Remember Me

A collection of short stories and a novella
by S. G. Miles

Paperback £7.99; ISBNÂ 978-1-909551-22-0; May 2013; SGM Publishing
Digital

Remember Me represents a real departure both for us and for our author – not least because this is the first of his fiction to be published under his real name! The content is far removed from his previous output also, hence the decision to take that drastic step – indeed, if you think of his most popular work, the historical novels set on England’s canals, the central novella of Remember Me is about as far from that as you could get! This 30,000 word tale is set entirely in the outback region of Queensland, Australia; much of the action takes place in the 1970s. What will be more familiar is the way in which his writing can tug at your heart-strings – a reviewer once recommended a box of tissues when reading one of his novels, and the same could well apply here!

The four short stories that accompany it may have a similar effect – all of them follow a theme of deep personal loss, followed by at least a form of recovery. Coming Home describes a man’s memories of an older brother who died in a childhood accident; In The Snow follows an old man’s thoughts of a beloved sister who was sent to Auschwitz; in Graduation Day a man looks back as his step-son graduates from Oxford University. And the last story will be familiar to many of his established fans – we have here published a very early draft of the thoughts that led to the short novel Starlight, under that same title, a passage which in its final form became the epilogue to that moving and popular story.

Unlike many writers who begin their careers with short stories, S G (Steve) Miles, aka Geoffrey Lewis, has gone about things back to front – not unusual for him, he will freely admit – in writing full-length novels out of preference. But it seems as if he is enjoying the freedom of short-story writing; we understand that a second book may be on the way, its content a series of stories involving the paranormal. Ghost stories, from a writer who is known for his penchant for historical accuracy? Really?