The Book of Rain by Anthony Weirich

Reimagining the boundaries and guardians of life and death, The Book of Rain by Anthony Weirich is a striking collection of short stories that offers new perspectives on the mystery of mortality.

As a Deification of Death, Rain is a collector of souls and a caretaker of an otherworldly realm, helping the recently deceased come to terms with their fate and giving them opportunities for closure, peace, or redemption. From characters embarking on rescue missions into the realm of the dead, choosing selfless purgatorial paths as a guide for grief-stricken souls, or seeking revenge against monstrous forces that still stalk the Earth, each of these surreal but poignant vignettes is laced with hard-won lessons and potent emotion.

Woven throughout the stories are stark moments that reveal an admirable and principled approach to the world’s everpresent maladies, whether that is promoting dignity for the disabled, righteously punishing abusers, seeking equality and justice, living out your core values, or offering compassion to the traumatized. Rain embodies many of those qualities, and she is a fascinating figure who wears many hats – angel, therapist, comrade, mentor, and vengeful force of nature – but most notably, she is a storyteller, revealing stark and perennial truths about human nature.

Unusual in both structure and style, this philosophical journey is unpredictably profound, coercing readers into facing their fears, while simultaneously offering inspiring avenues for hope.

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