My Work – J M STRASSER

Travels with Walter

Sarah, an aide, is called to work with an elderly gentleman with whom his children have lost patience. All goes as is typical for the care of an Alzheimer’s patient until one day when his delusions about other worlds escalate into demanding a ride in his space roadster to his favorite bar, which turns into an enchanting day.

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Reviews For Travels with Walter

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I found the story “Travels with Walter” though-provoking, moving, and good in so many ways.

It made use of the tools of science fiction to investigate in a novel way what must be going on in the head of a man with Alzheimer’s. In particular it showed his yearning to return to a time when he felt independent, powerful, in control of his destiny. As a result readers were able to learn more about him and what the disease had done to him than they could have learned from a more clinical description. That kind of indirect revelation is something many writers of fiction attempt, but few do as well.

The author created two well-rounded characters with just a few details and then let them grow in a satisfying way through the story. Walter was quickly established as a dementia sufferer by his abrupt manners, the repetition of one phrase we thought was random (although it proved to have a connection to his past), the mention of a few crucial things he could remember and some he couldn’t. The aide Sarah began as a dull sort of girl leading an uninspired life. We then witnessed her becoming a more interesting person as she learned about Walter and his past through the stories told by his alien friends. Once she knew of his former accomplishments, she couldn’t look at him without seeing the hero he once had been. He became more of a whole person to her and to the reader, not just the embodiment of a set of disabilities. She progressed from hired caretaker to friend and admirer and finally to courageous advocate. What seemed a depressing situation at the beginning looked positively inspiring by the end.

The story was full of optimism about technology and the future, a characteristic I associate more with classic, mid-20th Century science fiction than modern sf. My father, born in 1926, was a fan of the classic era. The last time he visited my husband and me before he passed away, we took him out driving past the first Tesla factory, which had recently opened in Fremont. We told him about the all-electric vehicles being produced there, like things out of an F&SF story from the ’50’s. Dad was quiet for a few moments, then asked “So are there any people on Mars, yet?” He didn’t live long enough to see men land on Mars, but I believe I may. I was glad this story gave Walter a chance to experience some of the wonders people of the Greatest Generation never encountered, yet believed were within reach. As my husband said when he read this story, “Your dad would really have enjoyed this. -Kim Thomas, retired college professor and sister of the author. 4/01/2023

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*****

TRAVELS WITH WALTER is a sweet little romp full of energy, humor, and fun.

The story starts out with something sooner or later we all face…The care of an elderly family member. It is a tale about a man, Walter, his dog, Hand, Walter’s caregiver, Sarah, and her dog, Pepper.

One of the highlights is in Chapter 2 which focuses on Sarah going for a ride in Walter’s car or Personal Intragalactic Traveler Pod. It is filled with humor and snappy dialog both from the car and Hand, the dog in shorts, no less.

Their destination is Uno’s Bar in another solar system. They end up making two trips there. The description of the bar and of the creature features are detailed and colorful. The backstory of Walter and Hand is told through Arsta, the 5ft—8-eyed black widow spider. Cultural, national, moral issues, along with questions to reflect on, are scattered throughout the book, adding a bit of kick to the mix. Small, readable, and uplifting, TRAVELS WITH WALTER by J.M. Strasser is not only for science fiction readers; it’s for anyone who just appreciates a well-written and good story. -Judith Sanchez

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