Standalone

If Wishes Were Retail

“Habershaw (The Iron Ring) offers plenty of laughs in this diverting urban fantasy... It’s a cozy, comical confection.”

Publishers Weekly

"Habershaw’s contemporary fantasy adventure is sassy and snarky but with soul."

Booklist

"Readers who like cozy fantasy will be charmed and laugh out loud as Alex tries to teach the genie about life in the 21st century, even as gnomes swoop in and stage a labor dispute that no one saw coming. VERDICT: Habershaw’s (The Far Far Better Thing) story begins as a bit of a fantasy farce and turns into something heartwarming and cozy."

Library Journal

"If Wishes Were Retail, for all its cozy-fantasy trap- pings and screwball-comedy antics, actually has something sharp to say about many of the real contradictions inherent in American capitalism."

Locus

"At its heart I found If Wishes Were Retail to be a story about agency and how people navigate a world where their choices often feel constrained. The blend of magic and mall retail allowed for an exploration of serious themes of economic insecurity, invisible labor, exploitation, the commodification of dreams while keeping the tone light and often funny. What stood out most to me was how cleverly If Wishes Were Retail critiques capitalism without losing its heart... magic doesn’t solve structural problems — people do, slowly, imperfectly, together."

Armed With a Book

"Underneath the humor is a heart-warming cozy fantasy about family, community, and our hearts’ desires."

Arlington Magazine

"Irresistibly fun and funny, with a ton of heart and depth! This is the kind of book that sneaks up on you and sticks with you!"

Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

"Sometimes you can. The cover art is excellent. Naturally, the book isn’t going to live up to it--only it does. It’s a funny conversation about the gritty side of suburban life and mall culture, and how to resist it. It’s got a genie, you saw that on the cover. Also it has gnomes. Who could ask for more?"

Daniel Pinkwater, author of Jules, Penny & the Rooster

"My three wishes? Three more books as good as this one from Auston Habershaw"

Tom Holt, World Fantasy Award winning author of The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse

"Delightfully charming, and it continually surprised me… and that's a good thing!"

Phil Foglio, creator of Girl Genius

"A love letter to wounded people and community spaces, this suburban fantasy is both delightfully absurd and firmly grounded. A larger than life (and hilariously out of touch) genie might be center stage, but Auston Habershaw conjures up a cast of heartbreakingly real people, with real problems, as he explores the difference between what we want, what we need, and what will heal."

Dave Klecha, co-author of The Runes of Engagement

"Auston Habershaw's If Wishes Were Retail taps into a long-storied tradition of smart comedic fantasy in the vein of Terry Pratchett. Habershaw's efficient and accessible prose allows his deeper themes of anti-exploitation, community, and the cost of human greed to take center stage, presented through laugh-out-loud absurdist moments that keep building and building in a page-turner of a novel. If Wishes Were Retail is a ten out of ten gnomes--if you can see them, that is."

Mia Tsai, Author of Bitter Medicine

"Habershaw seamlessly displays issues we struggle with every day as individuals, families and a society."

Chris Abaire, Northshire Bookstore

Collections

Faceless Galaxy

"The Faceless stories are filled with the kind of sense of wonder storytelling that is at the heart of great science fiction. This compilation is a priceless testimony to Habershaw's talent. He's rapidly claiming a spot among the top science fiction writers of our time."

Tim Akers, author of Wraithbound

Auston Habershaw is one of the most accomplished writers of short fiction working in the field today. I've had the privilege of reading his stories over the years, and am very pleased to see so many of his works finally brought together in this stellar collection.

T. R. Napper, author of 36 Streets

"There continues to be nice worldbuilding in these stories, and the sense of stakes and danger are well done."

Locus on "Brood Parasitism"

"A good little story with an interesting twist at the end."

SFRevu on "Planned Obsolescence"

"An excellent piece of world building, something that is often lacking in short fiction but which Auston Habershaw accomplishes here with panache."

SF Bluestocking on "Adaptation and Predation"

Saga of the Redeemed

The Oldest Trick (#1)

"Knowing that somehow Tyvian, Myreon, Artus and Hool are going to have to work together is fun. 4.4 stars."

SF Book Review

Dead But Once (#3)

"Fun fast read. The characters and world have been developed and are now we see their growth"

SF Book Review