Lunch with Buddha by Roland Merullo

Lunch with Buddha accompanies the characters from Breakfast with Buddha, expanding on Otto Ringling’s spiritual journey as a sequel, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel in its own right. The story begins with Otto taking a plane out West with his two now grown up children to release his recently deceased wife’s ashes at a special camping place. Like Breakfast with Buddha, Otto’s sister, Cecelia, has organized a road trip for Otto and Volya Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk to whom Cecelia is married and with whom she has a young daughter. After this trip, Otto’s children will be leaving for college, and he will be returning to work in New York.

There are numerous similarities between this novel and its prequel, namely that narrator Otto has recently experienced bereavement (his parents in Breakfast with Buddha) and must embark on a road trip with his brother-in-law. However, the new layers concerning Rinpoche’s daughter, Otto’s forthcoming life changes, and his developing interest in Buddhism bring additional spiritual elements to the story. Extremely similar in plot but quite different in tone, Lunch with Buddha is still definitely worth the read, even if some of the action may seem derivative of its predecessor.

Though I personally, as a fan of Breakfast with Buddha, was ecstatic to hear it would be having a sequel, I do not think I would be as excited to have “Dinner with Buddha” if it was announced: a final installment may be fulfilling in its completion of Otto Ringling’s spiritual journey, but it may be difficult for Merullo to write something new and engaging for the reader.

That being said, Lunch with Buddha is an expertly written book. Ambitious in his exploration of Buddhism’s influence in bereavement, Merullo has successfully captured the emotional and spiritual effects of the loss of one’s spouse. Otto’s journey encapsulates the guilt one feels when facing the prospect of moving on and the spiritual ache for answers about life after death. Humorous in some parts while ominous in others, Lunch with Buddha confronts the reality of heartbreak with both delicacy and eccentricity. Highly recommended.

Vortex by Jean Stites

Swept up in a mysterious cloud one gorgeous, serene night at sunset and dropped off in the middle of a crowd approximately onehundred years in the future, the narrator of Vortex, now a celebrity, struggles with the prospect of never returning to his or her (the narrator's gender is never specified, which neither adds nor subtracts from the story) previous home. Using the funds accumulated from celebrity—which occurred simply because he/she was the "first time traveler," magically dropping out of the sky from the near past—this nameless narrator attempts to recreate the "Vortex" to return home. However, the lonely accidental time traveler begins to develop feelings for the assistant hired to schedule appointments, such as with reality television shows, radio interviews, and potential financial contributors. Though the narrator continues to feel isolated and out of step with the world, some budding friendships begin to make this new place feel a bit like home.

The future of Vortex is not drastically altered, like many science fiction novels. Instead, only a few years past a time when any of the narrator's friends or family would be living, the technological advancements are created entirely for the purposes of work productivity and personal comfort or entertainment—as a matter of fact, this what one would expect of the near future. The narrator's favorite item, for example, is the "Miracle Rug," which acts as a surrogate for slippers, warming one's feet when one wakes and gets out of bed in the morning or after a few hours outside in the cold.

Conversational in tone, simultaneously playful and deep, Vortex explores the emotions elicited when human nature (love, comfort, and consistency) is disrupted. This journal-like tone leads to some long, occasionally dull passages with little to no external action, and the voice of the narrator may be a bit annoying, perhaps even boring, at first; however, if the reader decides to stick with it and delve into the emotional internal world of the narrator's mind—which is essentially the entirety of the novel—the payoff at the conclusion of the story makes it worth the read. Though the ending is not completely original—it's not where (or when) you are but who you're with—the journey toward the end is highly creative and enchanting.

Written in a diary-style, Vortex will intrigue light science fiction fans and those who enjoy character- or theme-driven novels. A very quick read, this book is not for those who require action and dynamic plots, nor those who seek fascinating technological gadgets in their sci-fi. It's not quite boring but definitely not exciting—a thought-provoking yet simple read. 

Unthology No. 3 by Various Authors

This collection showcases eighteen short stories by eighteen—both new and established—authors. Unlike most anthologies, the stories inside are not “a hit and a miss.” After finishing one engaging and well-written story, the reader begins the next, and is enthralled just the same. A few of the stories, of course, are not as memorable, intriguing, insightful, or effective as the few that stand out, but they all have their merits.

In “The Theory of Circles” by Debz Hobbs-Wyatt, the narrator relays the FaceBook and Twitter updates and blog posts of an acquaintance, who documents his observations of his neighbors backwards through time, beginning when he finally decides to “unplug” from the internet and ending when one of the two neighbors first moved in. This story explores the capacity that friendship, and even observation of strangers, can have in helping an individual self-actualize and come out of their shell. It is cleverly written and a fascinating read.

“Trans-Neptune,” the collection’s longest story, by Ashley Stokes, follows a woman over the course of one day as she struggles in dealing with the fame of her scientist husband, who discovered a new planet in the solar system and whom she discovered has been having an affair. Determined to get revenge on him by having an affair herself, she learns from the obnoxious hotel staff the value of dignity and the influence of lust. The characters shine in this novelette, for their gruesome honesty and especially for their flaws.

Gordon Collins’s “Even Meat Fill” and Ian Chung’s “The Triptych Papers” are the collection’s highlights, exploring the psychological consequences of human nature in two very different but magnificently effective ways. Both, but perhaps especially “The Triptych Papers,” stick with the reader long after they’re over, leaving behind a labyrinth of psychological contemplation.

Overall this is an outstanding collection of short stories, perfect for the literary-minded reader seeking something with depth and intelligence in the face of our bombardment with a slush pile of lowbrow, contemporary books.