An Orbit of Chairs

© KJ Hannah Greenberg, 2023

An Orbit of Chairs
Seashell Books, USA.
Feb. 27, 2024.
Buy it here.

Professional accomplishment is nice, desirable, and economically helpful, but not quintessential. More specifically, musing about the exactitudes of literature, is, at best, of limited relevance to life. Writers ought, instead, to place their relationships before their accomplishments.

On balance, the exploration of fiery topics exposes important ideas and can discomfort readers sufficiently for them to take notice or, ideally, to evoke social change. Writing that urges principles to become actions is worth the time required for its construction. That is, whether storytellers concern themselves with the minutia of garum made from fish entrails or with the gist of seemingly impossible future cities’ arcology, they must remain inquisitive and express curiosity about all manner of trifles and all manner of nitty-gritty. Both details and aggregates, often for entirely different reasons, ought to be illuminated by authors.

Nonetheless, romanticizing manuscripts is dysfunctional. Editors and publishers are aware of what sells. Work gets published not because of high flying moral standards but because of factors existing “beyond the page.” When considering which books to produce, gatekeepers usually look first at potential revenues. Hence, neither a work’s literary quality nor its originator’s relative charisma are primary considerations in a volume’s acceptance.

Still, wordies tend to live far away from the fiduciary world. Accordingly, they care that whereas not all of their tales are preternatural, all of them should harbor consequence.

To wit, this collection of stories includes genre literature as well as mainstream fare. In this assemblage, for instance, a feral cat is depicted in a tale about a tiger, in a story about a feline from another world, and in an allegory about a lost kitten. Kowtowing to market requirements is formulaic to writing, but so, too is crafting entertaining or enlightening pieces.

Preface
1. Literary Fiction
1.1 Did Ya Know
1.2 The Mayonnaise Jar
1.3 Public Potties
1.4 Bahadar
1.5 Bliss
1.6 Food Forest “Friends”
1.7 The Vegetable Butcher
1.8 Hasp
1.9 Everyone’s a Chemist
1.10 Dire Acts
1.11 The “Nonexperts”
1.12 Kowtowing
1.13 Returning Home to Die
1.14 Alive Another Day
1.15 Aliyah Turning Point
1.16 The Day of Curried Fish
1.17 One-Eyed, Long-Nosed, Espying Rooftop Pigeon Eater
1.18 Emmet
2. Speculative Fiction
2.1. The Hero Code
2.2 Welcome to the Moon
2.3 Deigning to be a Generalist
2.4 Laic
2.5 Skunk and Zebra: Interdependence at its Best
2.6 Far from the White Pass and Yukon Route
2.7 Fido, The Cat, and The Capsule
2.8 Sociology 101, Lesson 6
2.9 Predators’ Allies
2.10 Many Generations
2.11 Kayla
2.12 Agouti Coat
2.13 Bionic Mushrooms and Sundry Other Things
2.14 Hard Copy
2.15 An Unsuccessful Attempt at Rehoming a Two-Headed Wildebeest
2.16 The Imagination Specialist
2.17 Bottled Resistance
2.18 After Defeating a Dragon
3. More Fiction
3.1 Death by Children
3.2 Dulse Days
3.3 Bee Cop
3.4 Viral Weeks
3.5 Not Comforted
3.6 Light Notes
3.7 Safta’s Valise
3.8 Private Property
3.9 Not Quite a Bullseye for Owmapow
3.10 Shucks among Aging Partners
3.11 New Intimacies
3.12 Not Surprising
3.13 Loose Leaves
3.14 Free Time
3.15 Selma
3.16 Jumble Sales amid Jumble Governance
3.17 Félicette 's Voyage
3.18 The Impossible Award for Dee-Dee
3.19 Fluffy vs. The Hummingbird
Credits
Dedication
About the Author
KJ Hannah Greenberg’s Other Books