Imaginary Friends
By Arlene F. Marks
It’s always a treat to open a debut collection of short stories from an author who has been publishing them for years. That’s the case again here with Imaginary Friends, where the contents are a mix of old and new, and range from fantasy to horror to science fiction, and from quick sketches to a novella about pioneers on another planet.
Underlying all of it is Marks’s fascination with storytelling itself. Without becoming overly meta she presents characters who feel aware in different ways of the genre they find themselves performing in, conscious of being a part of stories that they both shape and are shaped by. Examples include a vampire, a neighbourhood witch, a superhero, and even the devil himself, all transposed to new surroundings (Old Scratch is at a computer store looking to update his office networking system). The results take us on unexpected diversions into new fictional territory, but with some familiar characters as our guides.
Alex on SF 
The short story reigned as king for a reason for many decades. The pendulum has definitely swung over to the tome side of the scale but it’ll slide back again at some point. I hope I can experience that return.
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I still prefer the short story form for SF. I like the invention of new worlds, but in-depth world-building drags for me.
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I have to admit, I like a situation where the author lets me use my imagination too…
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Do YOU have any imaginary friends and what are they like?
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Just a weirdo from the village of Pesky . . .
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You made that village up…
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For an imaginary friend . . .
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What are they called?
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Pesky.
This is getting circular.
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That one sounds fun.
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It’s a nice book.
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