The In-Between Circus

Steve Holstrom was a project manager. He ate lunch at his desk. He went through the motions. Then he died on a subway platform and woke up at a circus in the afterlife. Assigned the class Storysmith, Steve's job is to build immersive experiences for visiting souls. Adventures they can step into and live. Each one costs soul-essence to build. Each satisfied visitor earns it back. And the more Steve builds, the more he discovers what dead people actually need to feel. Meanwhile, the circus is becoming home. The bear shifter who playtests his rides. The contortionist who helps him write backstories for his constructs. The cook who remembers how he takes his coffee. The Ringmaster who knocked on his trailer door when Steve was too scared to come outside. Turns out, building things for dead people is the first job Steve's ever been good at. He just has to figure out what they actually need to feel. A cozy slice-of-life LitRPG for fans of found family, gentle progression, and afterlives worth staying in.