While the Morning Stars Sing
An Anthology of Spiritually Infused Speculative Fiction
Authored by Lyndon Perry
Edited by Lyndon Perry
More than 30 short stories, poems, and illustrations, make up this collection of speculative fiction with a spiritual thread running through the whole volume. From science fiction and fantasy to magic realism and supernatural thriller, this new volume from ResAliens Press introduces readers to new and established writers who can not only tell great tales but at the same time touch on eternal themes.
REVIEW by Ty Johnston
One of the things I truly love about this anthology was the diversity. All of the speculative genres are covered here, from fantasy to science fiction and horror, as well as several sub-genres of fantasy including magical realism. Too, though most of the materials here are short stories, not all are; there are a handful of poems, a short play, as well as some other works a little more difficult to explain. In a collection such as this, there are often at least a few stinkers, but I can honestly say I enjoyed everything I read here, with a handful of favorites. The first story that really popped out at me was "Fragments" by Aaron Polson, a tale of a mother who sacrifices everything for her children. Steve Goble's "The Blood of Thousands" I had read before, but it remained just as strong on second reading and is truly one of the most different vampires tales I've read. The one-act play, "God's Work," by J.J. Steinfeld stands out not only because it is a play, thus a different reading format, but for its way with words and an ending that is surprising though not necessarily a twist ending. "Hit the Button" by S. J. Higbee is one of the most charming tales of the lot, though it deals with a theme that touches us all, how we cope with loss. All of the stories touch upon spiritual aspects, some with broad stripes while others a more narrow focus, but none are too over-the-top or preachy by any means.