Bewildering Stories welcomes...

Ryan Thorpe

Ryan is a professor of literature and writing at the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute. He directs a writing workshop and edits a journal for creative writers in ESL.

“The Spirit Animal” will amuse readers with its depiction of Trent, who is a loan shark enrolled in a meditation class to improve his self-awareness. And Trent’s “spirit animal” is a character all in itself, with opinions of its own.

Native Americans and First Nations may object that the concept of a “spirit animal” would smack of cultural appropriation if they had such a thing. Star Trek: Voyager uses the idea of a “spirit guide” that doesn’t necessarily take an animal form. Trent himself suspects that the supposed American Indian connection is merely for show. In any event, the story needs an animal, and Trent’s tells him just a little more than he might like to know.

Ryan Thorpe’s bio sketch can be found here.

Welcome to Bewildering Stories, Ryan. We hope to hear from you again soon and often!