Short stories are deceptively simple: characters in situations do things for a limited amount of time. In the hands of short story master Gregory J. Wolos, simplicity leads to a rare depth of literature that holds a reader’s mind well beyond the final line. A grandfather nearly doesn’t make it to a new phase of life. A candlemaker waxes on about his complex life. A family reemerges from isolation after an alternative-universe pandemic. An aging musician may be betrayed by his own brain. A teacher puzzles over how to be present for a traumatized young student and his own son. Wolos brings these and other stories to life with suspense, empathy, and the power of writer whose work will captivate readers for years to come.
“Gregory J. Wolos’s work will make you laugh out loud and, in the next moment, transport you to the other side of the mirror. Like Kurt Vonnegut, he shows us life’s dark and heartbreaking absurdity. Wolos captures moment of ordinary life and turns them upside down to uncover their truth.”
—Jessica Barcomb, author of Letting Go
In The Green Ray and Other Stories, Gregory J. Wolos is at the pinnacle of his conspicuous talent, and that is really saying something because his previous short fiction collections occupy a prominent place in the pantheon of best short fiction. By any measure, he is one of the most original and adept writers at work today, and this new volume is an occasion to celebrate. The literary canon is enriched by Wolos’s formidable imagination and authentic voice. In every one of Wolos’s masterful tales, we witness his dedication to the art and craft of storytelling. There is nothing facile here. Hard work has been done to consummate effect, and the reader is lavishly rewarded.”
—Michael C. Keith, author of The Late Epiphany of a Low-Key Oracle
