"Hope was a living thing to nourish, that would grow in its own time. And through the parched ruins of her garden, she'd planted its seeds, willing them to thrive, if only in her own heart".
Passageways by Lisa Fox is a selection of stories that vary in genre and emotional message. The works collected in Passageways are a combination of fairy tales, dystopia, sci fi, supernatural/ghost, gothic and magic realism, take your pick.
Blurb:
Passageways: Short Speculative Fiction
Twenty-seven speculative short stories celebrating the value of the journey: how lessons learned travelling the path between two points often transcend the goal of reaching the destination. These tales - including science fiction, fantasy, and horror - introduce characters who traverse unusual and often unsettling routes toward their desired objectives.
A man ventures through the depths of his beloved's subconscious to save her, only to discover a deep-rooted secret that could destroy everything. A young girl and a newly found friend travel to the Middle of Nowhere, desperate to find a way Out. A teenager struggles to escape the clutches of a demonic blanket inherited from a deceased family member. An "ugly" vampire goes through hell on earth to find his true self and his one true love. A woman revisits her past to determine whether it's time to pull the plug on a scientific experiment that's sustained - and devastated - her family for decades.
Passageways is the second short story collection from author Lisa Fox, following her acclaimed debut Core Truths. In these pages, readers voyage through darkness and light, fear and faith; toward understanding and peace. Sanctuary. Self-awareness. Being heard. Being loved. As speculative literary fiction, the stories in this anthology harmonize the excietement and otherworldly escapism that genre-based tales offer with the lyrical poeticism of language that makes storytelling sing.
In The Uncanny (1919, essay) Freud says, "an uncanny effect often arises when the boundary between fantasy and reality is blurred, when we are faced with the reality of something that we have until now considered imaginary, when a symbol takes on the full function and significance of what it symbolizes, and so forth".
You could argue, that Passageways deals with the theme of the uncanny masterfully.
To understand the philosophy behind the collection of stories, let's listen to the author, who says "A "passageway" is defined as a means of getting into, through, or out of something... But in literature, and in life, the passageways that connect past, present, and future are far more complicated."
Each of the characters appearing in these stories have their own path to follow and venture through their own unique passageway.
"Some stories are short, quick-hit microfiction pieces that carry a theme, an emotion, a moment as if on a curt autumn breeze. Others enable the reader to linger with the characters and their dilemmas, walking the path from one point to the next with trepidation, with empathy, or perhaps even joy through tears..."
Stories are short and often abrupt, as if you're walking along the endless corridor, opening the numerous doors and having a glimpse inside, like a modern-age Alice in Wonderland, with a perspective being distorted, and illusions in abundance.
Some of the stories are so short that they appear as vignettes, brief and evocative, without a definite ending.
Most of the tales are pretty sad and bordering on hopeless and helpless, even those that have a "happy end" are rather bitter sweet than joyful.
"There's a Monster in Jacob's Bedroom" carries the undertone of "Not now, Bernard!" by David McKee, and has an almost precise quote from the modern classic for children, "There's a monster in here that wants to eat me". It's a cautionary tale that makes you wonder, if there's a monster inside of us that raises its head when we're being ignored by people who are supposed to love us.
There is a morbid fasination with the theme of dying and redemption, or the absence of moral vindication.
Several stories, like "In the image of Evie", could be a potential trigger. It has the vibes of My sister's keeper, and asks a similar question: Is it moral to do anything to save your child's world?
My personal preference is for the sci fi/dystopian narrative rather than fantasy/fairy tales (Self-Actualisation, The last of the Kalachi, etc).
And if you've ever lost a much loved animal companion, be ready to bawl your eyes out, reading the last story, A Time for Understanding.
Passageways is an inquisitive and elegant study of the ways which define our sense of ourselves. Engaging and engrossing.
This post is part of the blog tour for Passageways.
Many thanks to Lisa Fox and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
Purchase Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Passageways-Speculative-Fiction-Lisa-Fox-ebook/dp/B0D19Z7S3Q/
Author Bio –
Lisa Fox is a
pharmaceutical market researcher by day and fiction writer by night. She
survives—and sometimes even thrives—in the chaos of suburban New Jersey life
with her husband, two teenage sons, and quirky Double-Doodle dog. Her debut
short story collection, Core Truths, was published in April 2023. Lisa’s work
has been featured in Amazing Stories, Uncharted Magazine, Dark Matter, Bards
and Sages Quarterly, Metaphorosis, New Myths, and Brilliant Flash Fiction among
others. Lisa has had work nominated for the Pushcart Prize and for Best Small
Fictions and is a previous winner of the NYC Midnight Short Screenplay
competition. You can find Lisa and her published work via her website:
lisafoxiswriting.com or on Twitter @iamlisafox10800.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamlisafox10800
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lisafoxiswriting/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisafoxiswriting/
