A Question of Hollowness

While the bond of friendship needn't require sameness between individuals, their differences can increasingly affect their lives over several decades. The person less equipped for the challenges of life may incline toward dependency on his more fortunate and successful friend. Yet the struggling individual might see himself-with some basis-as no less inwardly talented as his friend. He therefore strives to achieve on his own and affirm his desired identity. Such is the conundrum for Dysmas, the subject of the title work in this volume. His difficult relationships with other people, no less than coming to terms with his own nature, present high hurdles on his quest for his friend's equanimity. Also included here is "The Third Venture," which deals with a project to both extend and enhance the human lifespan. It's conducted on a tropical island, profit-motivated and by agreement with an Oceanic government. An additional work, "Paraprofessional," relates the efforts of a part-time mental health worker to awaken the memories of an amnesiac.