“A Collector’s Price” is a story about a man who lies, cheats, and steals from multiple people including those closest to him in order to obtain some rare, magical objects. This story was written with the question of what would someone sacrifice to gain material wealth and is it worth it in the end? I myself am guilty of always desiring to have a full set of something, whether I need a set or not, whether it’s a set of coins, an evolutionary line of Pocket Monsters, or rare cards that were in limited print. I may never use these things, but in my mind the value is greater when you have it all… But I would not condone what the man in this story does.
The short narrative poem “Last Wish” is dedicated to one of my best friends. I basically wrote a conversation we had about what his dying wish would be and what lengths I might go through to fulfill it. As crazy as this piece might sound, it kind of makes you wonder how far a friend would go to honor you, dead or alive. In the end, this poem is about leaving behind your past sorrows and moving forward with life no matter where you find yourself.
“The Standout” is probably a story that we’ve heard or seen too many times… But you know what? I WROTE IT ANYWAY! Pretty much every story is about a protagonist who lives a simple life by society’s rules only to receive a call to action or just wake up and make a decision to be great, no matter the consequences. That is really all this story is. So, accept the call to action, and be great!
“Evolution” is probably one of the oddest stories in the book, but I thought it was worth including because it was written with the idea of the creator’s relationship with the creation. It’s about a son’s acceptance of who he is, but also aspiring to be like his father and understand him, just as humans possess curiosity about our existence and the desire to be greater. The story is about passing on a torch, from teacher to student. It is also modeled after God and Jesus… obviously.
“Roadtrip” is another cautionary tale about how the benefits of technology can also be dangerous. While machines are manmade there are some things in the universe, such as time and space, people shouldn’t tamper with. I explicitly state in the story how our culture has become more interested in instant gratification, but I also imply in the end how accidents can reveal opportunity. (SPOILER /MAN-SPLAINER ALERT: If it is not clear, in the end the elderly people see an opportunity to stop their own aging process so that they can essentially live forever.)
And that wraps up this bit! Only 6 more stories to cover and more fun to be had in my reflecting on this first book of mine. Check it out here and come back for more ramblings, because of course there is always more to come!