 Mandanipour started writing at the age of fourteen and published his first short story, "Shadows of the Cave", in 1985 in the literary journal Mofid Magazine.In 1989, his first collection of short stories was published under the same title.Regarded as one of the most accomplished and promising writers of contemporary Iranian literature, Mandanipour's creative approach to the use of symbols and metaphors, his inventive experimentation with language, time and space, as well as his unique awareness of sequence and identity have made his work fascinating to critics and readers alike.