In the passing moments of every life come points where critical decisions are made, or enlightened realizations are achieved. None of us know when these moments will come, and sometimes we don't know when they have passed. So amorphous and fluid are these critical points in time that they often remain unseen even when their impact radically alters the path of a life. Surface Tension is a collection of flash fiction that catches characters in these moments, or approaching the brink of them. Alan Zemel captures characters in the midst of experiencing tensions strong enough to penetrate their surface of ego revealing the depths over which they swim.

The collection deals with characters in a variety of situations from fratricide, facing the loss of a parent, matricide, the revelation of sexuality, or other decisions made in the face of potential risks. If these critical decisions are viewed as doors, then the book Surface Tension takes us to the threshold that invites the characters to cross. What lies beyond the threshold for these characters is a matter for longer works by the author.