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Book 2
Gary Roen
Legacy Book Publishing
August 2019/ ISBN 978-194771832
Fiction/Science Fiction
Reviewed
by Leslie C. Halpern
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In his second
collection of science fiction stories, Gary Roen again focuses
on the antics of Slotski, a hideous teddy bear with claws, fangs,
and blood stains around his mouth. Despite his horrific appearance
and alien origin, the entity possessing the stuffed animal has
been tasked with using his special telepathic abilities and
magical powers to help people who are in trouble.
The book contains a prologue followed by 17 short stories in
which one way or another Slotski factors into the plot, either
directly manipulating their outcomes or even altering fate by
his mere intimidating presence, as in the case of the first
story, “Eradication.” Other interesting characters
weave their way in and out of the stories, including shape shifters,
aliens, mediums, and spirits, but there’s always Slotski,
who more often than not winds up on the top of a trash heap
before being rescued by someone whose curiosity gets the better
of them.
In some stories Slotski bear plays a small tangential role,
such as in “Conversation,” a fun story about wordplay
in which students at a school on the moon listen to a recorded
rambling conversation and must use it as a writing prompt. The
students are male custodians learning how to interact with other
people. Eventually these students will be working in the refuse
piles on the moon, one of which is the temporary home of a certain
blood-stained stuffed bear with fangs and claws.
Following the short stories are seven brief sci-fi musings that
appear at the end of the book. As in the short stories, these
creative pieces reflect a sense of play. It’s obvious
the author enjoys the “What If” factor of writing
science fiction and takes full advantage of the possibilities
in his stories. There’s often humor within the book, which
is easily accessible to most readers with its common words and
clearly-defined scientific concepts.
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