Through curious and thought-provoking anecdotes, Darryl Leslie Gopaul provides an interesting display of imagination in a variety of mysterious, magical tales. Gopaul also weaves his creativity into stories that look into the future and contemplate how humans will behave in a distant age. A Collection of Fables and Tales: A Compendium of Short Stories reinforces the notion that primal human emotions are felt by all people, regardless of time, distance, or circumstance. Gopaul introduces us to people in both everyday life and extraordinary circumstances: a man who has lived a full life examining traditions he has upheld; an immigrant couple starting life over again in a new homeland; an immunologist in the twenty-ninth century who makes a business trip to the planet with the red sun several light years away; and an old woman who ponders her life and deals with her loneliness at Christmas. These short stories and others highlight instances of satire, droll wit, irony, the basic human fear of aging, and sensitivity in the face of loneliness. They illustrate the commonality of humans in disparate circumstances and locations. Enjoy tales from a storyteller who can spin an anecdote into a variety of captivating conclusions.