Resurrections

This collection of short stories and poems by Ada Hoffmann traverses extraordinary universes packed with faeries, cyborgs, talking otters, punitive gods, lovestruck sea creatures, fossil hunters, extraterrestrials, and much more. Exploring themes of love and self-existence, community and otherness, and perseverance, Resurrections is a wondrous blend of genres and literary forms.

In “Jenny’s House,” a young girl brings a slimy souvenir from a playdate gone wrong to show-and-tell. “Variations on a Theme from Turandot” is the story of a devout slave’s struggle with a stubborn, ruthless princess, replayed as an epic opera every night. In “Transitional Chords,” an unmotivated conservatory student finally connects with music when he falls victim to an otherworldly voice. “Harmony Amid the Stars” chronicles a spaceship’s inhabitants’ descent into madness through a cleaning lady’s diary. “I Sing Against the Silent Sun” is about the unbreakable bond between a fugitive and his ship’s AI.

Each universe contains an intricately crafted history, cast of characters, places, and paradoxes. From layered magical realms to beauty supply storerooms, Hoffmann brings often-overlooked characters and perspectives to life and lets their unfettered reality expand our imaginations. Resurrections is a glimpse into the spectrum of human existence, flitting from world to world in Hoffmann’s spectacular style.

Table of Contents

I -- DUSK

Variations on a Theme from Turandot
How I Knew My Professor Was a Faerie in Disguise (poem)
Jenny's House
Culvet Kelpie (poem)
Transitional Chords
The Pattern of Eightfold Limbs (poem)
Back Room
Kraken Quatrain (poem)
Nightmare II (poem)
Harmony Amid the Stars
Dunkleosteus (poem)
Nightmare IV
Melting Like Metal

II -- MIDNIGHT

The Giantess's Dream (poem)
Rabbit Pulls a Magician Out of Her Hat
As Hollow as a Heart
Bluebells (poem)
A Lover, Asleep (poem)
A Spell to Retrieve Your Lover from the Bottom of the Sea
Married Men (poem)
Snowflake (poem)
The Herdsman of the Dead
Fairest of All

III -- THE SMALL HOURS

The Button
Who Do You Think You Are (poem)
Five Songs and a River
A Glance Across the Ballroom (poem)
Research Lab Electricity Usage Timesheet Reporting
Dream Logic (poem)
Across the Ice

IV -- DAWN

Minor Heresies
Prayer: A Cautionary Tale (poem)
The Scrape of Tooth and Bone
Roar (poem)
Held Tongue (poem)
The Raising of Lazarus (poem)
I Sing Against the Silent Sun

Reviews

"I loved this varied collection of thoughtful and often hopeful stories and poems, many of which challenge accustomed views of the world or twist tropes in satisfying ways. Hoffman writes vividly imagined worlds peopled with characters - frequently queer and/or neurodiverse - with fascinating experiences of the world. Well worth diving into."
‒Juliet Kemp, author of The Deep and Shining Dark and The City Revealed.

"A stellar collection. Ada Hoffmann's stories are vivid and transporting."
‒Kelly Robson, author of Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach

About the Author

Ada Hoffmann is the author of the OUTSIDE space opera trilogy, the collections MONSTERS IN MY MIND and MILLION-YEAR ELEGIES, and dozens of speculative short stories and poems. Ada’s work has been a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award (2020, THE OUTSIDE), the Compton Crook Award (2020, THE OUTSIDE), and the WSFA Small Press Award (2020, “Fairest of All”).