Grey Mars and Other Short Stories‪.‬

An assemblage of short stories in different genres; science fiction, crime, western and so-called real-life, Grey Mars and Other Stories is the first collection by Christopher J Young.

Grey Mars
A tale set in the near future concerning Mankind's falling dreams of colonisation and the entropy that inevitably follows. Elena Yoshino, losing her mind, strives to return home and leave her drab Martian existence behind. She is guided on her mission by Kundulu, the ghost of one of the original Martian natives, who she sees despite the fact that there never was life on Mars. Giving in to her madness, Elena sets off into the Martian desert...

The Anniversary
Ten years ago, Jim took his unfaithful wife out into the woods to kill her. Now he's back at the scene...

An Ending in Tokyo
Bronson is an American cop in Tokyo. He is concerned for the mental welfare of his Japanese partner Nakata, after Nakata shoots dead a killer on the run. Bronson feels an inner peace in Japan that he has never had before. He plans on staying, but does Nakata plan on staying too?

Frankie

Ten-year old Frankie has been taken away from his family. And now the Family have caught up with his abductor.

Retribution
A tale set in the old west of America. James Finlay has spent a decade tracking down the friend who destroyed his life. Now he has found him, but both men are changed...

Lesley's Death
“If I hadn’t have shot Lesley, I would have married her.” When confronted by the ghost of Lesley, Danny would soon know what being haunted really meant.

Mickey's War
Eleven year old Mickey Sharp has a lot to deal with in life. His father is away at war, and he is bullied at school. He retires, for much of the time, into a fantasy world.

Grave
A short autobiographical piece on the loss of a dear friend.

These stories deal with the familiar theme of loss, be it the losing of a friend, or a home world, or even the will to live.

Life isn't always good, but by the same token, it isn't always bad either...