Unlikely Stories (1st edition) is an anthology of horror & comedy stories — an exorcism, an alien encounter, a haunted lift, a seance, a shapeshifter, a werewolf — all wrapped in a very witty love story. The author originally intended to write a non-fiction book based on real-life incidents. He was however forced by several governments to name this book as ‘Unlikely Stories’ and release it only as a fiction title. The stories have turned out to be supernatural/paranormal/sci-fi fantasies with ample doses of action, horror and humour. The entire book is in first person and everything happens very fast. There is never a dull moment.
- The trip: The lead is invited by his friend to a resort where he meets the first heroine Vampira.
- The swim: The lead decides that Vampira is his soul mate he has been waiting all his life. He tells several stories to entertain his friend’s kids and also impress Vampira.
- The exorcist: The second lead is an Indian crook who escapes to the West to start a new life. He attempts to go legit but finds competition from a professional medium operating under the trade name of Mademoiselle Zuma. She is dangerous because she is a mind-reader.
- Alien encounter: After the successful exorcism, this lead is asked to help a teenager who has been repeatedly ‘abducted’ by an alien.
- The lift: A recently deceased security guard haunts a lift where he had died and seeks revenge.
- Femme fatale: The second lead has a showdown with a female animal spirit.
- The seance: A young woman in the city is troubled by nightmares involving a hooded skeleton. A newly married nurse blanks out every night. She is also troubled by bizarre nightmares. Mademoiselle Zuma solves both cases.
- The haunting: An old mansion is haunted by a presence. Every new buyer and his family gets driven to such desperation that they eventually sell. The second lead investigates and almost gets killed.
- Family planning: The first lead and Vampira plan their life together. In the first ending, they get married. In the second ending (written by the lead after their first night), Stone Age Man (SAM) and Stone Age Woman (SAW) discover the mystery of life. (This is an over-the-top parody of the controversy about MEN WRITING WOMEN.) Other than some intimate events implied in comic fashion, there is no physical contact between the sexes in the entire book. Not even a kiss. The book is clean throughout. No swear words. No corny mushy dialogue. No degeneracy. No weirdness. Just no low-hanging fruit.
