Springtime on Mars: Stories

by Susan Woodring

Bees swarm. A president is assassinated. A young mother is electrocuted in her own basement. A space shuttle vanishes. One couple is struck by sudden wealth, another by lightning. An older woman obsesses over a bag boy at the local supermarket. People everywhere watch the sky for signs of intelligent life on Mars and covert Russian space missions. The television era begins, and the Vietnam War ends. Ranging from the 1950' to present time, the stories of Springtime on Mars feature characters who grapple with the human extremes of despair and hope, holding faith in both God and science, and in the love and courage of those around them.

183 pages, paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Susan Woodring is the author of two novels, Goliath (St. Martin’s Press, 2012) and The Traveling Disease (Main Street Rag, 2007) and a short story collection, Springtime on Mars (Press 53, 2008). Her short fiction has appeared in Isotope, Passages North, turnrow, and Surreal South, among other anthologies and literary magazines. Her work has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and her short fiction was shortlisted for Best American Non-Required Reading 2008 and Best American Short Stories 2010. Susan currently lives in western North Carolina with her children and her husband.

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection really took off for me with the story "Love Falling," and each story thereafter just kept building on the previous one. Great emotional resonance mixed in with religion and science. "The Billy Story" was absolutely heart-breaking for me to read, but subtly captured something important.

[Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really excellent stories in this collection.