Trysts: A Triskaidecollection of Queer and Weird Stories

by Steve Berman

Overview

Steve Berman has assembled thirteen of his most evocative stories, all of which revolve around the central theme of the assignation or 'tryst.' But these passionate hookups and romantic encounters range from the eerie to the horrifying to the wondrous. Trysts offers readers dark and quirky tales from a distinctive new voice in gay fiction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590210000
Publisher:	Lethe Press
Publication date:	09/01/2001
Pages:	164
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.22(h) x 0.43(d)

About the Author

Steve Berman has published over a hundred articles, essays, and short fiction works. He has been a finalist for the Andre Norton Award, Lambda Literary Award, Golden Crown Literary Award, and Shirley Jackson Awards. He has edited more anthologies of queer speculative fiction than any other individual, alive or dead. He resides in southern New Jersey, where he runs Lethe Press, a small press that publishes books offering queer and weird adventures for readers of every gender and sexual identity.

Read an Excerpt

Saj lived on the top floor of a not-too-distant building. Zane rested his head against the elevator wall. The elevator seemed to have too many buttons, and most of them had weird lettering instead of numbers.
The sliding doors opened on a dim hall. Zane trudged along after Saj, thankful when they stopped at an apartment door. Saj smiled at him as he turned a key in the lock. Inside, a bare bulb hung from the ceiling and flickered annoyingly. A mattress on the floor, layers of colorful blankets, and lots of pillows kept the front room from being empty. Cracks in the graying plaster decorated the bare walls.
Saj pointed across the room at a far door. "There's the bathroom. The rest I wouldn't bother with." He began pulling off clothes: first the sweater, then the shirt underneath. Bare-chested, he hesitated a moment in front of Zane, who blushed deeply and turned his head to stare out the window.
"I'm going to take a shower," he heard Saj call out. A moment later the door closed, and soon the soothing sound of the shower running filled the apartment.
Zane sank to his knees amid all the pillows with a sigh. The memory of a shirtless Saj, with his perfect, smooth, muscular chest, stayed with him, making it even easier to relax in bed. He was asleep soon after laying his head down.
Zane stirred awake when he felt the mattress sag under the other's weight. Saj’s bare skin gave off a cool and fresh aura. "Can I touch you?" he whispered in Zane's ear. Zane struggled to keep his eyes open, and lightly grunted, sleepily rolling over onto his back so his body brushed against Saj. He shivered when a cool hand slipped underneath his T-shirt and began stroking his stomach. But though part of him was stirring, by the time the wet kisses began on his neck, he was falling asleep again.

Table of Contents

	Beach 2	1
	Stormed and Taken in Prague	9
	His Paper Doll	17
	The Resurrectionist	23
	Path of Corruption	31
	Vespers	47
	Left Alone	55
	Cries Beneath the Plaster	59
	Finn's Night	69
	Resemblances	79
	Tea Time with Corn Dolly	87
	The Anthvoke	95
	Hair Like Fire, Blood Like Silk	119

Editorial Reviews

"Steve Berman's short fiction collection Trysts: A Triskaidecollection of Queer and Weird Stories is a rare gem. These thirteen tales of desire and passion -- with a nod to the supernatural and the fantastic -- are skillfully wrought with surprising, wonderful results. The prose is strong, the characters interesting, the stories highly original and generically diverse. With stories ranging from gothic horror to fantasy to erotica, Trysts will satisfy readers of varied interests." - Greg Wharton for Strange Horizons

From the Publisher

"'Trysts' includes stories of awakening desire and dreams fulfilled, as well as tales of innocence corrupted and dark passions sated. Some tales barely dance on the edge of the supernatural while others revel in it. Throughout, Berman infuses each story with enough atmosphere to grab even the most jaded of readers.... Goths, fans of the horror and dark fantasy genres, and those seeking a little something to spice up an autumn evening will all certainly get their money's worth here."

New York Blade

"An interesting collection of dark fantasy stories by a new author."

QueerHorror.com

"Trysts, by Steve Berman, is a collection of thirteen stories that is as wonderful as it is strange. It is strange because of its world of the Fallen — voodoo dolls, Ouija boards, living statues, and other accoutrements of the macabre. It is wonderful because Berman has a powerful sense of irony, mystery, and romance. His stories are ethereal, poetic, and most importantly concise. Like delicate chocolates, each story leaves the reader with an insatiable hunger for more."

X-Factor

"All in all, Trysts is a marvelous collection and a surprisingly adept debut for Berman. Goths, fans of the horror and dark fantasy genres, and those seeking a little something to spice up an autumn evening will all certainly get their money's worth here!"

Wavelengths Online

"It’s not for everyone, but it is for a lot of people who enjoy both gay and fantasy writing."

Quest