Imaginary Friends


Fiction - Anthology
268 Pages
Reviewed on 10/02/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

Every person in the space colony receives a muse for enlightenment and guidance when they come of age. Danna got a strange cloud that talked to her in different voices and showed her disturbing images instead. Why is she so unlucky, and what is her uncle hiding from her? A mysterious door appears in an abandoned lot. Two brothers who lost their mother not long ago are courageous enough to knock at it. An old witch must act quickly to train a new disciple before a dark entity causes harm to insecure human beings. A devastated rabbi will learn a lesson of faith in the darkness of deep space. The colonists on the seemingly hospitable planet Manua mutate differently in the city, on the farmlands, and in the industrial part of the colony. What secret is the planet and the all-knowing Consortium keeping about their arrival in Manua long ago? Imaginary Friends by Arlene F. Marks, a collection of eleven short stories, touches on these and other topics suitable for fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, adventure, and short prose.

In Imaginary Friends, Arlene F. Marks combines many genres to offer a compelling collection of short stories. The Witch in the ’Hood shows the fight between good and evil from an unusual point of view. It is a fascinating mix of fantasy and sci-fi genres with deep meaning and interesting characters, like wise old Dorene. Trust, responsibility, and readiness to withstand evil are among the themes of this captivating story. Fans of horror will appreciate Business is Business. This darkly humorous story reveals that digitization has not spared even Hell. I liked the heartwarming and positive Comfort Food the most. It gives us much-needed hope amidst the turmoil of our everyday reality. Another story with profound significance is Candles. Arlene tells us that we must not abandon our efforts to find light despite the darkness around us. The Best Defence is a thought-provoking story that speaks out against the arrogance peculiar to humankind and warns us not to take the apparent innocence of nature and its creatures for granted. Flawlessly edited, Imaginary Friends will easily capture the attention of the thoughtful reader.