Identities by W. D. Valgardson (1995)

“Identities” is only four pages long, yet it delivers a tremendous shock. The protagonist begins his drive with no destination in mind, feeling calm and at ease. Gradually, however, a subtle sense of unease creeps in. At first, I assumed he would encounter some kind of trouble, but the ending was far worse than I expected—his death.

The story’s central theme, identity, is handled with bitter irony. Surrounded by suspicious people in a rough neighborhood, the protagonist tries to conceal his true identity by blending in, attempting to look like one of the “bad guys.” But this disguise backfires. A tense, inexperienced officer misinterprets his appearance and behavior. When the protagonist sees the officer, he actually feels relieved, believing he is finally safe. Yet in that moment, he makes a fatal mistake: instead of raising his hands as ordered, he reaches toward his wallet to retrieve his identification. The officer, already on edge, interprets the gesture as a threat and shoots him.

The tragedy lies in the cruel misunderstanding—he dies while trying to reveal the very identity that could have saved him.

Autogas Ferryman” by Champ Wongsatayanon

 What I have learned from reading “Autogas Ferryman,” written by Champ Wongsatayanont, a Thai, published in 2025

1.     Not so important an incident that happens at the beginning part turns out to be a very important matter that solves all the confusion, a clue to the labyrinth.

2.     Introduction is a daily routine that somehow catches the readers’ attention

The middle part consists of chaos, confusion, and catastrophic disaster; no solution is possible

     The ending dissolves all the intricated knots and leaves a peaceful atmosphere.

4.     The final one sentence is brief: And she fades away.

5.     One paragraph before the last sentence makes the readers smile and relieve the tension: The ghost of his mum smiles gently. It’s like that one time he finally got good grades for maths. She was so proud of him that day

“What Language Is That?” by Uwem Akpan (2008)

 “What Language Is That?” by Uwem Akpan (2008) is a beautifully crafted short story that follows the Japanese rhetorical structure ki‑sho‑ten‑ketsu: introduction, development, twist, and conclusion. In this story, the Change (ten) occurs when Selam, the protagonist, is suddenly forbidden to play with her Best Friend because they belong to different religions. Selam’s family is Christian, while her friend’s family is Muslim.

At first, the girls are not even allowed to look at each other from their verandas across the street. But one day, Selam opens the curtain and sees her friend standing outside. Her friend gives her an awkward little wave, and Selam mirrors it. Then her friend blows her a kiss, and Selam returns it. That small exchange restores her confidence and gives her the emotional strength to agree to move to Addis with her parents.

The story contains no unnecessary words, sentences, or scenes. It is an excellent model of short‑story economy.

What I learned from this story is that the “Change” should be as dramatic and consequential as possible, so the reader immediately worries about what will happen next.

Here is a vivid description of their silent veranda conversation:

“Slowly, Selam lifted her hand and waved to you as if the hand belonged to another person. You waved back slowly, too. She opened her mouth slowly and mimed to you, and you mimed back. ‘I can’t hear you.’ She waved with two hands, and you waved with two hands. She smiled at you… She gave an imaginary friend a peck.” 

The author is a Nigerian. He won the Commonwealth prize. His works are a New York Times bestseller.

信長の棺 加藤廣

 ミステリー歴史小説とはこのような小説であろう。信長の遺体が本能寺にないのは何故か。遺骨は何処に消えたかをミステリー風に、巧く書き上げた。おそらく、本能寺に抜け穴があり、そこから逃れたと推測したが、その推測がひっくり返るような仕掛けを施している。逃げ道の先は阿弥陀寺で、阿弥陀寺が入口ではなく本能寺が入口である。信長は抜け道を逃げて来るとき壁で遮られてそこでで落命した。

欠点は薀蓄が多すぎてスムースな読書を妨げている。また、横道に次々と入って行くことである。特に最後の権兵衛と牛一の対話は長すぎる。

これは、四分の一ぐらいの中編で事足りる内容であるが、長く引き伸ばし過ぎである。

歴史知識が山ほどある著者で、その日本語の語彙力には感服した。