Book Reviews and More: The Ghosts at 95 - Barry Lyga

Wednesday 8 February 2017

The Ghosts at 95 - Barry Lyga - A Short Story

The Ghosts at 95
A Short Story
Barry Lyga
B & Z Publishing
ASIN B01N4JUOCT

This is the first in a series of previously unpublished short stories to be released by Barry Lyga, one a month for the rest of the year. With all that is going on politically he has decided to publish these short stories and donate the proceeds to the ACLU. Read about that more here. Now not being American or living in the United States that is a little less important to me. But since having discovered Barry's writings back in 2009, I have read almost all his published works, including tracking down out of print anthologies that he contributed to. So any chance to read some of his short stories is a chance I will jump at.

This short story is part mysticism, part ghost story, depending on how you read it maybe all mental health issues. It is set in 2006 and Jeremy Castle has a great apartment, with a view, a job in the financial district that has made him pretty rich. And he has a secret. A secret that cost him his girlfriend, and will likely cost him his job and maybe his freedom. Jeremy is no stranger to mental health services, his mother spent the better part of his life trying to get him fixed. And now it all seems to be unravelling again.

In the author's note Barry states: "I once described this story to a friend as being about "a superhero who realized he's a superhero too late, and so he commits suicide without dying." That's probably as close as I'll ever get to figuring out what I was trying to accomplish here. Sometimes stories happen in their own way and all you can do is hang on for the ride. "The Ghosts at 95" was like that. I wrote it in a couple of days, let it sit for a little while, then tweaked it and fixed it." And the story is a wild ride. It is open to a few interpretations, and Barry looking back says he cannot even be sure of his intent when he write it.

If you are a fan of Lyga's writings it fits nicely in his cannon of work. If you are a fan of a good short story you will not be disappointed. And if you love ghost stories then this is one with a new twist. So give it a try.