The Impossible Bird

By Patrick O'Leary

Two brothers shared an odd, traumatic experience when they were kids. Adults now, they live separate lives. Mike is a world traveler, shooting commercials in exotic locations. Dan is a professor with a wife and child. The two brothers awake to find their lives out of joint, both lost in a fog of forgetfulness and confusion.
Mike is approached by some thugs who have mistaken him for Dan. Then he is told he has to find Dan. Meanwhile, Dan's son has been kidnapped and the ransom is that Dan has to find Mike. In the course of events, it is revealed that Mike and Dan are both dead and are living in an artificial construct created by aliens who find the concept of death abhorrent and have been recreating dead people from the moment of their deaths. But many of the people who have been recreated are not happy to find themselves in this artificial world and have organized against the aliens behind it all. And naturally, there are many recreated people that are perfectly happy to be in this brave new world. So Mike and Dan are drawn into this conflict between the two sides, each side vying for the brothers' allegiance. In the struggle between the two sides, the brothers will find each other and come to terms with the anger and lies that kept them apart for so long.

This story was interesting, surprising, often rather confusing, but at the end, just depressing. I think if it wasn't for the bleak ending, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. But I just didn't care for the ending and it kind of spoiled the whole thing for me.