A Problematic Prophecy & Other Stories takes its rightful place on the library shelves next to Celeste Ng’s work.
From the ages of 8 to 16, I lived on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The day I discovered that I could borrow books for free from the county library was a revelation. Libraries are still free for the public, one of the very few institutions that are. And now, decades later, my book is there as well.
When I stopped by this week to check on it, I was pleased that it sits beside Celeste Ng’s fiction. Because I have no money to promote it, I am one of the millions of unknown authors competing for readers among the 75% of Americans that read at least one book a year. Nevertheless, my collection of fifteen short stories is now available at the local library waiting for someone to discover it, and ideally, enjoy it.
A Goodreads reviewer recently wrote:
This little gem came to me at the perfect time. I really appreciated that these vignettes are the perfect length. Enough to set the scene and tone, but left space to encourage the reader to imagine what happened next. I found myself thinking of several of these characters after I finished their story. Stephen Newton has a strong author voice. His descriptions were very vivid and reminded me of some of my favorite authors' writing styles. Would definitely read from this author again.
Thus encouraged, I’m working on a novel. If all goes well, it will be finished this April, 2027.
Stay tuned.
—Stephen Newton, November 11, 2026