Quests Flash Fiction Stories by William Colson by William Colson
Quests: Flash Fiction Stories by William Colson In Quests, William Colson reveals a unique talent in flash fiction to describe the insidious moments when lives change, almost always without notice, and often without compassion. The stories traverse diverse times and places: the post-war America and Europe, the Soviet Era, the backwoods of mountains, the odd diner, distant forests, the lives of ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges. Every single story is a brave emotional illustration of acts of mourning, love, trust and doing what has to be done. The style is concise, observant and humane. Colson’s characters are children, soldiers, fathers, wanderers and survivors, and almost every one of them stands at the threshold of a life-changing act, meeting or moment of realization. These aren’t massive, heroic quests. They are internal and deeply personal. Every single story is a world of its own. Yet taken as a whole, the stories are a convergence of thoughts on the essence of fortitude and the nature of suffering. The book is a delight for: The readers of literary flash fiction and short stories Introspective stories focusing on character development Readers of historical fiction and stories reflecting the essence of humanity Readers looking for the impact of stories long after the last line has been read Quests is a book intended for those who prefer substance to size, and who are convinced that even the minutest stories can contain enormous truth.
Production by Nova Publishers. The author keeps all rights and 100% of retailer royalties.
Publication date: September 13, 2024
Ebook. Amazon.
Paperback. ISBN 978-1919610092. Amazon. Barnes & Noble.
Product details
- Print length: 124 pages
- Language: English
- Publisher: The Seventh Quarry Press
About the author
William Colson began his professional career at the Bendix Research Laboratory where he was awarded the Bendix Corporation Graduate Fellowship to attend Stanford University, earning a PhD in Physics, and beginning a lifelong fascination studying photons, relativistic electrons, and lasers, continuing over six decades. As Distinguished Professor of Physics for twenty-five years at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, Bill combined teaching and research while thesis advisor to nearly one-hundred Masters and PhD students, guiding them through their own discoveries. He served as Principal Investigator on more than eighty research contracts, published over one-hundred refereed research papers, holds five patents, and has given more than one-hundred invited lectures throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe to further the understanding of laser science. In recognition during his career, Bill received the International Free-Electron Laser Prize from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Laser and Electro-Optic Society and became a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At retirement, he was given Emeritus status and was awarded the U.S. Navy Superior Civilian Service Medal, the highest award the Navy may bestow on a civilian employee. After retirement, Bill’s activities expanded to include writing. He has co-authored “The Interview” with Award-Winning poet Peter Thabit Jones of Swansea, Wales, published in the “Seventh Quarry Swansea Poetry Magazine,” Issue Twenty-Four, 2016, and was a co-presenter for “Building Bridges Between Physics and Poetry” at the Massachusetts Poetry Festival, May 6, Salem MA, 2017. Bill has authored two books of flash fiction stories, Spectrum and Quests, in 2024 and 2025 respectively, published by The Seventh Quarry Press.