Foreword
This is a reprint of my first short story collection. Golden Gryphon did a wonderful job with the original edition. It was a hardcover, archival quality, acid free paper, sewn binding, a cover by John Picacio—a beautiful, nearly indestructable book. But it was not particularly affordable. When Gary Turner returned the rights to me I approached Patrick Swenson about doing paper and ebook editions through his Fairwood Press imprint. I wanted to keep the book available and, finally, at a reasonable price. Maybe it would reach some readers who had passed on the first round. Patrick readily agreed, and so here we are.
These stories represent my first professional expression as a writer. Many of them are what I call wound stories. As such, they form a picture of a particular type of character. I call him an outsider. My wife refers to him as “tortured lonely guy.” Well, you get the idea. Anyway, this book means a lot to me. The writing of these stories preserved my sanity and led me to the far shore. It is no exageration to say Are You There and Other Stories changed my life. May you discover your own far shore.
—Jack Skillingstead
January 2014