Meditative, unsettling, and emotionally precise.
Gadeken’s reflective, allegorical novella uses the trappings of science fiction to explore life, choice, and the evolving nature of identity. At the heart of the novella is a space station built of interconnected spheres, each one a metaphorical landscape the unnamed traveler must navigate. Although the structure is simple, it carries layered psychological weight. Restraint is Gadeken’s defining strength. Meaning arises through atmosphere and repetition rather than explanation. Each sphere feels texturally distinct; they reflect the narrator’s shifting inner states, while the prose adapts—playful, fractured, or lyrical—to match the experience.
The absence of explicit resolution may feel disorienting to readers who prefer narrative clarity and forward-driving plot. This ambiguity, however, becomes the book’s strength. The refusal to over-explain mirrors the experience the story depicts: life rarely provides instructions, reassurance, or neat conclusions. By leaving interpretive space open, Gadeken invites readers to project their own experiences onto the station’s spheres, making the story feel personal rather than prescriptive.
Best read not as a conventional sci-fi novella but as a literary meditation disguised as speculative fiction.
Pub date January 12, 2025
ISBN 979-8990421332
Pages 126
Price $6.00 (USD) Paperback, $2.99 Kindle edition
