Customer Reviews

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

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As if we are the reader in the town Beyond the Wall of Sleep, Heidel's stories wake us softly, with the gentleness of the spirit and wisdom that can only belong to a genuinely talented writer. His voice may very well become the conciousness of our generation, describing the anxieties, troubles and the search we find ourselves in at the dawn of a new millenium. Whether through poetry or short stories, his understanding of the human condition is so evident that one only hopes to read another work of his soon so that we may continue to examine ourselves and grow through his writing. Such insight is to be treasured. Thank you R. Andrew Heidel.

Talk about baring one's soul in a variety of literary styles and genres. This is exactly what R. Andrew Heidel has done. In the nine short stories, readers glimpse inside the heart and mind of a surrealist soul. The poetry is simplistic but beautiful as the optimistic author pleads with himself and his readers to fill oneself up with life, love, and joy.

Weird? Yes! Strange? Yes! Eerie? Yes! Well-written? Absolutely! Mr. Heidel takes his audience on a ride to the center of the heart and soul of humanity. Though The prose is a well written, interesting, and entertaining parable, it is clearly not intended for everyone, only soul-seekers. Readers need to realize that the characters such as the female incarnation of Death (not the comic book character) star in these brilliant short stories. The poetry is also enlightening as the author takes the reader into an introspective glimpse of the essence of being human. Anyone interested in something different will enjoy this special collection.

I'ts always so exicting to come upon an Author's first book! Mr. Heidel's 6 stories go from mythos to pathos in the blink of an eye. my favorites "An interview with God" (what's he really like?) And "Dead Drunk" (how far would you go for your dying wife???) I hope this is the first of many books for Mr. Heidel BRAVO!!!

Fascinating-must-read-can't-put-it-down volume from a gifted writer. It pulls you in from the first sentence and holds you tight until the very end. I can't wait to read more from this author.

.... Beyond the Wall of Sleep is a collection of short
stories like no other. The stories begin normally enough. A character
is introduced, a question or philosphy or thread of a plot is offered,
and then a crashing blow; a sudden unexpected abrupt ending occurs,
leaving all that's been set up unanswered. It has a magical
effect. Like in life, you ask, and the answers that come are often
untranslatable, or never come at all. These stories are deeply
personal, but while offering that window, they also become a bit of a
mirror.

Personal favorites are "The God Makers", a
remarkable story that will surely be collected in a
"greatest" collection somewhere in the future. "The God
Makers" offers up the logical birth of animism on the one hand,
and a simple story of a prehistoric fisherman on the other. "The
Voice" alludes to Poe's "Raven", quite intentionally, I
believe, except the speaker of the voice, unlike the raven, is
something/someone more collective. It's the "boo" in the
night we've all heard at some point.

The last quarter of the book is
poetry, and poetry is hard. It's hard to read, and much harder to
write. On the reading team for this one, I found R. Andrew Heidel's
poetry delightful. On the ones that didn't work for me, I just smiled
and read on to the next one. For the ones that did work for me, I read
them over and over in my head - because I've memorized most of them by
now. "Piss", "Pin", and "Over Tea with
Ingrid" -- sweet and funny and scary - just not in that
order.

Over all, a collection well worth reading.

Highly recommend for fans of Neil Gaiman, Graham Joyce, and Tim Powers. Well written short stories and emotionally driven poetry that strikes at the human core. Can't wait to see what this new writer comes up with next!

I first heard of this book in the most recent "Year's Best Fantasy and Horror." Mr. Heidel has written a great book here! He cares about his characters in a way that is reminiscent of Theodore Sturgeon. The short stories are more than stories, they are fables for our times. In "The God Makers," we see an ancient battle between religion and logic that rings with a truth you can see in the News today. After reading "Dead Drunk," you will not think about Death and Eternity the same way again. "Staring Skyward" presents a possible Judgment Day that is more compassionate than we usually see. The poem "A Flower" is a lyrical explanation of why aging is good and wonderful. Do not pass up this book! It will become one of your favorites. It has become one of mine.

Really enjoyable - dark and funny. Had a great time reading it, and found the subject matter really interesting. Looking forward to the next round!

R. Andrew Heidel's new book is an achingly beautiful collection of witty stories and poignant, lovely poetry. I hope this is the first of many volumes written by this astonishing new talent!

These stories and poems are concerned with the ultimate topic, the relationship between life and death. They poke like ice picks and slice like razors, yet they have a terrible and seductive beauty. I hope Mr. Heidel has much more work like this inside him.