Guest Author - Sharon Cullars

Each week we will present a short story writer whose work stands above the rest. We will also take suggestions from those of you who happen upon a story or writer whose tales have moved you in some way. There is no limitation on genre but I would suggest that the story be no more risque than an R rating.

This week we present the works of Gary Braunbeck, a prolific writer who has sold over 170 short stories to various publications and whose works include three collections, among which is THINGS LEFT BEHIND, nominated for the 2000 Bram Stokers Award.

Although most label his stories as horror, in a August, 2000 interview with DarkEcho, he stated simply:

"Forget Genre. I cannot sit down and say to myself, "I'm going to write a 'horror' story," because if I do, I will -- consciously or not -- feel compelled to use overly-familiar tropes, even if they're not needed. So I decide that I want to write a story about a ghost, period. If from there it becomes horrific, fine; if it turns into a light fantasy, that's great, too; hell, one ghost story I wrote ("Mail-Order Annie," which appeared in CAT CRIMES THROUGH TIME) turned into a Western, and is one of the most atmospheric tales I've done in years."

Braunbeck’s works go beyond the horrific, reflecting human tragedies with an understanding of someone who has personally suffered his own share of sorrows and has a poignant insight into what moves a person’s soul. He has a wonderful site at www.garybraunbeck.com which features a story of the month.

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Here is one of his stories featured at Dark Planet called The Child Looks Back at You and Screams

A mother is given a choice: abandon your child or lose him forever. What would you do?