From the author:
"Reflections on 'ILLUMINED BLACK'
This is a slim volume of
short stories I wrote in high school, the first and last of which are
better than the others. Looking back, I think 'IB' has some nice,
atmospheric moments and some fairly candid self-commentary... the
magazine "Science Fiction Universe" described this tendency as 'naively
self-indulgent,' a criticism I don't particularly object to. If 'IB'
seems fragmentary it's because it is the product of many months of
revision and editing. Some of the stories I liked were dropped in favor of others that may or may not be more 'commercially viable.'The final story, 'Between Worlds' (written my first year in college and more
mature than the others), stands up to my own self-criticism. I like to
think of my first book as a competent first attempt and a unique glimpse into the workings of the small press in fiction/genre writing. I hope
you enjoy it."
Contents:
- Reflections of a Speciman
- Alchemist's Planet
- The Winter Sirens
- Illumined Black
- The Wedding
- Above the Noise
- Doing Time
- A Night's Chronicle
- Cold Memories
- The Stadium Uplink
- Waiting for Kohoutek
