Edited by Douglas Lain.
The debris and dust. The terrorized crowds stampeding away from the towers. The fire and death of the second impact. For many, these images have come to encompass the horror and grief of 9/11. But are these scenes really that unfamiliar? Disaster films, alien invasions, and monster movies have been at the center of popular entertainment for decades. How thin is the line in the sand between Independence Day or Godzilla and the television footage from the attacks on that day?
The challenge for any science fiction, fantasy, or horror writer after 9/11 is moving forward without trivializing tragedy or being overwhelmed by it. It is difficult to write about September 11th in a serious and meaningful way, and even harder to do so using the idiom of the fantastic. It requires coming to terms with a world that had become a twisted and surreal parody of itself, a mirror linking fiction and reality.
In the Shadow of the Towers collects a variety of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that deal with the destruction of 9/11, that ask what is needed to rebuild, that strive to turn our fears into something stronger, and that seek out the core humanity that allows us to continue on, even in the face of overwhelming grief. Each author, in his or her own way, contemplates the same question:
How can we continue dreaming in the shadow of the towers?
Douglas Lain's short fiction has appeared in many magazines and journals here and abroad. Since 2009, he has produced the weekly podcast Diet Soap, interviewing a wide range of fascinating, engaging people with insights for the new millennium: philosophers, mystics, economists, and a diverse group of fiction writers. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and children.
