Some story collections entertain for an afternoon and then quietly disappear into the bookshelf. Shades of Mortality (Stories from the Lost and Found) by Jamal Barbari does something else. It stays. It lingers in the mind like a half-remembered dream, the kind that feels personal even when the details are strange.
This debut short story collection introduces readers to three time-traveling, universe-hopping, interdimensional storytellers. They are not just narrators. They feel like wandering witnesses, carrying fragments of countless lives and sharing them as if they are passing along secrets gathered from the edges of reality. Their stories move through themes of life, death, love, despair, regret, and transcendence, creating a reading experience that feels emotional, imaginative, and surprisingly intimate.
Rather than presenting a single plot, the book offers a series of moments. Each one stands on its own, yet together they form a larger reflection on what it means to exist, to lose, to remember, and to keep going.
An added creative detail is hidden in plain sight: the cover itself functions as an easter egg, with visual elements representing each story in the collection—inviting readers to finish the book and then return to the cover to uncover how every tale is subtly embedded within the artwork.
Stories That Explore the Fragility of Being Human
The strength of Shades of Mortality lies in how it focuses on the quiet parts of life. Many of the stories are built around emotions people rarely discuss openly. Grief. Fear. Nostalgia. The strange ache of realizing time has moved forward without permission. These themes appear in different forms, sometimes gently and sometimes with sharp intensity.
Jamal’s writing does not feel rushed. There is space in the storytelling, room for the reader to sit with a scene and absorb its meaning. That pacing is one of the collection’s most effective qualities. It allows the emotional weight to land naturally.
The book also avoids feeling trapped in one mood. Some stories are profound and haunting, leaving a reader with a sense of unease. Others carry warmth and tenderness, offering moments of beauty that feel almost comforting. Humor appears too, and it feels well-placed. It never comes across as forced. Instead, it feels like the kind of humor people use in real life when things get heavy and laughter becomes a way to breathe again.
What makes the collection memorable is how it handles contrasts without becoming predictable. It feels like a reflection of reality itself. People fall in love. People break. People hold onto memories that hurt. People try again anyway. Each story carries a different emotional shade, which makes the title feel especially fitting.
A Creative Blend of Fiction and Visual Art
One of the most distinctive features of Shades of Mortality (Stories from the Lost and Found) is its artistic presentation. Every story includes a unique illustration created by one of nine different artists. This gives the collection an extra dimension that many books do not offer.
The illustrations do more than decorate the pages. They deepen the atmosphere and help shape how the stories are experienced. Some images feel eerie, others feel playful, and some feel deeply symbolic. Because the artists each bring their own style, every story feels like it has its own visual identity.
That variety creates a sense of discovery. Turning the page becomes exciting because the reader never knows what kind of artistic interpretation will appear next. It is almost like stepping into a small exhibition where every piece of artwork belongs to a different world.
This approach also highlights Jamal’s appreciation for creativity beyond writing alone. The book becomes a collaborative project, giving readers a chance to enjoy storytelling and illustration as one unified experience. It is the kind of detail that makes the collection feel carefully built rather than quickly assembled.
Jamal Barbari’s Background and the Experiences Behind the Stories
Jamal Barbari’s personal journey adds depth to his debut. Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, he has spent much of his adult life traveling and teaching abroad. That global lifestyle naturally shapes a writer’s imagination, and the influence can be felt throughout the collection.
Living among different cultures and interacting with people from various religions and backgrounds often changes the way someone sees the world. In Jamal’s case, it appears to have fueled his ability to create stories that feel universal. Even when the settings become surreal or otherworldly, the emotions remain recognizable.
Outside of writing, Jamal enjoys gaming with friends, exploring new recipes, and listening to a wide range of music. Those interests show in the collection’s variety of tone. The book has a playful streak in certain moments, a reflective calm in others, and an almost musical rhythm in how some stories unfold. There is a sense that the author draws inspiration from many corners of everyday life.
He also describes himself as slowly becoming a digital nomad, which fits the spirit of Shades of Mortality perfectly. The collection feels like it comes from someone who is always moving, always observing, always collecting fragments of human experience and turning them into something meaningful.
For readers who enjoy short stories that feel thoughtful, imaginative, and emotionally honest, Shades of Mortality (Stories from the Lost and Found) offers a compelling entry point into Jamal’s creative world. The book is available on Amazon, ready for anyone curious enough to follow these interdimensional storytellers into the spaces between what is lost and what is found.
We had the privilege of interviewing the author. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Hi, thank you so much for joining us today! Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.
Well, hello! My name is Jamal Barbari, and besides writing short stories, I work in the field of international education, specifically in the realm of study abroad. I help students and adults both study and travel to different countries around the world to explore new cultures, languages, food, perspectives, etc.
I got the travel bug from my mother, who works in the travel industry, and I combined it with my passion for education, which has brought me to my current professional career and has also been a huge influence on my literary journey as well.
Please share your journey with our readers.
Literature has always been a passion of mine. Even at a young age, you could find my face glaring at some type of book, even if I couldn’t read it at the time. As I got older, my favorite places to visit were libraries and bookstores (and still are my favorites for the record), which introduced me to a variety of authors, genres, and ultimately different mediums in which I could explore my own personal niche within the realm of literature.
This eventually led me to writing poetry, which then grew into writing short stories. I dabbled writing long-form stories and novels, but felt it wasn’t my true calling, as I always had a plethora of ideas I wanted to explore creatively, and I couldn’t realistically do that with poems, novels, and/or epics. As such, I really began to hone my skills as a short story and flash fiction author and decided to put a variety of my stories into a collection, which is the first of many to come by the way. You’ll also find that I am someone who appreciates art, as it is a skill which I personally am not well-versed in, but respect and adore immensely. As such, in all my collections, you’ll find that each story is associated with an illustration from talented artists from around the world. I will continue doing this for each of my collections in the future as well.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
Honestly, a lot of exposure to countries around the world has inspired much of my writing. That’s one of the reasons why there is such variety, and it is also reflective in a lot of the meanings (hidden or otherwise) that you will find in my stories. Readers will be able to interpret many of my stories in a myriad of ways, and one of the main reasons for that is purely because there are numerous global influences incorporated within the different settings, characters, and stories themselves. I’m not sure if that counts as a strategy, but it has helped a lot when developing unique and original stories that have influences from the diverse world we live in.
Any message for our readers?
For my stories, since there is such a diverse lineup of genres (fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, etc.) I’d recommend my readers to enter each one with an open mind since each story may not align with what they’re typically used to reading. All my collections will have stories for everyone, but I also don’t expect everyone to like every story (although I’d be happy if you did)! Regardless, I want all my readers to enjoy at least one thing I’ve written, and if you haven’t yet, you will in the future. I promise!
Thank you so much, Jamal, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!
