Alyssa Warren – författare

In Spirit of Orn, the cycles of human experience turn again as history repeats itself in the post-apocalyptic future. Centuries after the events that led to global ruin and the decimation of human civilization, almost everything about the former world has been forgotten—even that which led to its destruction. Now, as city states struggle for survival, merciless and ambitious men cloaked in ignorance seize power, rule with fear, and lead the people to war.Cowardice, redemption, and the search of self are all in play as Conn—a twice bereaved, depressive blacksmith—navigates an unknown world to find a runaway boy with a party of deeply scarred strangers. On his journey, Conn is confronted with the atrocities of human history and must find a reason for life and hope in spite of the despair, cruelty, and absurdity of existence. Set in Scandinavia and the North Atlantic, Warren pays homage to the cultures and manners of the Nordic people with an extraordinary attention to detail. Take my invitation and enter the world of Orn, get lost in its wild lands, and discover that the despair of life may be the strongest proof of its meaning.

In the cold wastes of the Midwest, a blizzard blows against John Henry. Flying over an oil well in a private helicopter, Pecos Bill is caught up in memories of the past. Preparing to lead a nature hike, Paul Bunyan argues semantics with a talking bear. In the sweltering heat of India, 120 miles from civilization, Johnny Appleseed is drinking himself into ignorance in an animal testing facility. Once pristine, the American West is now desolate. Struggle and disillusionment are commonplace among the people. Opportunity is masked in exploitation. A novella in four parts, Tall Men and Other Tales is a journey through Modern Americana, preoccupied and made stagnant by nostalgia. The Frontier is dead and in the ruins of the 21st century, the great myths of our past must rise up and claim their rightful place in society, or be sentenced to fade from memory. From the Author of Spirit of Orn comes a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be an American through the eyes of our greatest legends. A stunning work of Magic Realism, Stuart Warren''s Tall Men and Other Tales is a testament to what Americans have endured, and a cautionary tale on the consequences of sacrificing our integrity.Included in this collection is selection of short stories, "Other Tales," Post-American myths that explore the conspiracy of prosperity. Featuring coma patients, super-intelligent factory workers, and black-op pixies!

''''Wait. Patient. Now. Not long. Good girl. Wait here. Brave girl. Back in a jiffy. Think of it as a vacation.''''Big Bend, population 500. South Dakota, 1988. Eight-year-old Tiny Mite lives in a ramshackle farmhouse next to her grandfather’s crashed airplane and the pine tree where she trains as a spy. Goddamn is her favourite word. Taking pictures with a homemade camera is her new big thing. She lives with Bee, her apocalypse-obsessed grandmother and Luvie, her hard-drinking great-aunt. And then there’s her mother, Velvet – beautiful, heartbroken, desperate, impulsive. One night, Tiny Mite goes to the basement and hears a cry, but it’s not what she imagines and nothing will ever be the same.Six years later, Clea won’t let anyone call her Tiny Mite anymore. Luvie is sober and Bee’s health is failing. Velvet has been gone for years, and nobody except Bee will even mention her name. Alone, angry and dressed in her grandfather’s old hunting clothes, Clea mopes through ditches and fields taking photographs until she hatches a plan with another loner, a boy with an unspeakable past.This is a story of mothers and daughters. Of people tied by blood and home. Of moments captured and lifetimes lost. And of things never quite turning out as expected.''''Not The Only Sky is not only beautifully and poignantly written, but also provides fascinating insights into life in rural America. Alyssa Warren captures perfectly the profound vulnerability of her characters, particularly that of Tiny Mite and her mother Velvet. Tiny Mite’s voice is highly original, as she gives meaning to a life and childhood experiences that might otherwise be impossible to make sense of.''''– JULIET CONLIN, author of The Uncommon Life of Alfred Warner in Six Days