Austism

by Dwayne Fry

Austin Worth is an autistic man of thirty and he's being driven to a "date" by his younger brother. Dallas is Austin's main caregiver and Dallas has put his life on hold for Austin. Dallas does not date and has little social life. It's not that Austin is terribly difficult to care for, it's that he is vulnerable and lives in a town full of people that do not understand his illness, people that fear him or want to take advantage.

Dallas's life is about to change today, but in ways he does not suspect.

28 pages, ebook

First published March 9, 2015

About the author

A jack of all genres and Master of None, I like to dabble in writing most anything that suits my current fancy.

'Though I've been writing since age eleven, I hadn't bothered to publish anything until a few years ago, starting with my short story Old Pops' Last Beer. Since that time I've put out a few dozen short stories, along with a few novellas.

I consider my first published novel, Rave On to be a fiftieth birthday present to myself, having shoved it into the public eye on that semicentennial landmark. I often refer to it as a "magical, musical, romance". It's a story of what happens when a rockabilly singer from Iowa meets a mysterious magician from Romania.

My second novel is Suckers & Rogues, a coming-of-age saga set in the mid-eighties in which I examine teenage angst.

My third novel, which should be out by summer of 2022 is untitled at the moment. It is a paranormal mystery / horror about a group of ghost hunters exploring the secrets of an abandoned kiddie theme park.

When I'm not writing, I work with special needs adults or spend time with my wife and my dogs.

Reviews

[Jane Jago · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cleverly mixes humour and pathos, in about the same ratio as one normally finds it in life. It shows us family ties and contrasts them with the prejudices of outsiders. It's well done in that it never overemphasises or labours points.

It's a story that will stay with me for some time. Highly recommended.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Austism drops the reader into the middle of a family, on the way to Noah City, Iowa. It is a place that proudly boasts "Our Town is so Pretty," and Dallas Fort Worth's mother questions her son why he must always see the ugliness in everything. Perhaps it's the unreasonable names his parents thoughtlessly gave all three of their children. It could be their seemingly careless parenting and post traumatic stress disorder that has made his father appear distant. Middle child Fort is tired from shouldering the responsibility of his severely autistic brother. He feels stuck. His life is an endless stream of protecting him from people who confuse his disability or poke fun at him. Patiently, he puts his life on hold thinking no one understands his quiet sacrifice. This is a lovely story about the ties that bind us to each other. The deep sense of duty that is born with us and unites a family in knowing what they have to do. Care taking can be thankless, and perhaps many feel it goes unnoticed, but Fort learns that just as much as he spends his life devoted to taking care of his brother, others are taking care of him as well. I loved this book.

[G.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This is not a genre I would have normally picked, but the book was free so I had nothing to lose.

Too often, short stories are used as teaser for a full size story and thus end with huge cliffhangers. I'm happy to say this one is not one of these. Not only it has a full arc but it's also masterfully narrated from the first person POV of Dallas.

While the subject of autism is serious, Mr. Fry found a way to keep it light, adding a hint of humor without being disrespectful. He manages to make you smile and feel compassion all at once. I never thought it could be possible to get so much out of such a short story. Thirty-four pages isn't long but by the end of the book, Dallas and Austin, his autistic brother, feel as alive as if they were your neighbors.

If you're looking for a short read, you should definitely give this one a try.

[Chikamso Efobi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this short heart-warming and insightful story which revolves around Dallas Fort Worth and his 30 year-old autistic brother Austin who both live in a small run-down town in Iowa. The story explores Fort's relationship with his brother as well as his almost-constant struggle with people's misconception and attitude towards his brother's condition. Even though Fort is 5 years younger than Austin, he constantly assumes the role of a protector and guardian for his brother.

I found the story both engaging and very easy to read. It is also very well-written and left me yearning for more of their story. That in my opinion is how you know a good book.

[Owen O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliantly rendered short story about a difficult subject. Dwayne Fry's approach shows both a deep sensibility and a clear-eyed lack of sentimentality, and -- over and above this, all-pervasive -- an even deeper humanity.

The writing itself is of the highest order, fit to rub shoulders with other acknowledged masterworks of the short-story form. If you enjoy short stories -- or even if you think you don't -- you owe it to yourself to read "Austism".

[S.J. Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not typically the type of genre I read but since it was free I decided to give it a go. I'm really glad I did. This was a really sweet story with one liners that made me laugh out loud.

If you're looking for a quick read, you should give this one a go.

[E.A. Briginshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew this was a short story, but I still wanted more. It is well written and I liked the characters, but then it just ends. I feel like I only got to read the first part of a much larger story.

[Christian Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite pleased by this story. As an individual that works with plenty of special needs children, I was really curious to see what this story was about and how accurate Mr. Fey's telling of it would be.

While the main character Austin is older than the students I work with, Mr. Fey's interpretation of an individual with special needs was spot on.

I enjoyed all of the back stories that were told and the relationship between the two brothers. Fort and Austin's relationship is great, and even though you root for Austin, I found myself rooting for Dallas as well.

The ending... Perfect! Well done Mr. Fey, I hope to read more from this series!

[Christina McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book quite some time ago. That I neglected to review it is an oversight on my part. This particular series of stories is quite interesting in that they are literary, slice of life takes, genre neutral, if you will, yet in these characters you'll find both the humor and horror one might be used to if they have read his other works. That's kind of what makes this work. Despite the short format, each of the characters is fleshed out and on display, flaws and all, for the readers to relate to. Highly recommended and I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.

[Brian Marohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Writing

This was so real to me. Great writing. Very realistic. I want to read more about these characters. I like how Dallas treats his brother.