Finding the Bones: Stories & A Novella

by Nikki Kallio

A father tries to explain to his daughter what Earth was like, a boy believes his mother has been abducted by aliens, a ghost hunter wonders if her absent father is a deceased serial killer, and in the near future the sun makes people go insane. Weaving science fiction, gothic storytelling, and paranormality into nine stories and a novella, Nikki Kallio establishes herself as a fresh, innovative, and compassionate voice in speculative fiction and magical realism.

194 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2023

About the author

Nikki Kallio earned an MFA from Goddard College and her creative work has appeared in Minerva Rising, Midwestern Gothic and elsewhere. Her short sci-fi story “Geography Lesson” and her paranormal story “Spirit Box” were both recognized the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Both stories are included in her debut fiction collection "Finding the Bones," Cornerstone Press, 2023.

Her essay “Cold Front" appeared in the anthology "(Her)oics: Women’s Lived Experiences During the Coronavirus Pandemic” Pact Press, 2021.

She has lead workshops for The Mill: A Place for Writers, the UntitledTown Book & Author Festival and Wide Open Writing. Nikki previously worked as a newspaper journalist and editor on both coasts before coming home to Wisconsin, where she is now a freelance writer, editor and instructor.

Reviews

[Felicia Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Finding the Bones: Stories & A Novella” by Nikki Kallio

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Humans always become something else. Maybe that’s what humanity is.”

These brilliant short stories and novella weave in and out of paranormal, science fiction, and magical realism.

Just when you think you’re about to dive into a full novel with the deepness of characters and vivid settings, you are met with a gut punch ending and a lot to unpack.

I struggled to turn the lights off after “Spirit Box.” All at once, it was captivating and HORRIFYING!

“Geography Lesson,” “Disappearing,” “Missing Mary,” “The Last Day” and “Resurface” made me yearn for more even after they pierced my heart.

The metaphors in “A Night-Blooming Flower” and “Float” left me searching for a bar of soap to hug and wanting to unlatch all my winterized windows.

“The Fledgling” was as good as I remembered, but somehow even better! It was a terrifying and fascinating post-apocalyptic story about the solar flares of the sun making humans go crazy. It was a brilliant blend of world building and well-developed characters that fell so naturally into their proper place.

Each story sent me down a new path of wonder and contemplation of the human experience, even if it’s from a metaphorical stance in order to cope with reality.

“If you live mostly in the unreal world, do you lose something in the real one?“

[Julie Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such great writing leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next in these short stories. Definitely feeds the imagination.

[Jess Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Nikki is a friend of mine, and I beta-read a few of the stories included in this collection. This does make me biased, but I am also being fully honest when I say that I remember feelings of awe and envy when I initially read these pieces because Nikki is such a gifted writer. Her attention to setting, with punches of clever sensory details, truly grounds you in every scene. Her writing also has an easy cadence that makes reading a pleasure: you forget you're reading and become immersed in the story - no annoying hiccups of phrase or grammar that pull you out of the story. Just clean, smooth prose.

Though each tale is unique, the characters all share a vulnerability, and it was easy to empathize with them as they navigated their frequently chilling and sometimes heartbreaking circumstances. Nikki has such a keen and insightful eye into the foibles, flaws, and desires of humanity. Some of the stories left me with a feeling of melancholy; others left me feeling unsettled in the best way. The vibe ranges from magical to gritty realism.

If you want to get in the Halloween spirit, this is a perfect collection to read this October. Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what Nikki writes next!

[Sue Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short stories in this collection are intense, meticulous, and lead their characters to tests of compassion and courage. The writing is also concise, so summarizing a story is hard without spoilers. In “Shadow,” a sister’s survivor faces her past. “Missing Mary” tells a whole life in just a few pages. “A Night-Blooming Flower” is disturbing in a good way. “Resurface” reveals a secret.

I met Nikki Kallio at a writers retreat, and she gave me an advance copy of the book to review. The energy she radiates in person finds a way into this collection. What might seem like a familiar setting or genre becomes startling in her hands: speculative fiction, magical realism, supernatural ambiguity, and poetic prose.

These stories will pull you along with their relentless pursuit of human essence.

[Sarah]

This book is so good! I was a bit nervous because the piece Kallio chose for a reading was a little bit gory, but once I got into the book, that part was just minor. Some of the stories are just a couple of pages but Kalio hooks you then turns you loose and makes you think. Some are longer, and the novella does grab you from the first sentence and make you want to keep turning the pages. This is writing from a creative, talented person who brings years of experience to the book yet feels like one of the freshest voices out there.

Admittedly, I've been waiting for this book since I first read Geography Lesson. How would YOU describe the earth to someone who will never see it and whose children will never know someone who saw it?

[Kristi Schoonover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story collections can be uneven, and that’s not the case with FINDING THE BONES. Truly, every story in this collection is not only excellent, but thought-provoking. Where Kallio excels is in telling so much story in such a small space: her sentences are tight and well-crafted, and the tensions ratchet beautifully until each last line, which made me hit full stop and go ‘wow.’ My favorites are “Geography” and “Resurface,” both of which examine the nature of loss and the disintegrating effect it can have on an individual, but each story in here is a winner. High recommend.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to write an insightful review on this collections ability to perfectly portray grief guilt, and regret for the choices you make, the inability to change your past actions and how they lead you to your present.

I want to do that but my thoughts keep boiling down to this is what happens after Mulder and Scully leave, when the unexplained is still left unexplained and you're left with these emotions you have no idea what to do with as they slowly, slowly eat you alive.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found joy on every page of this book. The short stories cover a wide range of universal themes and emotions, all with a different twist. The writing is exquisite - the depth, clarity and authenticity coming through, even though the book straddles an unusual genre for me - sci fi/paranormal/magical realism. I ended the book wanting more and contemplating larger than life questions...

[Dana Buning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this collection of stories. Each one traveled me through powerful universally human themes, against compelling backdrops of fresh ideas. Will be looking forward to the next book from Nikki Kallio.

[S.L. Wilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kallio is a central Wisconsin treasure. Smooth, apparently effortless story telling is a skill she's put to good use in this collection. Themes of what it is to be human run flawlessly through seemingly unrelated stories. An absolute must read.

[Karen George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikki Kallio's FINDING THE BONES, is a highly imaginative, unforgettable collection of stories and a novella, written with such vulnerability, longing, and tenderness. I didn't want the book to end. The first story, "Geography Lesson" was just nominated by Cornerstone Press for a Pushcart Prize.

[Marie Zhuikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful collection of short stories that get creepier and creepier the farther you go.

[Elise Posledni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and thought provoking stories. I thoroughly enjoyed!

[Isla McKetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories and a novella is both wildly creative and also carefully attuned to the dangers of now. It’s also downright spooky at times, in the best of ways. I especially loved "Geography Lesson" and the novella, The Fledgling, but the whole book both entertained me and gave me a chance to reflect on where we as a species are now, where we've recently been, and where we are going. A fantastic, entertaining, and intelligent book.