Save Me Plz and Other Stories

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy podcaster Kirtley debuts with an entertaining collection of 20 jam-packed stories, loosely arranged by genre (the title story “is arguably science fiction,” Kirtley writes, “but I decided to put it in the fantasy section”). A handful of folktale retellings (“Beauty,” “Seed-for-Brains,” and “Seven Brothers, Cruel”) will satisfy true fantasy seekers. More experimental fare pushes the boundaries of narrative and reality: the protagonists of “The Ontological Factor” are uncertain if they are real, while the disembodied narrator of “Veil of Ignorance” doesn’t know which character they are in their own story. Kirtley’s knack for worldbuilding shines in the collection’s highlights, among them the dragon rider fantasy “Blood of Virgins”; “Family Tree,” which features feuding wizard families; “Cats in Victory,” a metafictional tale about humanoid cats; and the RPG-inspired title story. Visceral settings and robust characters will have readers marveling at how much Kirtley is able to fit into a limited page count, while author’s notes offer bite-sized memoirs on his writing process. For SFF fans with no time to sink into a doorstopper, these concentrated doses of genre goodness will hit the spot. (Self-published)