Once Upon A Lane

Duncan Wilson

Nov 2019 · Duncan Wilson

About this ebook

"There once was a lane, filled with well-tended lawns and well-fostered friendships, of well-appointed houses all neat and tidy and those that live within, of stories and mysteries that manifest for only fleeting moments for the few who pay attention. This is one such tale. A tale about pleasant people, about the lives they live, about their wants and dreams, about their loves and losses, their joys and hates, about their days and nights in the company of cherished companions in the houses they call home. In this tale of the happy little lives of blissful simple folk, there are monsters, to be sure. But this is not the story of monsters, this is not the tale of their evil deeds, this is the tale of those they make suffer. In this tale, the monsters have no names. The monsters do not deserve names."

A character driven slice-of-life story that follows the humble lives of the residents of a suburban neighborhood as they live and love, and about the house with the dead yard, a vacant lot, that sits among their homes, inert and immobile, yet intimidating and terrifying to any who look at it too long. The children of the lane are not the only ones who are fearful of the anomaly in their midst. Every adult upon the lane wonders why the structure still stands, with no known owner and no reason to be. The lingering question is not who owns the house, but why no one ever goes in or comes out, and why there are such ghastly noises emanating from within. Day by day, the happy people of the lane go about their tasks and trials, and day by day, the house with the dead yard seems a little more ominous, a little more intrusive, and a little less ignorable than before.

Ratings and reviews

Once Upon A Lane is a wonderful story about urban life on an average street in midtown America, if your idea of average includes monsters, a mysterious house, and characters who all seem to be much more than they first appear. The writing was amazing, with vivid descriptions, witty dialog, and interesting characters who had genuine conflict and compassion for one another.

Once Upon A Lane, by Duncan Wilson, refuses to obey genres and is a character driven story written in strong narrative. The Lane houses a large cast of characters including adults, children and animals who go about their every day lives from Saturday to Wednesday. Everything touches everything and all seems normal. SEEMS. The characters were many, very many, but Wilson writes this story in a way that keeping up with every character is not necessary. This is the best thing about this book. Imagine trying to remember everyone who lives on a street and everything about them. The fact is, the LANE is the most important character and everyone else just makes the Lane more interesting. Additionally, Wilson gives us just enough details when we “see” a character to help us know or remember them. Again, the Lane, the world of this book is well described and easy to see. This is because the details of what the Lane itself looks like, are constantly addressed. The homes, the yards, the depths of the neighborhood are the biggest part of the story. The plot of this book appears to be the lives of these characters but Wilson sneaks in a mystery which we are left to ponder on our own without the authors persistence. It’s there, but it’s not there. We can see it, but it’s only a peek. This gives us all the control which is rare in a story these days! Overall, this is an EXCELLENT book. I was very impressed with how Wilson handles such a big cast, the book was easy to read, and the plot was fun and exciting!

About the author

Duncan Wilson has been writing since childhood, having fallen in love with the written word at a very early age. Having spent his formative years in various libraries, he can bore his friends on a variety of subjects. Inspired by the natural world and the splendors of the heavens, he writes primarily science fiction and paranormal stories. Other than writing, he enjoys cooking, playing games with friends, and listening to music.