Fairy Tale Spotlight: Eidolons [Short Story Review]

"Eidolons" is a short science fiction story written by Harlan Ellison. It was published in 1989. It's a weird one for sure.

There is a story here, but it is presented in a very surreal way. As far as I can tell, there is a man named Vizinczey who is looking to purchase soldier figurines. He ends up in the house of a Mr. Brown who collects them, but these soldiers look extremely real and they all have the face of men who are about to die.

The moment Vizinczey speaks to Mr. Brown, the collector dies on the spot but not before telling him of a special scroll that allowed him to accomplish his strange hobby. He then asks Vizinczey to take the scroll and continue his work. The rest of the story is the author relating 13 passages from the scroll that sound a lot like moments from the lives of different people throughout history: past, present, and future. This part of the story is absolutely hypnotic and surreal.

The thing that makes this story so strange is how it almost feels like its taking place as you read it. It gets into your head and makes you wonder if the supernatural thing that is happening is actually happening. I know it is a work of fiction, but it was a very well-written one. It was a story intended to have emersion. Emersion is not always necessary for good fiction, but it sure as hell is great when it is accomplished.

I do recommend "Eidolons" to readers who like surreal content. If you aren't into that though, you may find this one confusing or boring.

This blog was written on August 29, 2024.

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