United States

Exit Zero

Name: Exit Zero
ISBN: 978-0374616472

by Marie-Helene Bertino

Society & Class Fantasy Horror Fiction Short Stories 2025

Summary

Exit Zero is a collection of twelve surreal and imaginative short stories that explore the strange, often unsettling experiences of ordinary people. Blending magical realism, dark humour, and reflections on mortality, Marie-Helene Bertino creates worlds where the boundaries between everyday life and the extraordinary begin to dissolve.

In the title story, Jo returns to her estranged father’s home after his death and discovers that she has inherited an unexpected companion: a unicorn living in the backyard. Elsewhere, former lovers fall mysteriously from the sky, gardens become sites of communication between the living and the dead, and familiar objects take on uncanny significance.

Beneath the collection’s fantastical premises lies a thoughtful exploration of loneliness, family relationships, grief, and the difficulty of navigating an unpredictable world. Bertino’s stories invite readers to look beyond the apparent absurdity of everyday existence and consider the connections, losses, and moments of wonder that give life meaning.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first!

The Taste of Sugar

Marisel Vera

There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven

Country

About the author

Marie-Helene Bertino

Marie-Helene Bertino is an American novelist and short-story writer known for her imaginative fiction, surreal humour, and emotionally perceptive explorations of loneliness, identity, and human connection. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she has taught creative writing at institutions including NYU and the University of Pennsylvania. Her work often blends everyday realism with fantastical elements, using unconventional narratives to examine grief, love, family, and the search for belonging. Her debut novel, 2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas (2014), follows a young girl determined to perform at a Philadelphia jazz club on Christmas Eve. Her later novels include Parakeet (2020), a surreal exploration of marriage, family, and personal transformation, and Beautyland (2024), which tells the story of a girl who believes she has been sent to Earth from another planet to observe humanity. Bertino’s fiction combines playful experimentation with profound emotional insight, inviting readers to reconsider the strange, fragile connections that make us human.

View author page

Details

Published: 2025
Author: Marie-Helene Bertino

Exit Zero

Summary

Reviews

You might also like