, "Full of Stars," recalls with childlike wonder humanity's ceaseless fascination with the cosmos through the simplest of earthly eats and subtly pays homage to one of history's greatest sci-fi films. Finally, the title story considers people's most vital organ as an abode where one known as the Master sinks from ecstasy to despair as love turns to irreparable loss despite a loyal servant's attempts to help.
Each story is a marvel that regards the simple and the grand in beautiful, haunting fashion. Allen's distinctive touch is a note found at the end of each story, where the author offers a brief, special insight into its origin or inspiration. It's an invaluable commentary that allows the reader to appreciate further both the author and the writing process. Allen is highly imaginative, engaging his audience into the otherworldly, and one never knows where the stories lead to or quite what to expect. Pieced together into one dynamic book, the author's tales invite one into a unique reading experience.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review