Tuesday 26 November 2019

The Shape of Things to Come - ML Clark

The Shape of Things to Come
ML Clark
Caanan Grall (Illustrator)
Smashwords
ISBN 9780463808399

 


I read this book the day before it released. I read it with my two youngest children. And I might be a little biased, but I think this is an incredible read. This book set in the multiverse is about a different Liam. But was written about and for my son. he will be getting his first cast in a few weeks. And we loved the story. I met ML Clark many years ago, I was a mature student, and she was a bright eyed undergrad. She was also the Arts Editor for my university paper Imprint. And though our religious and political views are often on different ends of the spectrum we have developed a solid friendship. She has now moved away and yet we stay in contact.

This book was written in part because she wanted to find a book for my son. A book about a boy struggling with illness and medical issues. She found many about girls but not one about boys that she thought would be a good fit, so she wrote one. I read it to the kids the day it arrived in my inbox. And they immediately wanted to get copies to share with their family, friends, and classmates. The book reflects some of what Liam had been through and some of what is to come. My children were familiar with the multiverse concept from the Flash, Supergirl and other shows and books.

This story follows a Liam as he adapts to life in a body cast. He is Catholic, but no longer attends a Catholic school. He servs at mass. And he thinks deeply about his own situation, the situation and feelings of others, and about what is happening in the world around him. He is struggling with the story his class picked for a school event. He is struggling with his church being under repairs. And he is struggling with his body cast and the wait for spinal surgery.

The story brings hope. It also teaches the lesson about talking about what is going on in our lives and getting the help we need. Both lessons we needed the week we read the story. My kids already want to read it again. They loved the similarities and also the differences, between our Liam and the Liam in the story, and our family and the family in the story. And that is always a sign of a good book. It is a book our family will always treasure, and we hope your family will enjoy.

Note: You can get the eBook here for free.

Books by M.L. Clark:
Children
The Bitter Sweet Here and After - Short Story
Uncle Remy's Whizz-Bang Circus
Game of Primes
Fat of the Land
The Shape of Things to Come
The Stars, Their Faces Uplifted in Song

Then Raise the Dead Man High
The Shadow & The Shadow

The Menagerie Mysteries:
The Stars, At Last Count
Wildly Runs The Dying Sun

K-City Kink Sisters:
Lacing Up To Reality - Short Story
One For The Team - Short Story

Contributed to:
Bastion Issue #6 September 2014
Lightspeed: Year One
Lightspeed Magazine, March 2011
The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2017


Analog:
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, June 2013
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 2014
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, September 2015


Clarksworld:
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 199
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 193
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 181
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 173
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 165
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 162
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 156
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 123
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 92
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 86
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 80
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 74

Works translated by M.L. Clark:
The Marquise of Yolombo - Tomás Carrasquilla
...
Author Profile Interview with M.L. Clark


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