Aside from Desire

Aside from Desire is a complete collection of Luke Hartwell's shorter fiction as of August 2025. Many of these stories also appear, with commentary from the characters, in Hartwell's novel Jeremy Bardon. Handsome Johnny provides a surprising follow-up to Atom Heart John Beloved. Huddled Close is a seductive addition to Love Underneath, while And Then We Did the Stetson is an astonishingly sexy postlude to Michael. Also sizzling hot are Huddled Close, The Angel, and Pillow Talk, while Pinocchio Lasconti, The Things We Do for Money, and Very Nearly Almost Dave provide comic relief but maintain the sensuousness of Hartwell's prose and the depth of feeling and brilliant character creations that make his stories work. Rounding out the collection are the previously published Michael, Baby Self Hate, and a rewritten Two Baby Creek. The collection ends with the which-of-these-is-not-like-the-others Hamster Wheels, a gut-punching piece that will leave readers with plenty to contemplate.