Six Takes on Fantasy

By Jon L Shaffer

SIX TAKES AT FANTASY is like a beer flight of various fantasy styles. A nice sampling of multiple offerings to entice you and give you a taste. Maybe even leave you wanting more.

In “Closure” we meet two former lovers, who get stuck in an elevator. With nothing better to do, they finally discuss the events leading to their breakup.

“The Minute Hand” takes place in a modern fantasy world, where fantasy races, elves, gnomes, and more live in a modern day city setting. We follow Detective Aster, a human detective investigating the murder of an elf in an abandoned office building.

“Guild Quests: Bramble Bush Brute,” a high-fantasy piece that follows the brand-new adventurer Clover a mage who left a life of comfort to make something for herself, and her mentor Marcherie, a Harekin archer. Clover tries to complete her first quest, a fearsome encounter with a massive wild boar.

“Contained,” a science fiction piece that features an unlikely pair of researchers, Kyle, and David, with only enough information to complete their assigned tasks, in a secret but hastily thrown together lab. What happens when the project they are working on wakes up, ready to attack.

Inspired by the movie “Predator,” “Stranded” follows Mark, a journalist who wakes up in an unfamiliar place, where he is pursued by a ferocious creature. Mark must find a way to escape the beast and survive.

Finally, in “Escape the Building” our protagonist had double parked his car the night before, and spots a cop looming over it. Living on the tenth floor, with a broken elevator and a building full of obstacles, he must escape the building to make it to his car in time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jon L Shaffer
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005813437

Jon L Shaffer

Jon L. Shaffer is a novelist and game writer who specializes in high fantasy, comedy, young adult, and mystery. He is pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. He has been published in the Adelaide Literary Magazine. He is a writer at SadLad Studios where he supports the character dialogue and scenario writing efforts. He has worn various hats within the education sphere from Afterschool Director to Children’s Theater Director.

Book preview

Six Takes on Fantasy

by Jon L. Shaffer

Copyright Page

Copyright Jonathan Lawrence Shaffer, 2022

All Rights Reserved

First Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favorite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Introduction

Dedication

Closure

The Minute Hand

Guild Quests: Bramble Bush Brute

Contained

Stranded

Escape the Building

About the Author

Connect with the Author

Introduction

However you found this, know you are most welcome here. Within you shall find a collection of short fiction that I wrote for my first year of courses at Full Sail University. They range across various niches all in the genre of fantasy. Please enjoy.

Dedication

These works are dedicated to my loving mother, my constant champion and inspiration. Gone too soon, but ever remembered.

Closure

The elevator door opened.

A red pleather jacket over a gray hoodie entered, eyes glued to his phone. Can you push two for me? he said.

The other person leaned forward and pressed the button.

Thanks.

Yup, spoke a soft, familiar voice.

He turned towards the source.

Oh no, he said.

A tan canvas jacket over a comfortable dress that wore a particularly rough scowl.

He hurried past her, panicked he pressed the door open button.

But the elevator had already began to move.

He took a step back, resigned to his fate, at least this would only take a few moments before he could escape.

The two stood there, staring at the grimy, rundown walls that confined them. They waited for their imprisonment to pass.

Then the cliché, with a jerk the elevator seized.

Of course. She looked up and rolled her eyes.

He rushed to