Fiction that channels the atmosphere of our times.
Disposable Girl & Other Tales of Brutality and Wonder is an anthology of short stories and flash fiction that showcases a writer whose work reflects a sharp awareness of current events and social moods. These 13 collected tales span everything from viral trends and internet trolls to haunted houses and exasperated spouses. Each story stands alone, yet all are unmistakably linked by the author’s wit, bite, and unerring eye for human nature. Scott Michael Powers writes fiction that channels the atmosphere of our times, transforming real‑world issues into narratives that feel alive with urgency. From the title story about human trafficking and sexual servitude to the final tale about twisted political cover-ups and the cost of truth, every piece is bold, incisive, and unapologetic.
Powers has a knack for plunging readers right into the heart of a scene with little preamble or hesitation, dropping them straight into the story’s pulse. In The 291, audiences could cut the bowling alley’s tension with a knife before Marty even releases the ball. The story, Arlene, the White Oak Tree, opens in the middle of an argument, yet readers immediately get the gist of the ongoing marital stress. The author’s clear, concise one‑liners are not only on point but hard to forget. “‘Your body, my choice!’ you like to say? Well, not anymore,” an angry woman declares. Or, “I think the horrors we must confront tomorrow can take tonight off,” a reasonable request made in a decidedly unreasonable situation.
There may not be a single thematic thread unifying these shorts, but each tale conveys unusual depth and implies a larger world just off the page. Green Dog is a ponderous take on the question: What is a superhero without a supervillain? The protagonist is granted the not-so-flashy power of truth. The light-hearted setup incorporates everything from tariff headaches to generational divides into a story of danger, authenticity, and love. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but readers won’t need the associated artwork to feel the import of the shortest and perhaps weightiest of the collection, Family Values. With its sharp observations and steady undercurrent of insight, Disposable Girl & Other Tales of Brutality and Wonder is an in-your-face collection that lands with the same mix of clarity and absurdity as the daily news cycle.
