Mysterion, April 2026

“The Skywhale in the Garden” by Jared Oliver Adams (April 13, 2026)

“Sonata” by Tao Yuan (April 27, 2026)

Reviewed by Seraph

“The Skywhale in the Garden” by Jared Oliver Adams

Sometimes a good story is heartbreaking. Gregory is between this world and the next, far too young and very unexpectedly. A children’s toy come to life serves as a comforting companion to guide him to the other side, but the choice has yet to be made. To be honest, if someone told me that this was a child’s account of a severely traumatic event, I would believe it without much convincing. It is oddly serene in that childlike manner, even in the face of something frightening and life-altering. The writing and tone do a really good work of expressing that idealistic manner and thinking of the young, while remaining relatable to any age.

“Sonata” by Tao Yuan

The question of what happens when we die is, I think, one of the most perpetually present and active questions in the collective human consciousness. This story draws on direct elements of Dante to frame the narrative, but it answers the question in its own unique way. Yuri is without reservation a virtuoso musician, world class and all about his art. But as he faces the afterlife, in a place that is at the same time both purgatory and not, he’s forced to ask if such devotion to his craft came at a cost that can’t be paid, especially to those closest to him. There are several flashbacks to points in his life that were critical, but most of the story takes place in this type of Limbo-styled area. I like both the journey the author takes him on, as much as I do the eventual answer that the story proposes. Given that the main character is Russian, it doesn’t seem odd that the story can be especially bleak, and that aspect could be hard to get through at times. With that being said, looking back at one’s mistakes and desperately trying to find some way to redeem them isn’t going to be a cheerful task. It was well written, and worth the read.