The Butterfly Disjunct: And Other Stories

by Stewart C. Baker

A scientist haunted by an impossible ghost. A cocky poet attempting to outrun peace. A grieving mother looking for life beneath Europa’s icy surface. A ship AI desperate to rescue its beloved crew. An ongoing fight against the end of existence. Equal parts earnest and strange, Stewart C Baker’s stories span the breadth of human emotion, space, and time. In this debut collection, gender and genre collide to celebrate relationships and empathy in all their forms.

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Science Fiction, Short Story Collection, Mystery, Fiction, Dystopia

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2024

About the author

Stewart C Baker is an academic librarian and author of speculative fiction, poetry, and interactive fiction. His most recent game is the Nebula-nominated The Bread Must Rise, a novel-length comedic fantasy from Choice of Games written with James Beamon. Stewart’s stories and poems have appeared in Asimov’s, Fantasy, Flash Fiction Online, Lightspeed, Nature and other places. Born in England, Stewart has lived in South Carolina, Japan, and Los Angeles, and now lives with his family within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya in Oregon—although if anyone asks, he’ll usually say he’s from the Internet.

Reviews

[Dane Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for my advanced copy of The Butterfly Disjunct. It's a 3.5 for me. I really enjoyed the style of Baker's writing. Each story had a unique premise and the creativity within each was great! I particularly enjoyed "the spread of space and endless devastation" and "memorial park." They both explore grief beautifully in such a short format. Most of the stories had strong emotional backings and while some overstayed and some I wanted more of I didn't dislike any of the stories. It was a quick read with lots of different ideas and plenty to take in, but that is what knocked it down a bit for me. It was a lot shoved into one book small book. The creativity and power behind most of the stories really sticks out and I am excited to see if Baker does more in both the short form or longer.

[MagnoliaJule · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story anthology. Each story is a unique and multifaceted adventure which can be read either for a quick fun time, or pondered deeply. The stories range from unsettling to riotous adventure. Still, each story has a deeper theme swirling under the surface. For example, what is being human and what does that look like in the future? Experiencing claustrophobic grief in a simulation. Does justice disappear when survival starts? When does “peace” become oppressive?

I honestly feel these stories need to be savored. I would like to have this book living on my night stand or end table picking it up in a quiet moment to read and re-read my favorite stories. (How To Escape From The Marshes is not to be missed and I could read a whole novel with this FMC)

Good sci-fi takes you on a fantastic journey and captures your imagination. Great sci-fi captures your heart and makes you ponder the complex themes of life. This is great sci-fi and I will be thinking about these stories for the rest of my life. I am excited to see what Baker writes in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Intersteller Flight Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Mary Argetsvell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a whirlwind of interesting but delightfully distinct stories and snippets of life in a speculative future. It was hard to pin this collection of stories down, as was likely the point, since it explored so many different experiences. My personal favorites were the "the spread of space and endless devastation" and "memorial park." Both dealt with coming to terms with fate and grief, but in wildly different contexts. I don't want to give away the meat of their story so I will simply say they made me, angry, sad, and hopeful all at once. Many of these stories, including the two I mentioned, are looking for hope in dismal places and finding it.

A couple of the stories and writings were far enough out there that I couldn't relate well to them, and these stories took a backseat to the deeper and more relatable experiences within this anthology. That being said, not all of them seemed like they were meant to be relatable, some, like "how to configure your own quantum disambiguator" and "how to break causality and write the perfect time travel story" fell into the category of clever and quirky speculative fiction rather than the deeper and more emotionally developed stories of love and grief sprinkled throughout the volume.

Overall, this was a lovely reading experience and I'm glad I was able to read it through NetGalley in exchange for reviewing the book. I would recommend this if you're looking for a lot of variety packed into bite-sized science and speculative fiction. It was easy to read one or two stories from this anthology before bed each night.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stewart C Baker's 'The Butterfly Disjunct' is a collection of science fiction short stories that span across many galaxies, centuries and timelines! I loved this collection of work very much. It was such a wonderful, chaotic and fun read. Every story had an unusual element to it as they discuss themes of politics, science, relationships the environment and so many more.

There was so much variety and so many worlds in this short collection, an absolutely delightful aspect of the book. The shortness of each story allowed for fast paced, engaging reads that kept the reader drawn into these creative and expanse worlds.

One factor to the collection that I loved was the recurring characters, Kirsi and Aaala, who's development we got to follow across several stories. This allowed the collection to feel interconnected and created an underlying sense of growth to the novel. Several stories, especially 'How to Configure your Quantum Disambiguator' also had big 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' vibes which I adored! The chaos and randomness to the stories were an extremely fun and hilarious touch!

I thoroughly enjoyed the collection as a whole, but some stories felt that they were too short and some of the characters and plots were left underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more. This also resulted in some stories becoming quite confusing to understand due to how brief and fast paced they were.

I loved 'The Butterfly Disjunct' and I believe that Baker did a wonderful job at creating such a fun and thought provoking read. Fans of science fiction and h2g2 will love this collection!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Luke Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Butterfly Disjunct by Stewart C. Baker is a collection of science fiction short stories that “span the breadth of human emotion, space, and time.”
To tell the truth, I found myself struggling to write this review. In many ways The Butterfly Disjunct defies description. It refuses to be pigeonholed into cliche and trope and instead forges its own path. One that allows it to stand tall in its occasional weirdness and differing perspectives.
The characters are quintessentially human (even those that aren't) and ooze a certain charm that is hard to resist. The prose is simple but doesn't hold your hand, and it feels like every word has been chosen carefully to do what it needs to do. The stories seem to be in a shared universe, with names that cross story boundaries and a couple stories that provide an ongoing narrative when put together.
It's not without its flaws. Some stories end abruptly with little to no payoff and some are lacking in a cohesive plot, making them feel floaty and disjointed. That might be what Baker is going for but I don't know how much it works for me.
That being said, The Butterfly Disjunct is a delightful collection of stories that is well worth the read.

I received an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jared Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Butterfly Disjunct is a diverse and glittering set of science fiction stories. Whether they are humorous romps, as “Words I’ve Redefined since Your Dinosaurs Invaded My Lunar Lair,” experiments with alternative narrative structures, like “Selections from the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index for after the End of Things,” or heartfelt explorations of grief like “The Colors of Europa, The Colors of Home,” Baker takes the reader on a kaleidoscope of intriguing journeys that leave new thoughts in their wake.

I’ve not read many single-author anthologies before, and I found it fascinating to see some of the same themes addressed from different narrative angles. One such theme was accepting the world around you by coming to terms with loss, whether that’s the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship. It’s delivered from the POV of a sentient spaceship whose crew is stuck in a time loop in “The Spread of Space and Endless Devastation,” from a woman whose spouse disappeared on a space mission in “Love and Relativity,” and a daughter grieving her mother’s slow decline in “Against the Dying of the Light.”

Another theme is coming to understand “the other.” My favorite in this category was “A Difference of Opinion,” in which an ambassador for a far-future empire is attempting to decide if a race of self-replicating machines is truly sentient. Early on, we discover that the race of machines is simultaneously attempting to determine the same of the Federation.

Every story provides the sense-of-wonder that I love to see in speculative fiction, from the Space Station centered around traditional Japanese theater in “An Evening of Theater at the Floating World Station,” to the multiple stories set at different times during the history of a future Martian colony, to a game of “Heisenball” which I can only describe as part quantum physics, part sports, and part therapy.

Since the stories are short, I read them mostly in little bits of downtime throughout my day, and really enjoyed the jaunts into strange worlds that gave me new ways to think about the strangeness in our own world.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were some pretty wonderful short stories and focus on the intersections of different abilities and some really neat ideas (see: the cover image). Definitely worth a read.

[Lisa Grønsund]

I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, for review consideration.

RTC

[Wole Talabi]

Dream-visions of alternate realities and timelines featuring researchers, ghosts, poets, explorers, rogues, survivors, and more. The stories in The Butterfly Disjunct are as varied as the styles, and just as interesting. Full of unexpected connections, recurring settings, great feats of imagination and fascinating thought threads, this is a clever collection that is very much worth reading.

[Keturah Sergeant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me. Most of these stories were too short to have any substance, they felt more like exerts, samples, blurbs and summaries. A couple were slightly longer and had more to them, clear plot lines or slightly more developed characters. Some discussed familiar emotions, like grief, and so were relatable and easy to read despite knowing very little of the characters involved. The Butterfly Disjunct, especially, was disappointing. As the title piece I expected more to it, ultimately it was confusing as the premise was never really explained, the MC was unusual, more a conceptual representation of something than a character. I can't figure out if their choices ended the world? It was just odd, and incomplete.

Some of the stories were fine, even lacking plot development and character depth, they touched on interesting concepts, wove interesting scenes, and produced interesting questions. Several were done in similar styles, a particular favourite being subtitled, whether rules to follow or seminar names, there were several that used this format. Most jumped around all over the place, in a way that makes you think there could be a full novel and each section an insert from a more comprehensive work. Many covered the same themes: time travel, settling other planets, and AI use/sentience being particular favourites. This meant that anything different stood out as more engaging, simply because it was changing it up.

Some of these concepts could be interesting as comprehensive stories, even as genuine short stories that have more of a plot to them. Some were enjoyable, if brief.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘’And this is real, I think, and this is science. This is life.’’

The Butterfly Disjunct offers a diverse collection of sci-fi tales that mix profound themes with lighter, quirky moments. While more than half of the stories left me unsure of what was happening, each still managed to create a distinct atmosphere. The best stories for me were “Doge Coefficient” and “The Future, One Summer Behind.”

What worked:
• Vivid imagery and atmosphere
• Strong variety of tone, from humorous to serious
• Inventive storytelling with creative literary techniques

What fell flat:
• Some stories felt rushed and unclear
• The use of dreams started to irritate me, as they were used multiple times. It felt like an easy way to add meaning to the stories.

Final take: ★★★☆☆
Though not every story hits the mark, The Butterfly Disjunct is a must-read for those who enjoy experimental and unconventional sci-fi narratives.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 I generally prefer novel-length books to short stories, so this was a bit outside my comfort zone. It was a fascinating array of stories with some common elements but lots of variety. I liked that we got to see Aala and Kirsi a few times but the rest of the stories aren’t connected by characters (but largely by a shared universe, except when they’re maybe not).

This collection offers the chance to explore myriad sci-fi ideas in a variety of messed up, hopeless, and ultimately hopeful ways. The stories are short, not necessarily sweet, and some pack enough of an emotional wallop to bring me to tears. Some were brief and confusing. Some were longer. Some felt like they really left you hanging. I liked the variety and the glimpse into so many different worlds and characters.

I received an ARC from BookSirens. This is my honest review.

[Cheryl S. Ntumy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Butterfly Disjunct is a collection of weird and wonderful stories – and some intriguing thought experiments – that explore the travails of human existence.

The stories are diverse in style, tone and format, from the unsettling “Masks” to the heartbreaking “The Colors of Europa, the Colors of Home,” but a few common threads run through them. Freedom. Hope. Curiosity. Acceptance. Most are told through the eyes of female or non-binary characters, which I found refreshing. I really enjoyed “Ghosts of Maricourt Crater,” which is chilling and drew me in immediately; “A Difference of Opinion,” because I love a good philosophical debate; “Proceedings from the First and Only Sixteenth Annual One-Woman Symposium on Time Manipulation,” the title of which, I think, speaks for itself; and “Fugue in a Minor Key,” which left me sad, yet satisfied.

With a few different spins on time travel, questionable experiments, rebels on the run, thieves seeking redemption, ghosts, grieving parents and rival academics, I think there’s something for everyone in this collection.

[Celia Diino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a raw set of stories! Most are science fiction themed with other genres here and there. The author does a fantastic job in contrasting the rawness of humanity with/against cold and looming worlds. Reading this, I feel like I am in a vivarium trapped, yet blessedly lit with gentle, artificial sunlight. I feel smothered in the soft/passive indifference of the characters. To me, this was a masterclass in character-centric worldbuilding. The prose dances perfectly with the imagery. Just enough detail for a crisp picture yet not so much as to be overwhelming. The twists are poignant and zesty! There is only one other book I have ever read that so artfully weaves varied and similar stories into each other with such style.

[Christina Frøkjær · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stewart C. Baker’s debut collection is a captivating exploration of the human condition in a universe both familiar and extraordinary. These stories are a testament to the author’s ability to blend thought-provoking themes with engaging narratives. From the haunting echoes of grief to the exhilarating pursuit of hope, Baker’s characters are complex and relatable. Each tale is a journey into the heart of human experience, leaving readers pondering the nature of existence long after the final page. With its blend of science fiction and emotional depth, this anthology is a must-read for fans of imaginative storytelling.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for this eARC! This is my hoesnt review.

Each story has a unique concept, and each story is beautifully creative. In one story, we find the characters in space, and in another, our characters are in an apocalyptic wasteland. My favorite story is failsafe. I loved how even in the face of devastation, we could choose to be empathetic and have compassion for one another. Even in the face of the end of the world.

[Mindy'sBookJourney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Butterfly Disjunct is a collection of short stories covering a range of science fiction ideas from AI, body modification, to time travel. Some stories hit hard emotionally hitting on the topics of grief and the hopelessness of post-apocalyptic worlds. Other stories are really funny serving a reprieve from the darker ones. These are great thought experiments that brings in just the right amount of human emotion to make them relatable. Some of the stories left me confused or wanting more, but overall this was a great collection. I would recommend it to those who like short, punchy, varied science fiction stories.

[Mersh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because this is a short story collection.. then it is actually difficult to rate this. But. As a whole, or even some consideration, this was a strange science fiction short story collection. Some are just ok.. and then there's those that are wth?!

So a 3 star is an appropriate rating over all.

[Jay Beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I got this book for free, but this is my own opinion.*

This collection is hard to review because of the varying voices. Some stories were awesome and a pleasure to read and some were hard to focus on. Sometimes the characters were hard to understand or relate to. In general, the pace wasn't bad and the tension was well written.

For me, the first story made me invested to keep reading. I really wanted to know the answer to the mystery. In the end, the mystery didn't conclude. It just disappeared.

[Cora · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this collection of short stories (mainly stand alone but a few interlinked) but, while some of them were ok, others were just too short and disjointed and left me confused.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

[readsbyanaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and quick read with a lot of different elements and a unique premise for each story. I did find it somewhat hard to connect with some of the stories, but that’s okay. I think there is something in here for everyone if you’re going into it with an open mind.

In a way, I was reminded of the show Black Mirror with the combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and slightly macabre vibe which made it very intriguing. There were a lot of directions explored and it allowed the reader to really experience what felt like a genre of its own. I have never read anything quite like this before so as a curious reader I was challenged to think outside the box. To explore the possibilities of the strange and enigmatic.

Overall, this was a great read. Thank you NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this e-ARC for my honest review! This was my first time reading a collection of short stories and I loved them. The pervading sense of dread mixed wjth the unknown that is illustrated by these glances at a sci-fi dystopian future gave each story a little extra gravitas. This collection is a 5 stars for me.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really complex story to write a review for. This is a collection of short stories set in a mostly sci-fi setting with very few threads connecting some stories to each other (Although some stories do!). This is a book that gives you whiplash as you read it. Some stories are so deep and truly engaging, and then the next one is a lot harder to decipher and understand which means that the pace of the book varies. This book touches on a lot of key themes such as what is humanity, community, grief and love but some stories do it better than others. I'd overall give this 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Bethany Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection has some excellent writing - the imagery is some if the best I've read.

The only downside is that some stories feel a bit rushed and not fleshed out. That said, they're quick and easy to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Interstellar Flight Press and the author for reaching out and sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it! It's a collection of stories, so there were certainly ones I was more fond of than others (in particular, Fugue in a Minor Key, The Spread of Space and Endless Devastation, and Memorial Park were my favorites). Overall, though, the stories were solid. They never felt like they went on too long and, if I wasn't enjoying one of them, I always knew one I liked better was just around the corner.

Good book, good stories. Took a star off just because I didn't like Ghosts of Maricourt Crater, but that's a personal taste thing and has nothing to do with my opinion on the overall quality of the stories in this collection.

[Luz Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing this boos was like trying to hold onto a butterfly in a storm of shifting realities (pun totally intended 😋😬)—each story flutters by, unique yet connected in a strangely captivating way. ✨ With a mix of humor, adventure, and deep emotions, this collection spans everything from time-traveling scientists in luxury hotel suites to villains battling dinosaurs on the moon. Every chapter feels like a new universe, yet there are subtle threads tying them together, making you question time, space, and everything in between.

One of the challenges in reviewing a book like this is the sheer diversity of the stories. They each have their own tone, genre, and setting, yet somehow they all feel like they belong together, forming a mind-bending collection. It's a multiverse where anything can happen—AI fragments realizing they’re not human, ghostly women appearing on Mars, and scholars hosting time-manipulation symposiums with only themselves in attendance. Let's not forget, there is a ghost... in Mars 😖🤯

Some of my absolute favorites were The Butterfly Disjunct (Chapter 17), How to Break Causality and Write the Perfect Time Travel Story (Chapter 16), and How to Configure Your Quantum Disambiguator (Chapter 14). These stories captured the essence of the collection—funny, chaotic, and full of creative twists. In How to Break Causality, the guide to writing a time travel story while breaking all the rules had me grinning from ear to ear. It was a hilarious reminder of how tricky (and paradoxical) time travel narratives can be. The self-awareness of the storytelling here was pure gold. 🕰️💥

Error: Out of Timeline, Unable to Process (Chapter 13) was another standout for me—its playful tone made it feel like a glitch in the matrix, with reality itself breaking down in hilarious ways. And who could forget Words I've Redefined Since Your Dinosaurs Invaded My Lunar Lair (Chapter 9)? Dinosaurs, villainy, and internet slang somehow made perfect sense together, and it’s probably the funniest take on a villainous rivalry I’ve ever read. 🦖🦹‍♀️

While each chapter has a different style and focus, they all share an underlying connection in how they explore the limits of reality, time, and identity. Ghosts of Maricourt Crater (Chapter 1) sets the tone by blending eerie, haunted Mars exploration with humor, making it both suspenseful and fun. Similarly, Proceedings from the First and Only Sixteenth Annual One-Woman Symposium on Time Manipulation (Chapter 22) played with time and humor in a way that reminded me of how fragile and absurd timelines can be.

In the end, this book is a wild ride, full of unexpected laughs, deep reflections, and creative twists. It’s the kind of book that makes you think—and then makes you laugh a second later. If you’re into multiverse chaos, time travel headaches, and stories that don’t take themselves too seriously while still hitting emotional beats, this is definitely one to pick up.

Thanks to Netgally and Interstellar Flight Press for this ARC. It blew my mind in all the good ways.

[Tine Putzeys · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I liked this collection. I greatly enjoyed the weirdness of it all. Space ghosts? Tree symbiosis? Implanting bits of dead loved ones in android animals? Memespeak leading to the destruction of language? Groundhog day, but with AI?" YES.

The formats of the stories were also interesting and scratched the writer part of my brain to go do some writing of my own. Some examples:

- “elements of a successful exit broadcast” > a list of instructions

- “words i’ve redefined since your dinosaurs invaded my lunar lair” > as it says. Words. Redefined.

- "love and relativity" > one way letters

- “how to configure your quantum disambiguator” > more instructions. But you're also battling with the instructions. I almost skipped this one because of the CW associated, but it's just Schrödinger's cat and I refuse to believe it is dead. If I'm not making any sense, that's ok, neither is this story.

- “how to break causality and write the perfect time travel story” > out of order time travel fragments. This one has been done before, but so have other things and that doesn't stop us from enjoying them.

- “selections from the aarne-thompson-uther index for after the end of things” > I'm not even sure what these are. It looks like the little plaques of text next to museum pieces.

- “proceedings from the first and only sixteenth annual one-woman symposium on time manipulation” > Well, what it says. Notes on symposium talks.

- “the robotic poet reads bashō” > literary analysis.

I'm weird. I like weirdness. This might not be your cup of tea. You might not even like tea. But this sure does make me want to write a story formatted like a list of ingredients in a tea melange.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Yaroslav Barsukov · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of vignettes that are (mostly) unrelated but totally appear as if they are. The book is divided into four sections, “Beginnings,” “Middles,” “[Error: Out of timeline, unable to process],” and “Endings”; a thread running through them all is the story of Kirsi and Aala, whom Kirsi first “meets” in a room on Mars that intercepts signals from one year in the future.

These stories have been published in different magazines at different points in time, but as I said, when arranged in sections, they appear to be part of a larger narrative—there’s a constant sense you’re almost there; one more vignette, one more adventure, and Min’s ship will catch up with Adhi’s ship, they’ll pick up Maur along the way and crash-land in Maricourt Crater. Helping to sustain the illusion is the fact there are several thematic groupings: post-apocalyptic scenarios, outer space scenarios, etc.

The book is at its best when it deals with situations involving the human mind, though. A researcher studies Europa’s seas to escape her guilt; a woman wakes up only to be told the last twenty years of her life—which include a dead husband and a very much alive daughter—were an eight-minute simulation; a man has a neurochip installed that blocks bad memories (to disastrous effect); a child is tied to a tree and tasked with squashing the “butterflies” of alternate realities.

Near the end of the book, Baker starts delving into more philosophical topics, like the nature of self-awareness and the way poetry can be perceived as a gateway to other realities. There’s a healthy sprinkling of humor, too, even in the more experimental pieces.

The writing is metaphorical and mature, with Baker fully in command of his craft. Highly recommended!

[Rick Danforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got offered an ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I don’t do this often as I am a little nervous about what to do if I don’t like the work, and I am happy to report this was not a problem with this collection as I am absolutely loved it.
After finishing it, the first thing that strikes me is that Stewart really has range. He can do quirky humour with a silly feed good story. He can do serious Sci-fi. And, my personally favourite, he can work in the middle too. And, most importantly, they are always entertaining.
Equally, he shows range with the wordcount with the ability to do quick flash or long novelettes. And with both orthodox styles and alternatives. One alternative style Stewart uses a lot is the list function, but he does it in different ways with fantastic results. Stewart’s best area for me is flash. It’s an area where you have to be able to do a lot in a short space, and Stewart rises to that challenge very well. In a limited wordcount he can make you care, and that is a hard skill.
The stories here range from musical memories, to sourced log entries, to musical memories. This is a very wide range of stories that doesn’t fit under one umbrella term. But they are excellent. The range is what makes this collection special and I would happily tell any fan of short fiction to buy a copy.

[E.D.E. Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space, Mystery, Time, Humor, and Intrigue - Stories to restore your spirit.

This wondrous collection by Stewart C Baker engages like a dance through the mysterious and illimitable at the fingertips of a storyteller who, at each meeting of the eyes, each insight of connection, flicks away with a wink to the next turn. Clever, engaging, and enigmatic, an erratic rhythm of struggle between longing and contentment that soothes as it deepens, steadied by the undertone that sometimes one needs to keep on to get through.

Baker's words calm in the diaphanous embrace of melancholy - segments of tales, fragments of existence, pockets of unreality, generating the urgency to run to and grasp what we've forgotten to appreciate as our own. An artist in the liminal spaces of self, Baker writes quiet fiction that excites, in notes similar to those in the works of Zig Zag Claybourne, yet with the sparkle of unerring snap only a librarian of the world could provide.

This collection of short stories represents a decade+ of work and publication, yet in the sort of comprehensive way in which they seem destined to be read together. In these stories redefining power, genre, and purpose, I hope that you will find yourself in the Butterfly Disjunct.