Kindle Edition Amazon Eagle Peak Press Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Eagle Peak Press Type: Fiction Pages: 79 Copyright: July 10, 2017 Price: $2.99 (eBook) Seven short stories of fantasy and sci-fi, with humor and twists. Contemporary and popular plots covering a broad spectrum.  A plunderer meets a long-dead shaman. An adopted dog has special talents. Can vampires get sick? Dan sees a strange face in the mirror, it's not his. What's that flame rising from the water off the Outer Banks? A wizard's spell has surprising results. Fribbles, not Tribbles trouble a pharmaceutical rep in the Amazon. Excerpt From the lead story, the first two paragraphs. "1190 CE The shaman looked down on the towering mountain through the eyes of a raven. She was there, in the sacred spot, her hair aflame in the bright sun burning through the oracle window. He circled lower and lower over the dusky dun rocks. Finally he traversed the hole that gave those with the gift the vision of things to come. A vision best received on those rare days in the dry Southwest when shadows danced with passing clouds on a brushy screen. A day such as this one, promising special knowledge to be shared when he reentered the man’s body resting beneath the pinion pine below. A body stilled and a mind altered by the jimson weed. He saw the future of the people this day. As it had for the three centuries since they discovered the fountain, water seeped through barely visible cracks in the scalloped green and gray stones, pooling at the base of the wall. Throughout the year, the water remained ordinary to the skin of the people and slaked their thirst. But once a year, it did something more. On that day, the magic water revived the totems that kept the people young."

Clever set of short stories
The Fountain is a collection of six science fiction and fantasy short stories by John Maberry. I like the simple, whimsical style of these stories. Each is a clever story that ends with abrupt, but clever, plot twists. The characters are realistic and interesting; their interactions are believable.
The Fountain is a sci-fi short story about a modern-day relic profiteer seeking to exploit a hidden fountain of youth protected by a 13th-century shaman.
Alfred’s Rare Blood Disorder is a fantasy short story. Alfred is a vampire. He has an eating disorder. The twist at the end of this story made me laugh. I can relate to Alfred’s plight.
Lily, An Amazing Dog is a sci-fi short story. To Roger, Lily, his golden retriever is a special dog. Several incidents lead him to suspect that she has mystical powers.
The Closet Door is a sci-fi short story. Dan has “Twilight Zone”-type (mind-bending) experiences when he looks into a mirrored closet door.
The Wizard is a fantasy short story. Love and magic collide much to the chagrin of the wizard, Zephyrus.
The Flame is a sci-fi short story. Carson, a struggling author, gets inspiration for a new book from a flame he sees over the ocean.
The Fribble is a sci-fi short story. It is the longest and most humorous of the set. Roger encounters aliens while conducting research in the jungles. SPOILER ALERT: It is to be continued.

Thought provoking short stories
If you enjoy short stories in fantasy/sci-fi genres, and stories that make you think then look no further than Maberry's tales which will engross you with stories about karma, greed, time travel, aliens and muses.

In this book you will read stories about: a dog with extra sensory perception, a writer battling his own sub-conscience, a wizard who wonders if the spells he casts for others will work for himself, a man who experiences 2 lifetimes by opening a closet door. These are just a few of the stories to stimulate your reading appetite.

Maberry is a prolific writer who knows how to keep a reader captivated till the end and finishes his stories with an unexpected twist. This book also offers an excerpt to the author's next upcoming novel. As in true Maberry style, he leaves us hanging in anticipation with more to come. A great read!

Stories with surprises
If you love stories with a surprise at the end, you will love these. Some are ironic, some cautionary, and some funny. A delight for the gray matter. Perhaps my favorite was Alfred's Strange Blood Disorder. I laughed the hardest at that one.