I don’t believe Sheri Fresonke Harper has published any long fiction, but I’ve independently promised to review some of her other writing. I also want to give this author some encouragement. What follows is my opinion of three, short works of fiction by the author. All of the volumes mentioned are available in book form.



Dragons, Knights, & Angels: Issue 41, February 2007

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Breaking Ties by Sheri Fresonke Harper

Breaking Ties is a touching short story about an uneducated, teen gangster trying to escape a post-apocalyptic Seattle with his six-year-old sister. It’s well written, narrated convincingly by the teen and quite believable. Fresonke turned out a strong piece here. It made me a fan.



Beacons of Tomorrow: Second Collection, 2008

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WARM, Incorporated by Sheri Fresonke Harper

Jerusalem as a cabal-owned tourist destination. Except this business is operated and maintained by some unique entities. WARM, Incorporated is convincing futuristic fiction that is also a study in the nature of love.

Once again, I was moved. I have friend who has experienced the Holy Land and, as I read this story, I found myself wondering what she would think of Fresonke’s solution to Middle East problems. A solid and interesting short story.



Tabloid Purposes IV, 2007

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Gumbo and De Pain by Sheri Harper

Gumbo and De Pain is a story about technologically armed eco-terrorists attacking an offshore oil mining operation. The main character is Gumbo, a Cajun in charge of communications, who almost single-handedly foils the pirates.

This short story opened in a clumsy way. I’m not sure if this was due to transcription errors or poor editing. It threw me off. The second mark against the piece was I didn’t see any real change in Gumbo during the story. It was like this short was a somewhat futuristic action snippet. Maybe I just didn’t get it. Either way, I wasn’t happy with the story.



So,where does all this leave me?  If I was rating Harper as an author, she hit the mark 2 out of 3 times. I’ve seen worse performances. I also have the feeling we’ll see much more of her work in the future.

Visit S. F. Harper’s website at www.sfharper.com. You’ll find other works and many articles on a variety of topics.

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009