The Writers Afterlife

In this utterly unique story, novelist Vetere (The Third Miracle) unfolds a caper of inter-dimensional scope. Recently deceased semi-successful writer, Tom Chillo finds himself in a special corner of the afterlife designed for writers. Having fallen short of the standards that would allow him into the pantheon of Immortal Writers, and jealous of the amenities that those souls enjoy, he formulates a plan to revisit this earth in a desperate effort to ensure the permanence of his tenuous literary legacy. Returning in disguise, he encounters editors, critics, and his former lover, now acting as his literary executrix, and attempts to manipulate them into actions that would posthumously grant him that immortality. The scenes taking place in afterlife are written with classic magic-realist gusto; those taking place on earth will have readers rooting for Chillo's success, despite evidence that the character's writing talent is less than deserving of the sort of immortality he seeks. In short, if you are at all intrigued by this description of the high-concept premise, chances are that its execution in this novel will charm you as well. (Mar.)