Modern Day Fables

It is difficult to accurately summarize eleven very different stories, each of which stands alone. However, if there is a recurring theme in Modern Day Fables it is that of the eternal conflict between the individual and society, between the unique and the formulaic. Each story, or fable, looks at the issue from a different angle, and does so specifically within the context of the current way of thinking in the world.

• The book's first story, Screen, takes place in the near future where a technological innovation allows for the majority of life to be lived inside a virtual world. As life in the real world becomes more and more scarce, and a strange illness starts spreading throughout the population, a young woman named Misha finds herself drawn deep into the true nature of a sinister company called SciTech.
• In The IV Club, a new extracurricular group forms at Glenwood High. Led by a charismatic teacher, it promises relief from suffering through the recognition that we are all innocent victims. While it catches on like wildfire throughout the school and beyond, one student's skepticism leads her to uncover what the aim of the club really is.
• A young man who has recently graduated college finds himself struggling with where to go in his life in the story, Precipice. After Jake ends up aimlessly walking the campus of his old university one night with a friend, what starts as a nostalgic trip down memory lane quickly turns into a nightmare. A mysterious ally, hostile pursuers, and some suddenly not-so-familiar faces lead him to the verge of a decision that will decide his fate.

Within these stories, as well as the rest in the book, you will see the ideals and expectations of society destroy some characters, as well as be exploited by others for power. But most importantly you will find those rare individuals who discover the courage inherent within them to stand apart from the status quo. They are not fearless heroes, but normal everyday people, conflicted yet confident, fearful yet bold. It is within these characters that lessons of the fables lie.