I wrote a story in the late 1990’s, “Par Autre Vie,” which in French means “For the life of another.” It was a science fiction story about the legal system, property rights, and a novel way for the state to punish people without putting them in a physical prison. At the time, I was a relatively new lawyer, and was handling quite a few Chapter 7 bankruptcies, assisting clients who had been caught in what had become the undertow of consumerist nightmares.

In 2002 I submitted the story to the “Magnolia and Moonlight Contest,” sponsored by the wonderful writer Mark Hoover. The contest judge was another fine author, James Van Pelt. In Olympiad terms, I won the silver, second place, and I got a small check which was but a small token of the very big happy I felt.

I’d already been in print six times by this time. “Par Autre Vie,” however, did not sell. I self-published a collection of stories in late 2011, “Cherubimbo and Other Stories.” Most of the pieces had appeared in small magazines in New York and in England, but there were a few new stories in the table of contents, including “Par Autre Vie.”

The U.K. website FICTION ON THE WEB has republished the story today, July 2, 2021, on its site. You can read it at the following link: https://www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2021/07/par-autre-vie-by-gabriel-s-de-anda.html

I’m tickled that the story will be reaching a new audience. Enjoy.