The only author less likely to get interviewed on Mr. Media than a short story writer is a poet. It has taken seven years for the first creator of short fiction to make it past the gatekeeper—so you poets listening shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for your breakthrough moment. Nick Antosca brings a cinematic storytelling style to his new short story collection, The Girlfriend Game, which is undoubtedly why I invested the time and energy to read it. The tales he tells grab you from the first page, spin you ‘round and ‘round, and sometimes don’t let go even when you come out the other side. NICK ANTOSCA podcast excerpt: "'Believe' is about a 10-year-old girl with supernatural powers that are mysterious and growing... There are a lot of surprises coming. The pilot was written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity). With him and JJ Abrams behind the show, it's been a great experience. And it's a great writers' room." That’s not surprising when you discover that the talented Yale graduate has written for MTV’s “Teen Wolf” adaptation, the short-lived ABC military drama “Last Resort,” and that he is currently writing for JJ Abrams’ new NBC show, “Believe.” Antosca toys with boyfriend/girlfriend relationships in the title story, “The Girlfriend Game,” man/dog relationships in “Mammals,” and human/alien relationships in “Soon You Will Be Gone and Possibly Eaten.” Folks, you’ll get to the end of The Girlfriend Game as I did and wonder where the time went. Nick Antosca • • •