"An obsession is an emotion gone sideways. Often, obsessions are rooted in emotion. An obsession with death, because as a child, our protagonist witnessed the death of a beloved person or pet. An obsession with collecting, because things allow that person to bury their emotions under something tangible. An obsession with another person, based on love or rage or hatred or, well, you name it." - from the Foreword by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Webster defines "obsession" as an "abnormal preoccupation with a persistent idea of desire." Sometimes these obsessions are related to a particular hobby, such as avid collectors of various artifacts. Other times the obsession can be something that drives a person to invent something new, cure a disease or attempt to right a great wrong. And at other times, they can send a person down a dark and disturbing path.Obsessions can be healthy; they can be born out of love and the desire to protect. They can stem from a need to fix something that is broken or replace something that is missing. Obsessions can be pervasive and disgusting, unhealthy and bizarre. They can be mild or quaint eclectic things, or they can be all-consuming and life altering. The stories in this collection of never-before-published tales are about to read are about different types of obsessions and how those obsessions drive changes or alterations in a character's life and the lives of those around them. The authors have crafted stories that dig deep into each character's unique obsession. They explore the trauma, the elements of that person's upbringing or their internal character that led to or feeds the obsession. They explore and examine what it really means, on the deepest level, if they obtain that goal they obsess over. Original stories by:Ezekiel James BostonStephen CouchJoe CronLeah CutterDayle DermatisRobert JeschonekKari KilgoreMichael KingswoodKate PavelleAnnie ReedKristine Kathryn RuschLeigh SaundersRebecca M. SeneseDean Wesley SmithDavid StierJulie Strauss
