Back of Beyond

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

The dozen short stories that make up this collection all concern strange
experiences that seem to transcend the boundaries of everyday life.
While exhibiting a variety of moods, the stories share the same tendency
to leave the readers wondering and questioning. For example, is the
narrator of “Gore,” an avid reader of horror writer R.L. Tankard,
really attacked by a “thing,” or is the horrific episode just a
contrivance enabling her to outwit her brother? Genuine adolescent
concerns are explored in “Potato,” in which a girl is worried about
her brother’s involvement in a cult; and in “Visitors,” which
finds the narrator alarmed about the deteriorating health of her
anorexic best friend. Back of Beyond is a book to be savored. Highly
recommended.