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Daniel McKenzie
Author
Hair on Fire
A collection of short stories: "A Ghost Story" A solo retreat to a small coastal town turns into something else when a yogi suddenly finds himself in the role of guru to a strange spirit trying to find his way out. "The Day the Children Remembered" What if children all over the world began to remember their past lives? How would it effect society and the individuals who see themselves as victims and perpetrators of past injustices? "The Allegory of the Virtual Reality Headset" With the development of virtual reality and the metaverse, it won’t be long until people are able to experience other worlds that seem very similar, if not the same, to our own. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave may, then, no longer be just an allegory. "Like a Man with His Hair on Fire" A desperate seeker who wishes to see reality as it is, gets more than he bargained for when Maya, "The Great Illusionist," grants him his wish. "The Poverty of the Old" What do you do when old age arrives and you find that all the juice has been squeezed out of life? "Cliffhanger" Most days the world feels like we're all on a bus to nowhere driven by a crazy old man who refuses to let go of the wheel. "The Last Time" A yogi visits his father on his death bed and asks him if he has learned anything. "You Might Get Bored of Heaven" What begins as a family reunion in heaven, ends in a shocking realization for the recently departed. "The Portrait Artist" An accomplished painter teaches his young student that everything is just patterns, and that we're all more similar than we would like to believe.
Reviews
In this inspirational collection of short stories, McKenzie (author of The Wisdom Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and other titles) explores the spirit realm, the metaphysical, human consciousness, and questions of identity, with an emphasis on enlightenment and awakenings to deeper realities and the truth of the human condition. In "A Ghost Story" a yogi traveling alone encounters a ghost, Hugh, struggling to identify the meaning of his existence. Constructing himself out of utensils and kitchen appliances, Hugh is shown that he is not who he believes himself to be. In "The Day the Children Remembered,” kids across the nation begin to remember their past lives, causing a shift in the dynamics of relationships as more people begin to delve into each other's backgrounds by inquiring about previous existences. Meanwhile, "You Might Get Bored of Heaven" finds a woman reuniting with lost loved ones in Heaven where she learns the meaning of life, "true identity,” and the joys of the human "process of discovery".

Each story holds clear but also subtle messages and spiritual lessons for readers to interpret and glean their own understanding and pause to reflect on its underlying meaning. McKenzie spins an eclectic batch of tales that are insightful, revealing, and at times enigmatic. Juxtaposing ideas such as life and death, self and identity, and even teacher and student, Hair on Fire is a thought-provoking offering that centers the transcendent nature of consciousness and makes the case that, despite our short life spans, it never truly dies. Each story, though brief, brings its characters and its plot "full circle"—much like, as McKenzie’s “A Ghost Story” suggests, our consciousness itself.

McKenzie's storytelling is inviting and positive, even when exploring the heavy topic of death, which McKenzie assures readers is not the end of consciousness. Whether through exploring reincarnation, spiritual entities, or spiritual realms, each story suggests the possibility of life thriving long after the body stops. Seekers will relish this.

Takeaway: Inspiring spiritual stories of life, consciousness, and awakenings.

Comparable Titles: William Buhlman and Susan Buhlman's Beyond the Astral, Paulo Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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