Shadowboxer

by Trent Zelazny

Once a happy family man, Kealan now spends his days walking aimlessly and crashing in his friend's spare room. It never seems to matter how much he walks, because his shadow is always there. When he meets younger Valerie, an inquisitive and sensitive soul, a few rays of light begin to penetrate through his dark curtains. But what about her jealous ex? How is it that some things inevitably tie together? And where does one's shadow lead to?


"I have someone new to admire.”
—Joe R. Lansdale

“A gift for storytelling is in Trent Zelazny’s genes.”
—Charles Ardai

“Trent Zelazny has already begun to carve out his own genre niche. He's got the right stuff to make fiction both engrossing and literate.”
—Tom Piccirilli

Genres: Novella, Fiction

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2011

About the author

Trent Zelazny was an American author of crime, horror, and fantastical fiction.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you never take a shot…you’re always going to miss.

Just a bit better than ok for me. Not completely unfortunate, but not entirely satisfying either.

[Bryce Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is heavy. Emotionally brutal. Kealan Donovan is trying to recover from an accident that killed his wife and son, and which he may or may not be responsible for. He's become frightened of riding in cars, and so he spends his time walking around Santa Fe, beating himself up until he meets Valerie, a young girl at a coffee shop. Possible light at the end of the tunnel? I don't want to spoil anything, but Trent Zelazny never makes things easy for his characters. This one is a thinker and worth contemplation about life, pessimism and optimism, and what does living actually mean. It's not ruining anything to say that the basketball bit really moved me. I recommend checking this one out.

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another solidly written story by Trent Zelazny. I've now read 5 of his stories and look forward to reading more!

In this dark tale, we experience life after an unthinkable tragedy has occurred for the main character, Kealan. While this is a work of fiction, it definitely has a true to life portrayal of the darkness of life and the despair one would feel after having their whole life turned upside down.

I highly recommend this and all of Zelazny's works!

"The cat's got nothing to do with it, remember? Leave the cat out of it."

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Zelazny writes. Kealan Donovan has tragically lost everything. He spends his time living in a friend's spare room and walking around town, feeling sorry for himself. At a coffee shop he meets Valerie, who begins to pull him out of his slump. But Valerie's past catches up with her, and therefore catches up with Kealan. Philosophical musings and believable action. I really liked this one.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novella of a man and the shadows of his soul as he attempts to recover from a personal tragedy. Even though it deals with the main characters' descent into a dark point in his life, it never overwhelms the reader. Compelling and cathartic.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have been a good (long) short story if it had been cut in half, but I just didn't think there was enough going on to justify a novella length treatment. Plenty of good writing here, and the overall arc was interesting, but less would have been more.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introspective, well-written.. excellent character depth and involvement, and a good story to boot. Highly recommended, a great example of Zelazny's work.