A mesmerizing first collection from the cross-genre author, science writer, and artist J. Dianne Dotson, THE SHADOW GALAXY features short stories and poetry spanning magical realism, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and Appalachian tales. With stories and poetry spanning three decades of work, the author taps into journeys both fantastical and deeply personal. Categories include Shadow Shores: Tales from the Sea; Other Futures: Tales of the Galaxy and a Place Called Earth; Into the Darkest Hollow: Tales of Horror; Love and Other Moments: Traces of the Heart; Far Appalachia: Tales from the Ancient Mountains; and Resonant Thoughts: Some Poetry.

Among these pages, Dotson captures the longing, regrets, and dreams of those living by the sea, such as in "One Evening in Fogvale." In "RODER," a young woman risks her life to help find a robot who captured her heart. "Topaz Sundered" explores an exoplanet mining expedition gone horribly wrong. In "The Queen and the Mountain Laurel," a young Appalachian girl teaches her father an important lesson with the help of mountain spirits. The poem "Obsidian" eviscerates with raw pain from betrayal. Dotson weaves these and many other tales and poems of mysticism, exploration, horror, pain, nostalgia, and wonder, for no shadow can exist without light.