A Taste Sweet & Salty

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The man known only as Stranger lived and died in a town with no name. Each day he lived. And each night he died…

Fantasy, surreal (short story)

“...absolutely masterful...a kind of much, much creepier Quantum Leap: the amnesiac protagonist awakes in a new body each morning only to die in it by nightfall.” —Strange Horizons

“Another superb story … unpredictable and with a great ending, this story is another highlight of the Chimerascope collection (A++).” —Fantasy Book Critic

“...wonderful...has a taste that lingers...” —SF Crowsnest

“A charming tale about a man cursed to die every day and be reborn as someone else.” —SFRevu

“A fascinating fabulist premise...” — Internet Review of SF

Other books by Douglas Smith

About the author

Douglas Smith


Douglas Smith is a multi-award-winning author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction.”

His latest work is the multi-award-winning YA urban fantasy trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga (The Hollow Boys, The Crystal Key, and The Lost Expedition). Other books include the urban fantasy novel, The Wolf at the End of the World; the collections, Chimerascope, Impossibilia, and La Danse des Esprits (translated); and the writer's guide Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction.
His short fiction has appeared in the top markets in the field, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, InterZone, and Weird Tales.

Published in 27 languages, Doug is a 4-time winner of Canada's Aurora Award, most recently in 2023 for The Hollow Boys, as well as the juried IAP Award for the same book. He's been a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, the juried Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.

His website is https://smithwriter.com.

"The man is Sturgeon good. Zelazny good. I don't give those up easy." —Spider Robinson, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner

"A great storyteller with a gifted and individual voice." —Charles de Lint, World Fantasy Award winner

"His stories are a treasure trove of riches that will touch your heart while making you think." —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner

"Stories you can't forget, even years later." —Julie Czerneda, multi-award-winning author and editor