Firebird Book Award
(December 2025)
The Artificial Elephant - stories of loss, magic, and hope
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
"RECOMMENDED" by the US Review of Books
“★★★★★. Very highly recommended.” - Reader's Favorite
Character-driven literary speculative fiction for readers who crave haunting emotional payoffs.
A boy grieves the impossible beast that healed him. A house searching for its lost family. A vampire steals back her lovers’ tears. A scavenger hunt gone hilariously awry. Two lovers dancing at the end of the world.
Ghosts. Love. Winter. Hope. These 22 stories of fantasy, science fiction, and horror cast flickering light against the crowding darkness. They embrace the transformations between grief and love, kindness and bitter fate.
Reviews
"One moment I was caught up in surreal magic, the next navigating the stark corridors of a near-future dystopia. His imagination feels limitless, quirky, strange, and often surprising, but what resonated was the emotional depth behind it all. These aren't just clever ideas; they're explorations of grief, resilience, and the longing for connection. I found myself reflecting on those themes long after I'd put the book down."
"This is a collection of masterful storytelling, featuring unique characters and highly diverse plots, unified by themes of grief, loneliness, and hope. Powerful, poignant, and extremely well-written, these stories peel back the layers of the human psyche and invite readers to step into the characters' skins."
"Libraries and readers seeking short stories filled with magic and life adaptations will love this intersection between fantasy and psychological realms. It sizzles with insight and survival tactics - perfect reading for modern times."













