Spells & Stardust is Scott’s first anthology – eight sci fi and fantasy shorts that run the gamut from regeneration to redemption. The Bear at the Bar: A gay fish out of water tale with a pinch of magic.Tight: What happens when your lover disappears in midair?Morgan: The year when everything changed.Re-Life: What if you were reborn in a strange new future?A New Year: They met every eleven … future?
A New Year: They met every eleven years. And each time, Hank’s life changed.
Repetition: What if you wanted to go back in the closet?
Gargoyle: Sometimes you get what you deserve. Sometimes it happens on All Hallows Eve.
Avalon: A few bright moments in the sun, stolen from outside time.
Most of these stories have been previously published in various anthologies and journals. This is the first time they have all been collected in one place.
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Spells & Stardust by J. Scott Coatsworth is a collection of eight short stories that are fantasy/sci-fi. They mostly are stories that were previously published but are now packaged together in this fantastic bundle. I appreciated the extra notes the author includes after each short, letting the reader know the story behind the story and letting us glimpse a piece of why the work exists and means what it does for J Scott Coatsworth. This is perfect for when you want a touch of fantasy. They are short but highly entertaining. I could read one story at a time in between doing my household chores or read it all in one setting if I have time. I could see myself rereading this collection and for me, that’s not a usual thing.
In The Bear at the Bar, a conceited gay man named Dex blows off a Bear at the bar, thinking he is too good for the overweight man. The next day he wakes up to a huge surprise that changes him and his views.
Very entertaining freaky Friday type story. Sometimes you must see things through different eyes to realize what’s true.
In Tight, a man lost in his sadness after losing his husband a year before has an interesting experience while flying.
Wow, what an ending… loved it.
In Morgan, a man meets an intriguing and mysterious young man who changes everything. Ooh this one is good. I really liked the direction that took at the end.
In Re-Life, a sick man is “reborn” healed in the future and explores the new and strange new world.
I love the idea of rebirth into the future. The future depicted was fascinating… I would read more about this future if the author ever wrote more.
In A New Year, teenage Hank met Dale on the night he was going to end his life. They meet every eleven years on New Years and each time, Hank’s life is changed for the better.
A sometimes sad New Years tale that made me tear up and then smile.
In Repetition, we get a story of a man who can change reality for others. His latest client is looking to go back into the closet. But to do so, he would have to change his own past.
This one is really good. What could go wrong when you are messing with the past?
In Gargoyle, we get the story of a “straight” jock trying to use the gay boys and getting a surprise instead.
Foul language from a homophobic jock, but the story was entertaining and I liked how it ended.
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in Avalon, a man finds himself and his dying lover in a wonderful magical new existence. But can it last.
This made me cry again… and then smail… again.
This collection is great. I love the variety of the stories and definitely recommend this.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.