In Chrissy Munder’s science fiction short story The Journey Back, we are introduced to Riley Thomas. Riley is a washed up professional athlete who is drowning his sorrows with synthetic alcohol and recreational drugs. Without his sport, Riley is a lost soul, and he cannot remember any portion of his life before he began training. In an instant, his life has come crashing down around him – not only did he lose his seat as celebrated superstar athlete; he found that he is a carrier for a rare and reviled disease. However, just as he becomes convinced that his life is over, he receives by a visit from his long-forgotten past, and he finds that colors and memories that were lost to him are restored. He also finds that the Establishment that nurtured his athletic career is anything but nurturing.

The Journey Back is a quick story that is set in a world whose glossy surface hides a repressive and totalitarian core. In Riley’s tale, we are given the barest glimpse into an underground movement that is fighting the government. The entire story is a little bit blurry and stream of conscious, which makes sense because Riley is drifting in a haze of drugs and alcohol, and it is up to the reader to figure out what is actually happening. Even though we don’t get much of a picture of the character Alexi, readers get an impression of color and emotion as seen through Riley’s eyes. This reader enjoyed watching the mists clear from Riley’s mind and his world return to focus. The Journey Back may be short, but it is an intense and agreeable read.

Reviewed by: Whitney