Dear readers, we’re thrilled to bring to your attention the reviews of the short story collection “In Alien Eyes”, authored several years ago by Volodymyr Rafeyenko and Ihor Bondar-Tereschenko.
These stories blend Oscar Wilde’s aesthetic with the metaphysical depth of Stalker. They’re expansive, yet the author skillfully harnesses the techniques of his forerunners, drawing us into the narrative for a few hours. It’s a brief journey, considering it melds natural philosophy, anthropology, and steampunk seamlessly, and even more impressive given its exploration of world creation through these stories depicting the planet’s end. “Sinners must wait in the Icy Purgatory of rivers and lakes. The righteous will ascend to the heavens before returning to earth with white fluff.” The author’s voice occasionally breaks through the mist of reflective, poetic prose, taking on an urban tone, infused with existential dread and everyday metaphysics. At times, the stories burst into a vivid cascade of details. The lake fairy, the mountain troll, and the thrill and terror of video games becoming a tangible reality. “Instead, the lady jabbed me in the chest with her staff and I went under, the dark water closing over me, and the shadowy silhouette of my goddess against the backdrop of the huge moon merged with the blackness of the pond.” The author maintains a high standard, avoiding any bar-lowering. His decadent, virtual constructs form a complex and robust foundation within the genre. Small tragedies, melancholic parables, and skillful vignettes unfold against the fading backdrop of our dreams. Ihor Bondar-Tereshchenko, literary critic
This fantasy anthology stands out for the author’s distinctive take on life. He reshapes everyday occurrences into something extraordinary, transforming our familiar world into realms that are magical, eerie, haunting, brutally senseless, or comforting like beloved childhood fairy tales. It’s amazing how a slight shift in perspective can alter our understanding of “life”. The power to see the world through “alien eyes” acts as a master key, opening up universes that are always close at hand, just waiting to be discovered. It takes courage and an open mind to discern these hidden dimensions and view the world in ways never imagined before. In the end, it’s by seeing ourselves through these “alien eyes” that we truly begin to grasp our own identity. Volodymyr Rafeenko
