The Lord's Canvas by Stephen Wayne is a supernatural fantasy novella. In the darkness of the cosmic void, an old man is filled with regret and remorse over his failures. These continue to haunt and vilify him in the form of seven shadow-eels. As the old man begins to paint another one of his creations, something far more ancient keeps watch, while the shadow-eels remain skeptical and true to their own unique natures. But now, the old man is determined to make each of his shadow-eels feel like a part of his creation. As they embrace their transcendence, Ferox chooses to cling to his former nature. Eventually, the old man brings purpose, balance, and harmony to his new creation, learning from his past mistakes.

The Lord's Canvas is a thought-provoking story that leaves you with a lot to ponder. Author Stephen Wayne masterfully interweaves philosophical, religious, and existential themes into a narrative steeped in mystery and intrigue. You never know what to expect when you start reading the story. But your attention never wavers once you get to know the central character and his companions. You're truly in for an adventurous ride unlike any other with this novella. There's a lot of plot packed into the narrative, especially for such a short read, and each of the old man's companions has a distinct personality. It brings drama and friction to their relationship dynamics. Short story fans will enjoy this. I thoroughly enjoyed it and heartily recommend it.

The Lord’s Canvas by Stephen Wayne follows an old creator who returns to his craft after earlier worlds ended when he withdrew from them. In a void, shadowed figures undermine him with preserved records of what his prior acts produced and interrupt each attempt to begin again. As light appears, water takes form as land follows; he abandons distance and reshapes opposition into functional parts of the world. Creation develops motion and begins responding. An observing presence remains outside the canvas, measuring what carries forward across cycles. When Adam and Eve enter a garden shaped by continuity and consequence, their choices alter how creation proceeds. The creation is a process under shared responsibility, with its maker remaining inside the world he has set in motion.

Stephen Wayne’s The Lord’s Canvas is a brilliant work of speculative fiction that takes the premise of a traditional creation story, dusts it off, and makes it bubble with imagination and true ingenuity. The old creator stands as the central presence, admirable for his willingness to revise his methods, seen when he alters Flux into climate, accepts cyclical time, and remains present once in the wider world. Argent functions as a formidable opposing force through distance and division, most striking when shaping celestial bodies, enforcing separation and influence. The settings are gorgeous with cinematic landscaping. Geological transformation, especially when Thorn becomes terrain itself, forming mountains and valleys that hold memory, is spectacular. Written with prose that sings, at a simmering pace that is as intentional as it is thoughtful, this is a read that lovers of classic myths and contemporary reconstructions will adore.

In The Lord's Canvas, Stephen Wayne introduces readers to an immortal artist who wrestles with the drive to complete his painting - a work that most readers will instantly recognize as the most ubiquitous origin myth of mankind. The artist is not alone. A cohort of shadowy beings offers cynical commentary on every brushstroke and relentlessly reminds him that his work seems perilously riddled with downward spirals. As the artist tries to populate a new canvas with second chances, the fear of messing up yet again seems paralyzingly real. Flashbacks remind him of past mistakes, and hope seems ever absent. Over and over, he sees paradise despoiled and innocence corrupted. Every path seems to rush toward an unwanted outcome. But then, an uncomfortable insight provides the key to starting over with a new strategy and a different technique. To avoid failure this time, the artist must learn important lessons about himself and the nature of his creative work.

To most readers, the biblical story of the Creation must be as familiar as sliced bread. Everyone knows how that ends, right? Except here, author Stephen Wayne gives it breathing space and nuance. He makes it into an allegory, not merely for how things were, but also as a reflection of how fractured our world has become through our human failings. Teasingly, he also offers a glimpse into how things could have played out. He disassembles the known elements and makes a compelling case for the value of those ingredients normally disregarded. Stylistically, the narrative occupies a space halfway between prose and poem, which again evokes the idea of many cycles repeating endlessly. But the true magic of The Lord's Canvas is that it becomes a lens, offering a fresh perspective on our tired little planet and its astounding potential.

The Lord's Canvas by Stephen Wayne is a unique reimagining of the biblical book of Genesis. The Lord is portrayed as an old man painting the world as we know it on a canvas. The canvas comes to life, adding different elements to God's work: various species evolve and cooperate to form a complete ecosystem. This is not the Lord's first attempt at creating a world that humans thrive in: his previous mistakes and doubts manifest as shadow-eels. These creatures bear a grudge against God and remind him of his previous failures. They are bent on destroying his creation, but when he, the Lord, includes them in his artwork as a balance to light, they help him in crafting a world where mistakes lead to opportunity and learning, as opposed to punishment.

The Lord's Canvas by Stephen Wayne is a thought-provoking novella. It made me think about the nature of existence again, and how the experience of being alive is such a mysterious “thing”(for lack of a better word). The portrayal of a God who is vulnerable in his world, and has doubts and fears about what he is creating, is especially unique and raised big questions in my mind, as well as answers. From a human perspective, our world is far from perfect, yet so magical and wondrous, and to think of God as imperfect in his world (beyond our reality) could really help in understanding suffering, even cruelty, better. Stephen Wayne has crafted something very special in The Lord's Canvas: it poses serious questions and offers some answers for spiritual seekers.