Dysmorphia: 10 Short Stories

by Deina Furth

In this collection of ten short stories, author Deina Furth examines the many potential manifestations of the word “dysmorphia.” Whether it’s through the eyes of a young man struggling with depression and anxiety, a trans man trying to find the means to transition, or a desperate woman struggling to accept her body, Deina strives to represent the “smoke and mirror” reality that millions of people face across the world daily. Each story is a slice-of-life narrative that explores the feelings of disconnectedness that accompany mental illness and desperation alike, and the result is an emotionally-wrought tale that will stay with the reader for a long time.


Crawl into the minds of these ten characters and experience the many faces of dysmorphia in all of their frightening, heartbreaking, and loving forms. A must read for those who seek contemporary fiction tackling the tough topics of mental illness, transgender issues and rights, gay and lesbian issues and rights, body image disorders, sexuality, and self-harm and suicide.


Stories contain sometimes graphic descriptions of violence and discuss sensitive issues. Please be advised that the stories may not be suitable for a young audience.

ebook

First published September 8, 2014

About the author

Deina wasn't always a writer.

When she was four...

She thought she'd be a professional artist. Her art looked like wobbly circles with stick legs and disembodied hairdos, and she thought it was fantastic.

Then, by the time she was 7...

She thought maybe she'd like to animate movies instead of draw still pictures. Inspired by classics like 101 Dalmatians (which she still has an unabashed love for), she enlisted her father and younger sister to help her make a stop-motion movie called "Meet the Marbles." It was an instant hit with her youngest sister and mother. Rave reviews.

When Deina was 11...

She took an acting class, thinking she would follow in the footsteps of the great (and totally cute) Jonathan Taylor Thomas. She played the village skeptic in a play about how the first letter was written. One line--nailed it.

At age 13...

Deina became obsessed with building websites and reviewing anime series and video games. She and her sister also posted their artwork online and became enamored of the idea of creating their own unique stories. They eventually wrote, drew, and published their own manga series
together, which ran online for several years. These experiences set Deina on a path toward being creative full-time.

When she was in college...

Deina was encouraged by her first semester English professor to pursue her talent for writing. She didn't believe that she was any good, though, and decided she'd rather keep drawing pictures and making websites. After graduating with a degree in Graphic Communications and Languages, Deina studied for a Master's in Sociolinguistics and discovered academia was really not her style.

Pulled back to the creative world once more, she began freelance writing in late 2011, doing ill-paid work that encompassed many genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Horror, Action, Thriller... and some Erotica. (Shh. Her parents don't know.) She's also written quest dialogue for some video games and ghostwritten an entire horror anthology (but she's not allowed to tell you the name of the series).

After landing a job doing SEO writing in 2012, she became determined to break out of the freelance/marketing world and focus more heavily on fiction.

As of today...

Deina has written a novelette and a short story collection; her flash fiction story "The Guide" was selected for publication in the online magazine The Woven Tale Press, and she's been included in a flash fiction anthology (Murder), as well as curated an anthology for her alternate project "The Short Story and Flash Fiction Society". She is working on a collection of fairy tales reimagined as cyberpunk stories, and a gritty, dark Victorian adventure novel entitled Resurrection Men.

Deina’s hobbies include reading, drawing, and playing World of Warcraft (presently–it tends to change). She lives with her fiance, Steven, and two sweet kitties, Momo and Ume. When she’s not writing, she enjoys drawing, 3D modeling, video editing, working on websites, playing video games, and drinking craft beer.

[The cool icons and links above were made with the help of Michael J. Sullivan's guide, which you can find here. Thanks, Michael!]

Reviews

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amazing short stories in this book take on hard subjects that some wouldn't dream of writing about. The author did an amazing job in making each story come to life and feel like it was much longer than it was, something that is a great talent and which this author seems to have a lot of. The writing style is terrific and the stories will touch a deep part of your heart and soul. Great job!

[Mary Παπαδοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 short stories about people who try hard to make peace with their demons. Dark writing, with profound sensitivity and emotional intelligence.