{"product_id":"the-gates-of-polished-horn-9781999431174","title":"The Gates of Polished Horn","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat happens when you're face-to-face with a truth that shakes you? \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDo you accept it, or pretend it was never there? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAward-winning author Mark A. Rayner smudges the lines between realist and fabulist, literary and speculative in this collection of stories that examines this question-what Homer called passing through The Gates of Polished Horn. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe discover the cruelty of creating synthetic consciousness. A woman is worried that her husband is having an affair but discovers it's much, much worse. A time traveler uncovers a reality-bending fact while observing the death of Socrates. Waldo, of Where's Waldo fame, has an existential crisis. A traveling salesperson is killed on the highway, and this is just the start of his journey through the gates. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eInfused with comic insight and tragic vision, this collection invites readers into new realities that\u003cbr\u003etouch on our shared humanity. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Mark A. Rayner's formidable storytelling is on full display in this thoughtful and diverse collection. He's a fine and creative writer whose characters and storylines are quirky, inventive, and often very funny. Bravo!\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Donovan Street Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51201127317778,"sku":"9781999431174","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1755fdd3-e552-43b5-ba7e-a53b3187d782.jpg?v=1744907791","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-gates-of-polished-horn-9781999431174","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}