Original publication

2026

Average rating

5.0

Total reads logged

1

Opening Excerpt

From the story

It almost returned to Kit then—what this place was, and who was waiting for them inside.

Story Vibe & Style Profile

Literary Dimensions
Emotional Weight 4.3 / 5

Poignant

Narrative Pacing 1.7 / 5

Contemplative

Literary Style 2.9 / 5

Clear Realism

Speculative / Reality 2.6 / 5

Realistic / Mimetic

Readers

Recent Reviews

A story with this much emotional baggage can weigh it down, but JCO knows heavy emotional writing -- she makes it look effortless. It wasn't overblown. It wasn't unrealistic. Even the response of the friend seems realistic, given the gravity of the situation. Worth a read.

Appearances

About the Author

Joyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collection Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).

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