They say you can’t go home. That’s not always true. Sometimes going home is as easy as booking a flight or setting sail. That doesn’t mean going home is always a good idea. Just look at how going home worked for these five protagonists…
“Jeffty Is Five” by Harlan Ellison (1977)
(Originally published in The magazine for fantasy and science fiction; collected in The essential Ellison) The unnamed narrator grudgingly admits advances in certain areas, such as medicine and transportation, but laments the loss of so many other aspects of his childhood. Favorite TV shows are long gone, traditional household products have been replaced by knock-offs, and, worst of all, candy bars are smaller and cost a full twenty cents. These are all grim developments that all adults of a certain age face.
But not Jeffty.
Jeffty is five. Jeffty is always five. It takes time and several trips away and back to his hometown for the narrator to understand how bizarre Jeffty really is. Not only is Jeffty timeless, the world around him seems to be trapped in amber. What a wonderful gift from Jeffty, to make an otherwise lost moment in time accessible to those close to him… although Jeffty’s parents might disagree.
At this point I would like to point out that 95 cents is far too much for a paperback.
Lycanthia or The Children of the Wolves by Tanith Lee (1981)
The house to which Christian Dorse returns is one he himself never lived in. His reckless grandfather lost it to creditors and Christian only recently needed it. Nevertheless, it is the Dorses’ estate, a suitable property in which Christian can languish before dying of the illness he claims he is suffering from.
The castle is a half-ruined, shabby mess with a scant staff. His neighbors are a handful of suspicious, unfriendly farmers… and the de Lagenay siblings, about whom wild rumors of wolves and shapeshifters are circulating. Revelations await Christian! Not least of all, what a terrible person Christian can be, given the chance.
This gothic story by Tanith Lee is a series of discoveries, each more alarming than the last.
The Apple Tree Throne by Premee Mohamed (2018)
Major General Theodore Wickersley gloriously led his men into avoidable slaughter. Wickersley’s death on the battlefield alongside his unfortunate subordinates was no vindication in the eyes of his countrymen. However, survivor Braddock was willing to speak on Wickersley’s behalf, which endeared him to Wickersley’s family.
The gratitude of the Wickersley family proves to be a godsend for Braddock, who is otherwise without means or prospects. Braddock finds himself back in the life his former commander so foolishly gave up. The only minor complication? Wickersley is dead, but his spirit is not only active, but also increasingly angry as Braddock is embraced by the family and the fiancée Wickersley believes is still his.
The Great Republic of Britannia seems to have no objection to an officer promoted to a position far beyond his authority needlessly killing himself and many soldiers out of sheer arrogance. The Great Republic is not a meritocracy of sorts. They object to him publicly embarrassing the Great Republic.
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick (2021)
Dissatisfied with the gang leader Ondrakja’s sadism-based management philosophy, Ren gently rebuked him by spiking Ondrakja’s food with deadly poison. Ren and his sister Tess then prudently left Nadežra. But now greed outweighs prudence.
To gain access to House Traementis’ vast wealth, Ren must convince House Traementis that Ren is the daughter of Letilia Traementis. But Ren is not Letilia’s daughter. She is Letilia’s former maid. Letilia has long been estranged from her family and can neither confirm nor deny the claim.
The odds seem to favor Ren’s game of trust…but House Traementis has many enemies. To bully House Traementis, Ren must first save it.
Who doesn’t like stories with a moral? The Mask of Mirrors has a number of morals, the most important of which seems to be: “Make sure someone is really dead before making plans that depend on the person being too dead to intervene.” Nadežra seems to be home to far too many people who are nowhere near as dead as they should be.
The Master of Samar by Melissa Scott (2023)
Gilmyssin Irichels di Samar, the product of a marriage his grandfather disapproved of, left both the House of Samar and the city of Bejanth. As a magical adept in a demon-ridden world, Irichels had no problem establishing himself as a curse-breaker. He never expected to return to Bejanth, let alone as the new Master of Samar.
Irichel’s appointment as heir is not due to any last-minute grandfatherly remorse. Rather, it is the fact that Irichel is the only living Samar still capable of running Samar House. The deaths of all the other Samar could simply be attributed to a surprisingly large number of extremely unlikely accidents. More likely, however, is a conspiracy in which Irichel is now the only remaining target. Unfortunately, knowing that someone wants you dead does not mean you can avoid an assassination attempt.
Bejanth is a second world Venice, with the very important difference that it must protect itself from demons. Can the ambitious rich people of Bejanth maintain their vital infrastructure better when the profit motive stands in their way than the rich and powerful of our world? Read on to find out!
As a theme or plot point, the idea of a homecoming offers writers so many possibilities that it’s not surprising that the five works mentioned above are just a small selection of the many stories in which homecomings feature. No doubt many of your old favorites have been overlooked, not always because I’ve used them in previous essays. Feel free to remind me in the comments below…
