Re Quiet Boy and Moon Horse

Quiet Boy and Moon Horse is a recent short story by horizon. It addresses the topic of how real and important our imaginary friends can be.

As a short story, it packs an intense emotional punch. When I first read it, it felt a little cliché -- gee, another sucker punch in the feels; just what I needed! On the other hand, I can't fault the author: what else can you do in a short but make as big an impact as you can as quick as you can? Even if I prefer a longer build up with the richer pay off, you can't really do that in the short story.

I got more out of the story after he read some of the comments. In the good stories, you will always find comments about how the story is the best thing someone has ever read or how it changed her life, and this one was no exception. Well, sorry, I can't say this story changed my life. However, I got to wondering about why the story touched a chord with so many people. While it may not apply to the majority of people, clearly there are many people for whom an imaginary friend is an important part of their life. Certainly they have been part of mine. I have never doubted that mine were completed imaginary, but I have imagined what it would be like if they were real, and I can see how easy it would be to cross that line.

Some people were disgruntled that where was a bit of a sex scene, but I think it made the story a bit more gritty, realistic, and gave one a little bit more to think about if you were seeing a lot of commonalities with the main character (we've all been teenagers).

Eventually, he demands more of his friend than she can deliver, and he loses her. He cries when he has an unexpected reminder of what he lost. At the end, he starts to help his daughter on her own journey. Eventually, I decided I liked this story, not because of the feels but because it gave me something to think about. How are imaginary friends important to our lives and how we see and understand ourselves? What sorts of relationships are possible besides the ones I'm familiar with? What am I going to introduce my children to? These are not easy questions.