Rue Sparks

"There are wonders and terrors out there you can't yet imagine, and people out there you don't yet know are family."I don't mix well with people; I prefer the birds. I spend my time trying to find the Trickster-a finch treasured by the locals. My smart mouth, brash behavior, and being non-binary in this secluded southern town keep me on the periphery of Spastoke's society. Fine by me. All I need are the birds and my uncle Jeremy.Until he dies, and I can't do anything to stop it. I want to withdraw from the town into the comfort of birdwatching and forget everything. Instead, Adrian Turney, my uncle's friend and mentor, is found dead in the woods. My only hope of unravelling the truth is Jethro; a chatty newcomer that appears earnest, but can I trust him?When my uncle appears to me in my dreams, I quickly learn what started as a search for answers is so much more: a journey into the town's shady past to uncover a danger in the woods lost to time. Along the way, I might discover I'm not alone as I thought.

The Fable of Wren

The special ability of a jellyfish may be one man's only hope to save his husband.In a world where the gods have returned, their only folly was not expecting humanity to fight back.When trauma disconnects someone's soul from their body, one person has the ability to reunite them.A family gift of reading the spirits in flames has taken everything from her, but can it give her everything she needs?In The Stars Will Guide Us Back, thirteen short stories encapsulating the elements of speculative fiction and magical realism travel the themes of mental health, loss, mortality, self-confidence, and finding hope through difficult circumstances. Explore the immersive worlds within, along with a range of peculiar, distinct, and queer characters.Sometimes confidence comes from knowing we have no other choice, and the ones who rescue us come from the strangest places. Dark and light collide in this collection that highlights the liminal spaces of the human experience.

The Stars Will Guide Us Back

"I wish this day would never end" - One heart's desire leads to a tumultuous journey for an unlikely pair. Keenan, a guide at Daylight Chasers, is hired to lead Isabella through a day that "nearly" never ends. As the top agent, he excels at calming the excitable and inspiring the timid, as they journey across the globe one time zone at a time. Despite his years of experience, Keenan soon realizes that he is going to need a lot more than his familiar script when it comes to Isabella's expedition. When the planned activities all start going south, Keenan finds himself struggling to respond to Isabella's mercurial moods. With each adventure sending them further from the planned path, Keenan begins to wonder how can he be the guide when even he is feeling lost? This short story is a modern fable on mortality, bravery, and acceptance.

Daylight Chasers

The special ability of a jellyfish may be one man's only hope to save his husband. In a world where the gods have returned, their only folly was not expecting humanity to fight back. When trauma disconnects someone's soul from their body, one person has the ability to reunite them. A family gift of reading the spirits in flames has taken everything from her, but can it give her everything she needs? In The Stars Will Guide Us Back, thirteen short stories encapsulating the elements of speculative fiction and magical realism travel the themes of mental health, loss, mortality, self-confidence, and finding hope through difficult circumstances. Explore the immersive worlds within, along with a range of peculiar, distinct, and queer characters. Sometimes confidence comes from knowing we have no other choice, and the ones who rescue us come from the strangest places. Dark and light collide in this collection that highlights the liminal spaces of the human experience. Praise for The Stars Will Guide Us Back: "Rue Sparks uses their writing to do exactly what science fiction and fantasy is supposed to do -- hold up a mirror to our reality that startles us out of complacency and makes us see our world in new and profound ways. While only a few pages each, the stories in The Stars Will Guide Us Back are tender, terrifying, and at times heartbreaking. They will cling to you long after you finish reading." - C. Vandyke, President and Editor-in-Chief of Skullgate Media, Author of Postcards From NeoTokyo "This is a collection that dances between the sublime and wonder found in the mundane spectacularly. Sparks' characteristic poetic prose and ability to blend whimsy and reality frames the narratives perfectly, and lures the reader into always reading just a little more to indulge further in the rich imaginative tales they craft." - Rory Michaelson, Author of Lesser Known Monsters

Rue Sparks

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