"Obits": 1998 vs. 2015

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kemibe

New Member
Jan 6, 2016
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(Potential spoilers ahead)

When I first learned on this site last summer that a story collection Steve would publish in late fall was titled "Obits," I couldn't wait. The reason is that for kicks, I had written a short story with that title over 15 years ago (I'm a writer by profession, but almost strictly health-and-fitness nonfiction) and I had a feeling Steve had gotten the same general idea that I had. In fact, it seemed inevitable that he (or someone) would one day write such a story, because this simply represents the closing of a circle; the only reason I ever wrote a story about an obituary writer who can kill living people in the first place is because Steve has been my favorite novelist since I was nine years old. (I'm 46.)

I just finished the "real" "Obits" and thought it was great. The only striking similarity between Steve's and mine is that in both stories, the protagonist makes a victim of a loathsome supervisor. (At the time a was a low-level newsroom employee and gated my boss.) In my story, though, no one else learns of the protagonist's power, and the source of that power is explained.

Anyway, I can provide a link if anyone's interested in reading my version, but I didn't come here to seld-promote -- I just needed to gush at an understanding audience!