The Emirati author Aisha Sultan has released her debut collection of short stories titled “Cold Fear,” published by Beit Al-Hekma in Cairo. This work explores the theme of fear through psychological dimensions, highlighting it as a barrier to progress and development. The 14 stories featured in the collection share a common thread of human experiences, focusing on social relationships, psychological challenges, and pivotal moments. The narratives offer deep psychological analysis and vivid descriptions of the characters’ emotions and their interactions with their surroundings, authentically reflecting the challenges and human experiences.
Aisha Sultan stated that exploring the realms of storytelling is a true adventure that engages all senses, providing a unique emotional experience and a distinct writing style. She noted, “Cold Fear” is characterized by a narrative style that blends reality with fantasy. Utilizing the essence of memory, the collection delves into characters, settings, and incidents that belong to either a bygone era or have a somewhat mythical quality, as seen in stories like “The Planet of Grandmothers,” “The Secret of the White Cloud,” and “Laila’s Roses.”
Among the themes presented in the collection is the following: “When fog descends upon their neighborhood for days during winter, shrouding it in gloom, or when rain fails to fall for multiple seasons and the sun remains hidden, the elders convene to discuss. They spread word that someone has committed a sin or wrongdoing, and this is the consequence. Thus, the sinner must confess, covering their mouth with a cloth, murmuring their actions quietly to avoid exposure, and then venturing alone to a designated remote place to dispel their sin into the air as if scattering it away. On one such foggy day, an individual exposed his own wrongdoing in the market, declaring, ‘I am the cause of the fog that has lingered over you for days.’
The stories within the collection address contemporary issues and concerns through a realistic lens, containing an underlying critical perspective.