Anthologies & Short Stories

Book SynopsisA calculus formula, a calculating boy, a young woman who is intelligent but unwise the ingredients for a gripping story and the thematic fulcrum for The Limit of Delta Y Over Delta X, a rivetting new collection of stories by Halifax writer Richard Cumyn. In this idiosyncratic collection of stories, Cumyn explores the surface tension between men and women and those rare moments of insight that often accompany loss. Casting his imagination over the territory extending from adolescence to middle-age, Cumyn finds plenty to contemplate and lots to laugh about as the men and women of his stories brushup against each other, sometimes violently, and often humorously.

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Book SynopsisThe perilously beautiful (Boston Globe) first story collection by the author of the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning #1 New York Times bestseller All The Light We Cannot See and Cloud Cuckoo Land.The exquisitely crafted stories in Anthony Doerr’s debut collection take readers from the African Coast to the pine forests of Montana to the damp moors of Lapland, charting a vast physical and emotional landscape. Doerr explores the human condition in all its varieties—metamorphosis, grief, fractured relationships, and slowly mending hearts—conjuring nature in both its beautiful abundance and crushing power. Some of the characters in these stories contend with hardships; some discover unique gifts; all are united by their ultimate deference to the ravishing universe outside themselves.

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Book SynopsisA man and woman fall in love in a seaside town. The only trouble is, they're both married to other people. A schoolmaster is scandalized by his sweetheart riding a bicycle.A woman falls in love with a series of men, each of whom leave her in different ways. Chekhov's stories capture Russian provincial life in the late nineteenth century while Garnett's translations make these classic works feel as vivid as if they were written yesterday. This exclusive selection by New Yorker writer Janet Malcolm is unmissable for the enthusiast and a brilliant introduction for anyone interested in one of the nineteenth century's greatest writers.

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Book SynopsisNew and uncollected tales of murder, mischief, magic and madness. Ruth Rendell was an acknowledged master of psychological suspense: these are ten (and a quarter) of her most chillingly compelling short stories, collected here together for the first time. In these tales, a businessman boasts about cheating on his wife, only to find the tables turned. A beautiful country rectory reverberates to the echo of a historical murder. A compulsive liar acts on impulse, only to be lead inexorably to disaster. And a wealthy man finds there is more to his wife's kidnapping than meets the eye. Atmospheric, gripping and never predictable, this is Ruth Rendell at her inimitable best. The stories are: Never Sleep in a Bed Facing a Mirror; A Spot of Folly; The Price of Joy; The Irony of Hate; Digby's Wives; The Haunting of Shawley Rectory; A Drop Too Much; The Thief; The Long Corridor of Time; In the Time of his Prosperity; and Trebuchet. Introduction from Sophie Hannah.Trade ReviewA literary phenomenon. * Guardian *By any measure, she was an enormously talented writer. * Telegraph *A superb demonstration of Rendell's talent for spotting the contradictions in human nature. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *Every [story] is a gem ... shines as a superb epitaph to Rendell's talent, reflecting the breadth and richness of her unique ability to turn seemingly ordinary everyday situations into suspenseful masterpieces ... the perfect book to curl up with in front of a log fire with a glass of wine. * Daily Express *Wickedly macabre ... these strong, atmospheric stories convey a sardonic message. * Observer *Rendell, that most missed of crime writers, seems to have a rare and uncanny ability to understand what people are really like; and every so often there comes an unnerving moment when you feel her all-seeing gaze has expanded to encompass not just her characters but you yourself. * Daily Telegraph *Deliciously riveting ... Miraculously "hookish" -- Sarah Perry * The Guardian *She was a remarkable writer, who recorded the pain of the unhappy, the ungenerous and unloved. -- Natasha Cooper * TLS *

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Book SynopsisTHE PERFECT NIGHTTIME READ - DESIGNED TO CALM YOUR MIND FOR A GOOD NIGHT''S SLEEP*Introduced by Lucy Mangan* Recommended by RED magazine *''Dreamy'' STYLIST''Calm and restore an anxious mind before sleep... the most beautiful book that will, without a doubt, put you in the mood for some ZZZZs.'' THE SUNTales to soothe tired souls. A nighttime companion for frazzled adults, including calming stories and poems for a good night''s sleep. This cheering book of best loved short tales, extracts and poems will calm and restore an anxious mind.Sleep is essential for our well being and our health, but in our busy lives it is often poor and overlooked. Now is the time to put down your smartphone, stop a while and find consolation and wonder in other worlds where all is well and sleep just a page or two away. From classic stories by Oscar Wilde, Guy de Maupassant and Katherine Mansfield

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Book Synopsis''Jones was a master of the short story [and] Night Train will be an amazing discovery for anyone who cares about literature.'' Philipp Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of The SonA posthumous and definitive collection of new and selected stories by short-fiction icon and National Book Award finalist Thom Jones, with a stunning introduction by Amy BloomThom Jones's stories are high-octane, prose-drunk entertainment. His characters are grifters and drifters, rogues and ne'er-do-wells some lovable, some not but each with a voice that never fails to grab you by the collar. They include Vietnam soldiers, amateur boxers, psych ward veterans and an unforgettable adolescent DJ radio host, among others.Perfectly capturing the essence of this icon of the American short story, Night Train showcases the sheer breadth and power of his inimitable stories.Bleakly and outrageously comic . . . Reading Thom Jones''s fiction

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Book SynopsisA major new collection of Japanese short stories, many appearing in English for the first time, with an introduction by Haruki Murakami, author of Killing CommendatoreA Penguin Classics HardcoverThis fantastically varied and exciting collection celebrates the art of the Japanese short story, from its origins in the nineteenth century to the remarkable practitioners writing today. Edited by acclaimed translator Jay Rubin, who has himself freshly translated some of the stories, and with an introduction by Haruki Murakami, this book is a revelation.Stories by writers already well known to English-language readers are included--like Tanizaki, Akutagawa, Murakami, Mishima, Kawabata, and Yoshimoto--as well as many surprising new finds. From Yuko Tsushima's "Flames" to Yuten Sawanishi's "Filling Up with Sugar" to Shin'ichi Hoshi's "Shoulder-Top Secretary" to Banana Yoshimoto's "Bee Honey," The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories is filled with fTrade ReviewBrilliant, startling, a goldmine ... unfolds like an idiosyncratic mixtape, compiled with expert zeal by veteran translator Jay Rubin ... incredibly varied. Horror and mythology jostle with character comedies, domestic dramas and Proustian reveries ... it challenges notions of what translated literature should be -- Alex Dudok de Wit * Daily Telegraph *A feast of literature, a smorgasbord of over 30 widely varied modern Japanese writers ... Each lodges itself in memory ... Penguin's new anthology is a literature lover's dream, page after page of memorable writing, stories that leave a lasting impression yet can be fully absorbed in one sitting -- Kris Kosaka * Japan Times *An exhilarating glimpse into Japanese literature -- Patti Smith

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Book SynopsisA carriage transporting ten passengers fleeing from Rouen is stopped at a village inn by Prussian soldiers, who decide to detain them until one of their party, the prostitute Boule de Suif, consents to sleep with their officer. When Boule de Suif refuses to do so on account of her principles and patriotic sentiments, the solidarity initially manifested by her fellow travellers becomes increasingly tested as the deadlock continues, and the strained relationship between her and her “respectable” counterparts gradually worsens. A scathing satire of bourgeois prejudice and hypocrisy and a compelling snapshot of France during the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, ‘Boule de Suif’ – here presented with five other major stories by the author of Bel Ami – was declared a masterpiece by Flaubert and is widely considered to be Maupassant’s finest short story.Trade ReviewAn exceedingly sharp satire of flexible French morals among different classes during the nineteenth-century German occupation. * The Guardian *Table of ContentsContains:Boule de Suif, The Confession, First Snow, Rose, The Dowry, Bed 29

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Book SynopsisThe modern horror story grew and developed across the nineteenth century, embracing categories as diverse as ghost stories, the supernatural and psychological horror, medical and scientific horror, colonial horror, and tales of the uncanny and precognition. This anthology brings together twenty-nine of the greatest horror stories of the period, from 1816 to 1912, from the British, Irish, American, and European traditions. It ranges widely across the sub-genres to encompass authors whose terror-inducing powers remain unsurpassed. The book includes stories by some of the best writers of the century -- Hoffmann, Poe, Balzac, Dickens, Hawthorne, Melville, and Zola -- as well as established genre classics from M. R. James, Arthur Machen, Bram Stoker, Algernon Blackwood, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and others. It includes rare and little-known pieces by writers such as William Maginn, Francis Marion Crawford, W. F. Harvey, and William Hope Hodgson, and shows the important role played by periodTrade ReviewHorror Stories is a very impressive collection. It includes a number of tales that anyone who has a passionate interest in horror should have on their bookshelf, with staple titles known across horror aficionados as well as some lesser known works from some very prolific authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and E.F. Benson. With a very thorough and analytical introduction from Darryl Jones, you see the origins of these stories and the enduring influence they have had on the genre. You will not be disappointed. * Nick Blackshaw, Starburst *Darryl Jones has crafted a fantastic compilation; there are no fillers, all killers (literally in many cases) ... An added bonus with this collection is the detailed introduction by Jones, providing historical context, and the extensive explanatory notes at the end ... Those that have not dared venture into classic horror should buy this collection immediately, and they'll be hooked and buying coffins filled with Poe and M.R. James anthologies before Christmas. * John Upton, Gore in the Store *Horror Stories is no common schlock-fest. Darryl Jones has skilfully gathered the most beautifully written, unsettling stories in the English language. * Vulpes Libris, Moira Briggs *a beautiful collection of nineteenth-century horror with enough set pieces to educate the novice and enough curiosities to delight the connoisseur. * Kirsty Jane McCluskey, Books of the year 2014, Tablet *It is a beautifully finished book that you just want to take care of ... The content is as good as the production. * Lizzi Thomasson, These Little Words *[A] superb collection of short fiction * John Connolly, Irish Times *As well as the general introduction, which provides a useful history of horror from its Gothic origins through a long nineteeth century, each story in the collection is accompanied by a set of notes explaining when and where it was published as well as providing the usual glosses for unfamiliar terms. This contextual emphasis on the nineteeth century periodicals where the readers would first have encounted the work of a writer such as Dickens is particularly illuminating for those interested in horror stories as a meeting of form and content ... Darryl Jone's anthology is a highly accessible guide to the major developments in horror writing during the nineteeth century, and an intriguing reminder that every aspect of Western societies' push for advancement during this period, from industrialization to colonial expansion, produced its own nightmares in the collective unconscious. * Sophie Devlin, The Times Literary Supplement *As well as the general introduction, which provides a useful history of horror from its Gothic origins through a long nineteenth century, each story in this collection is accompanied by a set of notes explaining when and where it was published as well as providing the usual glosses for unfamiliar terms. Darryl Jones's anthology is a highly accessible guide to the major developments in horror writing during the nineteenth century. * Sophie Devlin, Times Literary Supplement *Editing an anthology of this sort is a delicate balancing act ... Horror Stories does a good job here, and offers a bracing mixture of the classic but familiar and fresher material. This broad-ranging and well-researched anthology of horror is full of gruesome things: haunting, possession, revenge, witchcraft, vampires, crime even disease and madness. * Nicholas Daly, Guardian *This compendium of ghoulish stories from 1816-1912 has a bit of everything. All are fab for reading aloud. * Lizzy Dening, Grazia *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Chronology E.T.A. HOFFMANN, The Sandman WILLIAM MAGINN, The Man in the Bell JAMES HOGG, George Dobson's Expedition to Hell HONORÉ DE BALZAC, La Grande Bretêche EDGAR ALLAN POE, Berenice SHERIDAN LE FANU, Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, The Birth-Mark HERMAN MELVILLE, The Tartarus of Maids FITZ-JAMES O'BRIEN, What Was It? CHARLES DICKENS, No. 1 Branch Line: The Signal-Man ÉMILE ZOLA, The Death of Olivier Bécaille RONALD ROSS, The Vivisector Vivisected ROBERT-LOUIS STEVENSON, The Body-Snatcher RUDYARD KIPLING, The Mark of the Beast AMBROSE BIERCE, Chickamauga CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN,The Yellow Wall Paper ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, The Case of Lady Sannox BRAM STOKER, The Squaw ROBERT W. CHAMBERS, The Repairer of Reputations ARTHUR MACHEN, Novel of the White Powder RICHARD MARSH, The Adventure of Lady Wishaw's Hand W. W. JACOBS, The Monkey's Paw MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN, Luella Miller M. R. JAMES, Count Magnus FRANCIS MARION CRAWFORD, For the Blood is the Life ALGERNON BLACKWOOD, The Wendigo W. F. HARVEY, August Heat E. F. BENSON, The Room in the Tower WILLIAM HOPE HODGSON, The Derelict Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisIn an examination of his laudanum addiction and the dreams and visions the drug engendered, Thomas De Quincey lays bare the celestial pleasures and infernal lows of an existence dependent on “subtle and mighty opium”. At once moving and rhapsodic, and suffused with a poetic and lyrical beauty, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater hauntingly evokes frightful scenes and phantasmagorical night-time wanderings, while reality, dream and memory blur and intertwine in a nebulous and protean haze. Published anonymously in The London Magazine, the Confessions were an immediate success, and soon speculation was rife as to the identity of the mysterious Opium-Eater. The work, which introduced the literary world to De Quincey’s unique “impassioned prose”, is now widely deemed to be De Quincey’s masterpiece.Trade ReviewMy heart trembled through from end to end… What a poet that man is! How he vivifies words, and deepens them, and gives them profound significance! -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“For the past decade, Penguin has been producing handsome hardcover versions of their classics (…) both elegant and quirky in shocks of bright color” –The New York Times

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Book SynopsisWhimsical and sinister, each story by Silvina Ocampo is like a knife of spun sugar that can still pierce between your ribs. A thief breaks into the house of a psychic with disastrous results, a bride has her personality subsumed by the previous occupant of her home, and two men switch destinies for a change of pace. The Impostor offers a comprehensive collection from one of the twentieth century's great forgotten woman writers. Here are tales of doubles and living dolls, angels and demons, a beautiful seer who writes the autobiography of her own death, and much else that is mad, sublime, and delicious. With an array spanning the length of Ocampo's career, these haunting stories are among the world's strangest and best.Trade ReviewSilvina Ocampo is one of our best writers. Her stories have no equal in our literature. -- Jorge Luis BorgesNo other writer better captures the magic inside everyday rituals, the forbidden or hidden face that our mirrors don't show us. -- Italo CalvinoFew writers have an eye for the small horrors of everyday life; fewer still see the everyday marvellous. Other than Silvina Ocampo, I cannot think of a single writer who at any time or in any language, has chronicled both with such wise and elegant humour. -- Alberto ManguelThe black satire of her stories spares almost no one... eerily prescient * Daily Telegraph *Ocampo captures mundane events in a whimsical, slightly sinister style * Monocle *A comprehensive collection of surreal tales * i paper *The allure of Silvina Ocampo's short fiction lies in the raising of unexpected questions again and again. * Tablet *Comparable to the mighty César Aira, the most surreal stories of Murakami, and her great admirers Borges and Calvino, Ocampo's unnervingly hypnotic, frequently macabre stories are clever, funny, and brilliantly, hauntingly strange. * Big Issue *

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Book Synopsis'Sleeping is a modern superpower. Stories are old magic.'Whether you find yourself struggling to fall asleep, awake in the middle of the night or simply feeling anxious, the calming bedtime stories in Nothing Much Happens will help ease your mind and lull you into peaceful slumber.As the unnamed, gender-neutral narrators recount their days they evoke the distinct comforts offered by each of the four seasons and gently lead their reader towards sleep. With evocative illustrations throughout, Nothing Much Happens is the ideal accompaniment to your bedtime routine.'A charming collection of short almost-stories intended as an antidote to insomnia and restlessness. [...] Nicolai accomplishes what no other author would want to hear: these stories can put people to sleep.' Publishers WeeklyTrade ReviewNicolai has nearly two decades of experience as a yoga and meditation teacher. She also hosts the popular podcast, Nothing Much Happens, where she narrates soothing bedtime stories for adults that-combined with her calming tone and carefully interwoven mindfulness techniques-quickly lull listeners to sleep. Her first book features sixteen new stories never aired on the podcast, along with whimsical illustrations, easy-to-make recipes for healthy comfort food, crafting exercises and unique meditation guides. Basically, it's a calming tome to pick up before bed to ensure a restful night's sleep. * Pure Wow *A lovely book to help calm your mind when sleep is evading you * Westerly Sun *A charming collection of short almost-stories intended as an antidote to insomnia and restlessness. . . . Nicolai accomplishes what no other author would want to hear: these stories can put people to sleep. * Publishers Weekly *This collection of very short stories is designed to help readers fall and stay asleep. The stories follow the seasons, starting with winter, and rely heavily on the senses; there are a lot of lovely smells, soft and comfy things, and delicious foods, all described in detail and often accompanied by illustrations in muted tones. Peppered throughout are recipes, meditations, and other relaxation techniques. . . . The stories do succeed in their goal of helping readers sleep better, and couldn't we all use more of that? * Booklist *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: Winter Walk 1b: A Walking Meditation 2: A New Leaf 3: In for the Night 4: For the Love of Words 5: A Little Romance 6: Fog and Light 7: Getaway 8: A Winter's Day Watched from the Window 9: Matinee 10: Spring Rain 11: Closing Up Shop 12: The Asparagus Patch 13: First This, Then That 13b: Tips for Putting Your Ducks in a Row 14: Early to Yoga 14b: Restorative Yoga Postures for a Better Day 15: Crayons and Grains of Sand 16: Three Good Things 16b: Three Good Things to Start Your Day 17: In the Bakery 18: Spring, at the Allotment 18b: Mashed Chickpea Sandwich 19: Opening the Cottage 19b: Meditation by the Water 20: The Lilac Thief 21: Coffee on the Stoop, or How to Have a Better Day 21b: Ten Ideas for Simple Acts of Kindness 22: Fireflies on a Summer Night 23: Someplace Only We Know 24: A Concert in the Park 25: Summer Nights 25b: Avocado Toast Four Ways 26: Off the Beaten Path 27: A Letter in an Envelope 28: At the Summer Fair 29: Stargazing in the Woods 30: The Dog Days of Summer 30b: Loving-kindness Meditation 31: In the Kitchen, During a Storm 31b: Spaghetti al Pomodoro 32: At the Museum, on a Bright Day 33: Summer Harvest 33b: Simple Rosemary Potatoes 34: Back to School 35: A Block from Home 35b: A Simple Relaxation Technique for When You Feel Anxious and Worn Out 36: In the Library 37: At the Farmers Market, on a Fall Morning 37b: People Watching as Meditation 38: Rosemary, for Remembrance 38b: Curing a Gourd 39: Canceled Plans 39b: Instructions for Feeling Better after a Bad Day 40: At the Mill, with Pumpkins and Cider 41: Secret Admirer 42: Halloween, in an Old House 42b: Crispy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 43: Tools on the Workbench 44: A Cool Walk and a Hot Bath 44b: Bath-time Rituals 45: A Rainy Day, Making Soup 45b: Homemade Irish Cream Cordial 46: Outside at Night, with My Dog 47: The Day after Thanksgiving 48: Bustle in the City 48b: Handmade Paper Ornaments 49: Getting the Tree 50: Snowed In 50b: A Simmer Pot Recipe for Each Season 51: A Night at the Theater 52: Christmas Eve 52b: Meditation for a Busy Holiday 53: Acknowledgments 54: Index of Coziness

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1950, Cocktail Bar is a brilliantly incisive collection of short stories, far ahead of its time, which illuminates the small, unspoken intricacies of human relationships. From an immigrant household in London preparing to organise a ‘proper Irish wedding’ to a domineering society matron running her upper-class neighbourhood with an iron fist; from a fashionable young woman wants to be charitable towards her old and poor aunt to an Irish girl must decide between a promising future in America and marriage to her long-time beau. Throughout these tales, Hoult reveals the contemporary realities of class and disability, office politics and women’s lives, with a sharp gaze and a gentle touch. Beautifully observed and remarkably crafted, exact and unflinching, Cocktail Bar is a modern Irish classic.

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Book Synopsis''The Queen and the bat had been talking a good deal that afternoon...''The Victorian fascination with fairyland vivified the literature of the period, and led to some of the most imaginative fairy tales ever written. They offer the shortest path to the age''s dreams, desires, and wishes. Authors central to the nineteenth-century canon such as W. M. Thackeray, Oscar Wilde, Ford Madox Ford, and Rudyard Kipling wrote fairy tales, and authors primarily famous for their work in the genre include George MacDonald, Juliana Ewing, Mary De Morgan, and Andrew Lang. This anthology brings together fourteen of the best stories, by these and other outstanding practitioners, to show the vibrancy and variety of the form and its abilities to reflect our deepest concerns.In tales of whimsy and romance, witty satire and uncanny mystery, love, suffering, family, and the travails of identity are imaginatively explored. Michael Newton''s Introduction and notes provide illuminating contextual and biographicTrade ReviewA handsome volume containing some spectacularly good fairy stories. * Paul Norman, Books Monthly *Whimsical or romantic, sharply satirical or fogged with mystery, these powerful tales by the likes of Thackeray, Wilde, and doyenne of the genre, Mary De Morgan, probe the deepest human concerns, while reflecting the more of the period. * The Lady *this collection does show why the fairy tale can be so irresistable, for both nostalgic and romantic reasons. * Eve Wersocki Morris, Times Literary Supplement *With reproductions of some of the original black and white illustrations by (among others) Arthur Hughes and Walter Crane, a silken bookmark and a truly glorious cover, Victorian Fairy Tales is a perfect gift volume for both adults and older children. Rather like the stories themselves, the book works beautifully on two levels, both as a collection of fairy tales to be read and enjoyed for their own sake and with its appendix and copious explanatory notes as a detailed and fascinating window into the Victorian mind. * Vulpes Libris, Moira Briggs *What a delightful place is fairyland and there is no more delightful guide to explore it with than Michael Newton. Truly a book to treasure. * Northern Echo, Steve Craggs *What Michael Newton has done here is no easy feat: creating a collection of fairy tales that is both entertaining and educational... Newton's Victorian Fairy Tales is a beguiling and dynamic anthology. * The Writer's Drawer, Stephen Reeves *"Tales of magic and wonder and good triumphant: Could there be better reading for the afterglow of Christmas? Many of the stories in Michael Newton's superb Victorian Fairy Tales are also deliciously witty, even winkingly postmodern, since their authors frequently parody, pastiche or otherwise write against the received tradition of the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault." -- The Washington PostThis is not your average fairy tale book by any means. Witty, tongue-in-cheek references that adults will howl over while entertaining every child. A true delight. * NetGalley *Table of ContentsIntroductionNote on the TextsSelect BibliographyA Chronology of the Victorian Fairy TalePROLOGUEGrimm, 'Rumpel-Stilts-Kin'Hans Christian Andersen, 'The Princess and the Peas'VICTORIAN FAIRY TALESRobert Southey, 'The Story of the Three Bears'John Ruskin, 'The King of the Golden River'William Makepeace Thackeray, 'The Rose and the Ring'George MacDonald, 'The Golden Key'Dinah Mulock Craik, 'The Little Lame Prince and His Travelling Cloak'Mary De Morgan, 'The Wanderings of Arasmon'Juliana Horatia Ewing, 'The First Wife's Wedding Ring'Oscar Wilde, 'The Selfish Giant'Andrew Lang, 'Prince Prigio'Ford Madox Ford, 'The Queen Who Flew'Laurence Housman, 'The Story of the Herons'Kenneth Grahame, 'The Reluctant Dragon'E. Nesbit, 'Melisande'Rudyard Kipling, 'Dymchurch Flit'APPENDIX: What is a Fairy Tale?'John Ruskin, 'Introduction' to German Popular TalesJuliana Horatia Ewing, 'Preface' to Old-Fashioned Fairy TalesGeorge MacDonald, 'The Fantastic Imagination'Laurence Housman, 'Introduction' to Gammer Grethel's Fairy TalesExplanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisAround the world in 22 murders…Trade Review‘A truly fabulous and satisfying read’ Lovereading ‘[A] collection of cunning, suspenseful and dark crime stories.’ CBC Radio ‘An absolute delight! The Perfect Crime is the most original, and captivating, short fiction anthology to come along in ages. The diversity of voice, of setting, of sensibility, of approach to storytelling is wondrous! I don't usually say this about compilations, but this book is a one-sitting read.’JEFFERY DEAVER, bestseller author of The Midnight Lock ‘Huge talent, wide horizons, endless fascination – this is the best collection I have seen for ages … maybe ever’LEE CHILD, bestselling author of Better off Dead 'A positive cornucopia of criminal delights'Mike Ripley, ShotsMag ‘This is a wonderful collection of short stories from some of the best crime writers working today.’ STEVE CAVANAGH, no. 1 bestselling author of Thirteen 'A stunning collection of highly original short stories.' M.W. CRAVEN, bestselling author of Dead Ground ‘The Perfect Crime is a nicely curated and wide-ranging collection which brings together a perfect blend of established stars such as Walter Mosley and Mike Phillips and exciting new voices’MARTIN EDWARDS ‘A collection of crime writers from diverse cultural backgrounds, united by the quality of their compelling stories. A hugely welcome and long-overdue anthology.’MARK BILLINGHAM, no. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller ‘The fact that The Perfect Crime is edited by two luminaries of the crime scene (one a newish star and one a respected veteran) has made for an irresistible collection of short fiction. Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski have assembled 22 bestselling crime writers from diverse cultures around the world, taking readers to every point of the compass in exploring the criminous side of human nature. Sheer pleasure.’ Financial Times

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Book SynopsisThe sublime city of Venice has long offered inspiration to the world's storytellers. This anthology gathers a dazzling variety of stories with Venetian settings, including Daphne du Maurier's haunting "Don't Look Now," Anthony Trollope's wartime romance "The Last Austrian Who Left Venice," Vernon Lee's spine-chilling "A Wicked Voice," and a scene from The Wings of the Dove, Henry James's tale of passion and betrayal in a Gothic palazzo on the Grand Canal. The famed Venetian adventurer Giacomo Casanova weighs in with escapades from his notorious Memoirs, alongside enthralling selections by Baron Corvo, Marcel Proust, Camillo Boito, and Jeanette Winterson. In its multifaceted portrait of La Serenissima, Venice Stories showcases a lineup of literary classics worthy of the magnificent city they celebrate.

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Book SynopsisAn exquisite collection of haunting, magical stories from Newbery Medalist Kelly Barnhill When Mrs. Sorensen’s husband dies, she rekindles a long-dormant love with an unsuitable mate in “Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch.” In “Open the Door and the Light Pours Through,” a young man wrestles with grief and his sexuality in an exchange of letters with his faraway beloved. “Dreadful Young Ladies” demonstrates the strength and power—known and unknown—of the imagination. In “Notes on the Untimely Death of Ronia Drake,” a witch is haunted by the deadly repercussions of a spell. “The Insect and the Astronomer” upends expectations about good and bad, knowledge and ignorance, love and longing. The World Fantasy Award–winning novella “The Unlicensed Magician” introduces the secret magical life of an invisible girl once left for dead—with thematic echoes of Barnhill’s Newbery Medal–winning novel, The Girl Who Drank the Moon. With bold, reality-bending invention underscored by richly illuminated universal themes of love, death, jealousy, and hope, the stories in Dreadful Young Ladies show why its author has been hailed as “a fantasist on the order of Neil Gaiman” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). This collection cements Barnhill’s place as one of the wittiest, most vital and compelling voices in contemporary literature.

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Book SynopsisUniversally acclaimed as the master of the short-story form, Anton Chekhov begun his literary career as the author of brief tales and vignettes of Russian life when he was still a young medical student. Later rejected by the writer in the same self-effacing way in which he repudiated some of his most celebrated works, the stories in this collection are not only a testament to the early promise of his genius, but deserve to be appreciated for their lapidary vividness and their intrinsic stylistic quality. Mostly dealing with the lives of downtrodden "little" men and low-ranking civil servants as they steer their actions through the corruption and malpractice of Russian public officials, this volume - here presented in Stephen Pimenoff's lively new translation - bristles with wit and humour, and is tinged by that understated note of melancholy and lyricism that is a trademark of Chekhov's writing.

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Book SynopsisSaki’s Cats rounds up the tales about cats, big and small, by the undisputed master of the short story. ‘Tobermory’, one of Saki’s most famous pieces, demonstrates the danger that would ensue from granting cats the power of speech – animals have long lurked unseen, eavesdropping, in the background. The tom in ‘The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat’ is the only one to enjoy his meal, as is the leopard in ‘The Guests’. In ‘The Penance’ and ‘Mrs Packletide’s Tiger’, hunters who put cats in their sights are humiliated and blackmailed. ‘The Achievement of the Cat’ considers how cats have come to be served by the human race. In addition to the short stories about cats, Saki’s Cats also collects Saki’s juvenile letters to his sister Ethel about the tiger cub he adopted while living in Burma. The feisty felines of these tales are the only clear winners, and, with a characteristic smirk and dash of his pen, it is Edwardian Society that Saki sends slinking off, tail between its legs.Trade Review'His stories and novels appear as delightful and [...] sophisticated as they did when he first published them.' (Noel Coward)Table of Contents'Saki's Tiger', 'Tobermory', 'The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat', 'The Penance', 'The Guests', 'Mrs Packletide's Tiger', 'The Achievement of the Cat', Note on the Text, Notes, A Brief Biographical Note on Saki

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This, the fifth volume in the Don Camillo series, is the first wholly new anthology to be translated into English for over forty years. Against the background of the rise and fall of fascism and post-war communism in rural Italy, Giovanni Guareschi looks down with hawk's-eye vision into the lives of ordinary people and delivers his message, as relevant today as ever, to allay prejudice and political correctness and follow one's conscience, which is of course the voice which speaks to Don Camillo with humour and penetrating insight from the cross above the altar in the village church.

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Book SynopsisTwo former college friends run into each other on the morning train and find themselves reflecting on the very different paths their lives have taken...A counterfeiter, forever living outside the law, starts to envy a friend who? s managed to get out of the game and establish a normal life... A security officer in a futuristic version of Beijing West Railway Station chases down a passenger who the screens say is ? intentionally lost? ...Beijing may be known to us, in the West, as the political powerhouse of the most populous country in the world, but to the characters in these stories it is a protean city, forever changing, evasive and difficult to read... It turns close friends into strangers, up-ends carefully thought-out life choices, and leaves next-door neighbours completely unaware of each other? s true identity. The stories collected in this anthology show people in all contexts ? from wannabe protestors to future users of facial expression reading tech ? desperate to stake their name on the city, as well as surprised by it at every turn.

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Book SynopsisComing together to celebrate 40 years of Star Wars, Star Wars: From A Certain Point of View sees a stunning line up of authors and fans of the films explore what makes Star Wars so iconic. The fabulous line up consists of: Ben AckerRenée AhdiehTom AnglebergerBen BlackerPierce BrownMeg CabotRae CarsonAdam ChristopherZoraida CórdovaDelilah S. DawsonKelly Sue DeConnickPaul DiniIan DoescherAshely EcksteinMatt FractionAlexander FreedJason FryKieron GillenChristie GoldenClaudia GrayPablo HidalgoE.K. JohnstonPaul S. KempMur LaffertyKen LiuGriffin McElroyJohn Jackson MillerNnedi OkoraforDaniel José OlderMallory OrtbergBeth REvisMadeleine RouxGreg RuckaGary D. SchmidtCavan ScottCharles SouleSabaa TahirElizabeth WeinGlen WeldonChuck WendicWil WheatonGary WhittaTrade ReviewThis is the perfect book for Star Wars fans. It will speak to the inner fangirl/fanboy in all of us… It is the most enjoyable one that I have read in a long time * Nudge *These stories range from laugh out loud funny to heartbreaking as some of the coolest voices in speculative fiction take their crack at some Star Wars side characters. I hope this series continues for each film – Featured as a Top Book of 2017 * Den of Geek *I was so excited about this book and it didn't let me down… If you love Star Wars and want to read some fun stories from the galaxy I can't recommend this enough! It will remind you why you love Star Wars and, you'll find some new authors along the way. * Word from a Reader blog *Not only answers a big question fans have been wanting to know the answer to for 40 years about why Luke has no cousins, but also is a step in the right direction with inclusivity * The Future of the Force blog *I was so excited about this book and it didn't let me down… If you love Star Wars and want to read some fun stories from the galaxy I can't recommend this enough! It will remind you why you love Star Wars and, you'll find some new authors along the way * Words from a Reader *

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Book SynopsisA landmark event, the complete stories of Machado de Assis appear in English for the first time in this extraordinary new translation.Trade Review"To Machado, your identity and the contours of your world are formed not just by your circumstances but by what you think about habitually. You are what you contemplate, so choose wisely. These stories are a spectacular place to start." -- The New York Times"These are ambitious stories, serious and unflinching, willing to court discomfort—not least in their author. Machado, after all, was the child who made it. While some critics have seen these late stories in isolation, the hurt they express—so clearly born of experience—radiates out through all the work here." -- Times Literary Supplement"This gorgeously-produced landmark English-language edition of the complete stories of the great Brazilian miniaturist brings together all of the author's short fiction, including some never before translated into English. The translating duo here wonderfully convey the author's dry, deadpan wit and dogged low-key happiness – it's the English version this author has always deserved." -- The Best Books of 2018: Works in Translation! - Open Books Review

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Book Synopsis''They didn''t seem to take much interest in my private parts which to tell the truth were nothing to write home about, I didn''t take much interest in them myself.''From the master of the absurd, these two stories of an unnamed vagrant contending with decay and death combine bleakness with the blackest of humour. Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book Synopsis''Oh the cruelty of time, that destroys all things!''Beguiling, strange and hair-raising tales from early 20th century Japan: Nagai''s Behind the Prison, Uno''s Closet LLB and Akutagawa''s deeply macabre General Kim.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. The tale of Buck, abducted and mistreated and his gradual adaptation to the wild is a much heralded celebration of the power of instinct and the natural world. This edition includes four short stories: 'The Son of the Wolf', 'To the Man on the Trail', 'The Wisdom of the Trail' and 'An Odyssey of the North'.

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Book SynopsisBabitz’s talent for the brilliant line, honed to a point, never interferes with her feel for languid pleasures. —The New York Times Book ReviewA new reissue of Babitz’s collection of nine stories that look back on the 1980s and early 1990s—decades of dreams, drink, and glimpses of a changing world. Black Swans further celebrates the phenomenon of Eve Babitz, cementing her reputation as the voice of a generation.With an introduction by Stephanie Danler, bestselling author of Sweetbitter.On the page, Babitz is pure pleasure—a perpetual–motion machine of no–stakes elation and champagne fizz. —The New Yorker

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Book Synopsis ‘This new generation of Latin American writers has exchanged history for memory, dictators for narcos and political engagement for gender and class consciousness.’ El País Ten years on from the first Bogotá 39 selection, which brought writers such as Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Alejandro Zambra and Junot Díaz to fame, comes this story collection showcasing thirty-nine exceptional new talents. Chosen by some of the biggest names in Latin American literature, together with publishers, writers and literary critics and a panel of expert judges, this exciting anthology paves the way for a new generation of household names. These stories have been brought into English by some of the finest translators around, including familiar names such as Daniel Hahn, Christina MacSweeney and Megan McDowell, as well as many new and exciting translators who are just launching their careers. With authors from fifteen different countries, this diverse collection of stories transports readers to a host of new worlds, and represents the very best writing coming out of Latin America today.Trade Review‘A stunning and timely collection of short stories, worth reading for the sheer variety of voices as much as for its scope and literary quality.’ * Morning Star *‘This anthology allows us all to see before us a bright future for literature in Spanish.’ * New York Times (Spain) *‘A swirling celebration of breakthrough names who are producing diverse and intriguing stories.’ * Emerald Street *‘This short story anthology collects some of the best fiction by Latin American authors under 40, ensuring you’ll find new voices to love.’ * Paste Magazine *‘This new generation of Latin American writers has exchanged history for memory, dictators for narcos and political engagement for gender and class consciousness.’ * El País *‘A diverse and thought-provoking group of writers.’ * El Mercurio (Chile) *‘Readers can delve deep into the pages of this book just like someone getting lost in a forest: with a feeling of both wonder and surprise.’ * El Comercio (Peru) *

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Book SynopsisTony Burgess has been experimenting with apocalypse fiction in numerous earlier works: the language/speech virus in 'Pontypool', the enigmatic small world in the big world of Caesarea, and other less elaborate speculations. News coverage of the fall of Baghdad and its aftermath were the inspiration for 'Ravenna,' especially the smaller stories of people being killed suddenly in their homes in the middle of otherwise normal days. Each story in 'Ravenna Gets' begins as any novel might,but abruptly loses the luxury of becoming a novel through a seemingly random and violent intrusion from beyond the world established by the story. The effect is intended to be that of the experience of war as the sudden end of stories, rather than being a war story itself. This destabilizing 'pinch' seeps into the consciousness of some of the stories, not as a consciousness of events, but rather as nightmarish bends in experience and perception. 'Ravenna Gets' could probably be classified as speculative fiction, influenced by J.G. Ballard, and, though experimental in spirit, it employs strong conventional storytelling techniques. "...out on the edge and experimental to the point of reader-confusion, but surprisingly alluring. When taking a reader to the cliff edge, then the writing must be as enticing as chocolate even if the story smells bad. I don't get it and I didn't enjoy it, but I couldn't look away: This poetic, fast-flying nihilistic narrative of carnage is well done." - Globe & Mail " 'Ravenna Gets', in particular, concerns itself with sudden and convulsive deaths; Christmas reading this is not. Many of the tales, which are all named after an address in Collingwood, begin like a standard short story what Burgess calls "the lightness and the pointlessness of establishing life" before its characters are suddenly dispatched in a variety of ghoulish ways." - The Ottawa Citizen " 'In Ravenna Gets', Tony Burgess is up to his old, sick, satisfying tricks. Small Ontario towns are whacking each other with more gore than Hostel, more pitchforks than American Gothic. This is a pitiful excuse for literature and Tony Burgess is our only hope." - Clint Burnham, author of 'Smoke Show' and 'Airborne Photo'

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Book SynopsisThis anthology gathers over 20 of Poe's groundbreaking tales of the macabre and also includes his trilogy of stories featuring detective C. Auguste Dupin.

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Book SynopsisWelcome, dear visitor, to a proud and storied nation. When you put down this guidebook, look around you. A nation isn’t land. A nation is people. Equal parts speculative and satirical, the stories in Matthew Baker's collection portray a world within touching distance of our own. This is an America riven by dilemmas confronting so many of us, turned on its head by one of the most innovative voices of the moment. Read together, these parallel-universe stories create a composite portrait of our true nature and a dark reflection of the world we live in.Trade ReviewA little revelation . . . The fantastical tales in this delightful book poke, with gleeful audacity, at the edges of contemporary America and late capitalism . . . Transitions of sex, gender, family, geographical borders, digital communication, language and even neurological states are examined in thrillingly imaginative stories . . . A witty, exuberant collection which variously reminded me of The Paper Menagerie, Friday Black, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Years and Years. Mind-bending, like all the best drugs * Big Issue *There’s a skew-whiff wonderfulness to the thirteen tales in this off-kilter look at contemporary America and all its contradictions . . . Tackling hot-button topics, Baker tip-tilts the perspective, offering something at once strange yet instantly familiar . . . It’s all masterfully done, and Baker’s prose is engagingly easeful, yet hypnotically elegant * Daily Mail *Conspicuously talented . . . Baker never takes the easy way out. He doesn’t brandish sharp swords at American capitalism or consumer excess or fears that masquerade as politics. Neither does he construct straw men, then ask the reader to applaud when he lights them on fire. Instead, he demonstrates charity toward his characters, who as Americans stand in for the prismatic nature of the country itself * Washington Post *Satirical and deeply humane, these poignant stories expose the moral bankruptcy at the rotten core of the American social contract * Esquire *Matthew Baker is the rarest of writers, one who can turn complex, high-concept stories into sublime character-driven psalms. His work is both highly original and refreshingly human -- Noah Hawley, creator of 'Fargo'Baker’s writing is taut yet lyrical, and brims with sensitivity towards the pitfalls of human experience * The Rumpus *How does he do it? Matthew Baker’s mind is an oyster producing pearl after pearl. Each story in Why Visit America offers an eerie and unsettling vision of our possible future while remaining emotionally truthful, and, as always, incredibly damn fun -- Kelly Luce, author of 'Pull Me Under'Matthew Baker's Why Visit America is at once deeply heartbroken by the state of our country and world, and also deeply hopeful about what both could be. These stories critically examine the harms wrought by American xenophobia, misogyny, transphobia and capitalism while also bearing an abiding, profound love for this planet and for its people. This is a brilliant collection that shines with imagination, and with empathy -- Anna Valente, author of 'The Desert Sky Before Us'With his unique brand of quirky, sardonic compassion, Matthew Baker offers us a book that’s like a cross-country road trip as seen through a funhouse mirror. At once trenchant and deeply tender, the stories in Why Visit America thrum with all that is exasperating, absurd, tragic, and still so compelling about life in these United States -- Naomi J. Williams, author of 'Landfalls'Matthew Baker's stories are wild in all the best ways but Why Visit America isn't just a triumph of weirdness - these stories use a variety of skewed lenses to offer smart critiques of the systems and beliefs humming through so much of American life. They also somehow manage to be, always, a ton of fun to read -- Lee Connell, author of 'Subcortical'This is the first of its kind, a work born of a deep understanding and a philosophical awareness of how things are. Over a century ago James Joyce aimed to write a moral history of his country: Matthew Baker has achieved that for his own. At the end of this acclaimed and untouchable collection there has been horror, but what remains is love * Lunate *Baker has a knack for this: for placing us in situations that are as foreseeable as they are creative; his musical, visual storytelling swaying us on-side, eliciting, ‘ahs’ and ‘ohs’, while we devour his original ideas about modern society. Within each parable, a sense of hope … It is this that makes his work most memorable (and with our current situation, relevant) long after reading * Port *Baker’s prose is astonishingly crisp, whilst his imagination and storytelling prowess are masterfully original and deeply touching, causing the reader to lose themselves in this most beguiling and transforming collection – once you’ve read Why Visit America, you’ll feel changed, you’ll feel enlightened and most of all you’ll be witnessing greatness * Storgy Magazine *

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Book SynopsisMy Man Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse is a collection of comedic work featuring three of Wodehouse’s famous characters. Bertie is an idle rich man, who is always ready to help his friends. However, he would never be able to do so without the help of his odd but intelligent valet, Jeeves. Said to be the prototype for Bertie, Reggie Pepper is also rich Englishman dedicated to assisting his friends, however, unlike Bertie, he often has to act as the brains in any situation he is in, as he does not have a useful assistant like Jeeves. This collection of stories is split between these characters: four feature Bertie and Jeeves while the other half focuses on Reggie. Leave it to Jeeves, the first story in the collection, follows Bertie and Jeeves’ adventures in America. When one of Bertie’s friends request help convincing his uncle to accept his soon-to-be bride, Jeeves and Bertie are happy to supply a plan. However, the situation becomes complicated when their scheme leads to the uncle liking the young woman a little too much. Much like the introductory story, Jeeves and the Hardboiled Egg depicts the strange circumstances the duo finds themselves in. In attempt to help Bertie’s friend, Bicky, out of a tough financial situation after lying to his uncle, Jeeves concocts a plan involving a chicken farm and a convention of Americans. In a similar spirit of silly unconventionality, Reggie Pepper assists his forgetful friend, Bobby, in Absent Treatment. When Bobby’s wife, Mary, declares that she will not see Bobby until he can remember her birthday, Bobby and Reggie investigate astrogeology and scour through their records to discover her birthdate. Described as witty and heart-warming, My Man Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse is a timeless classic perfect for anyone in need of a good laugh. With well developed, good-natured characters, My Man Jeeves provides an escape into simple comedy. This edition of P.G Wodehouse’s My Man Jeeves features a striking new cover design and is printed in a stylish font, making it both readable and modern.

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Book Synopsis'Powerful' Barack Obama'Searing' New York TimesHow do you comfort a man who has just lost his best friend?How does it feel to see fear in your wife's eyes?What does it mean to come home? In one of the most acclaimed and celebrated collections of stories for years, Redeployment takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned.Trade ReviewRedeployment is a quick but powerful and, for me, painful set of stories about the experience of ordinary soldiers in Iraq -- BARACK OBAMASearing . . . Gives the civilian reader a visceral feeling for what it is like to be a soldier in a combat zone, and what it is like to return home, still reeling from the dislocations of war. Gritty, unsparing and fiercely observed, these stories leave us with a harrowing sense of the war in Iraq as it was experienced, day by day, by individual soldiers * * New York Times * *Incendiary stories of war . . . Redeployment is the real thing - a vivid and vital battery of war stories that does not rely solely on its subject matter for impact (although, make no mistake, the subject certainly has impact) . . . A must-read * * Guardian * *One of the great story collections of recent times -- COLUM McCANNAchingly beautiful * * Financial Times * *After the first reading I immediately began the second . . . Truly haunting, and truly, indisputably, brilliant -- NIALL GRIFFITHSBrilliant * * Sunday Telegraph * *Klay's short stories pull off something incredibly subtle * * Sunday Times * *In Klay's hands, Iraq comes across not merely as a theater of war but as a laboratory for the human condition in extremis . . . Redeployment is hilarious, biting, whipsawing and sad. It's the best thing written so far on what the war did to people's souls * * New York Times Book Review * *A masterwork in mostly spare prose, its tonal range from laugh-out-loud, Joseph Heller-esque absurdity to soul-crushing bleakness. It may be our best literary window into the Iraq war * * Independent * *

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Book SynopsisSuncranes and Other Stories showcases a range of powerful voices from Mongolia’s modern literary traditions. Spanning the years following the socialist revolution of 1921 through the early twenty-first century, these stories offer vivid portraits of nomads, revolution, and the endless steppe.Trade ReviewSimon Wickhamsmith’s masterful translations provide a unique window on how Mongolian writers have responded to events shaping the country over the last century—ranging from extreme communism to extreme capitalism—while also retaining a strong sense for enduring Mongolian traditions shaped by pastoral nomadism and a magnificent countryside. -- Jonathan S. Addleton, former U.S. ambassador to MongoliaSuncranes and Other Stories is an important collection of modern Mongolian writing. Deftly translated, it opens a door on a body of literature that reflects the lives and realities of Mongolia in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. -- Mark Bender, editor of The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, PoetryThis excellent first collection of modern Mongolian stories offers a view of traditional concerns of nature and herding, as well as the dramatic changes wrought by communism, the pure market economy, and urbanization. Wickhamsmith’s translations provide readers with wondrous fiction as well as exposure to Mongolian customs and landscapes. -- Morris Rossabi, author of Modern Mongolia: From Khans to Commissars to CapitalistsCan one book aptly sum up an entire nation’s fiction over the course of a century? This one gives it an impressive try. As the stories move forward in time, it’s fascinating to see how different literary movements become prominent, then fall by the wayside. * Words Without Borders *Suncranes and Other Stories: Modern Mongolian Short Fiction makes for an original and delightful introduction to Mongolian culture and recent history for those unfamiliar with the land of the nomads. As someone who has studied the Mongolian language for many years, I am awed at Simon Wickhamsmith’s ability to artfully craft the translations in this volume. -- Sarah Köksal * Cha: An Asian Literary Journal *A fascinating introduction to Mongolia’s literature. -- Tony Malone * Tony's Reading List *Table of ContentsIntroductionA Note on Mongolian Names1. Something Wonderful, by S. Buyannemeh2. The Shelducks, by D. Chimid3. Dark Cliffs, by D. Natsagdorj4. Things That Had Never Been Seen, by D. Natsagdorj5. The Young Couple, by M. Yadamsüren6. What Changed Soli, by Ts. Damdinsüren7. Two White Things, by Ts. Damdinsüren8. The Morning of the First, by Ts. Ulambayar9. The Saiga, by Ch. Lodoidamba10. A Great Mystery, by O. Tsend11. Bunia Takes Wing, by B. Rinchen12. Waiting for What He Has Lost, by D. Namdag13. The Green-painted Car, by Ts. Ulambayar14. Images from a Single Day, by B. Baast15. Blue as Water, by P. Luvsantseren16. He Came with a Spare Horse, by S. Udval17. Suncranes, by S. Erdene18. The Cricket, by S. Dashdoorov19. The Wolf’s Lair, by D. Garmaa20. The Ballad of the Unweaned Camel, by G. Mend-Ooyo21. Hulan, by S. Erdene22. Heaven’s Daughter, by Ch. Galsan23. Raul and Raul, by L. Ölziitögs24. Everything, by S. Anudar25. Room for Rent, by H. Bolor-Erdene26. Wings, by P. Bathuyag27. The Composer, by M. UyansühGlossaryNotes on the StoriesAcknowledgments

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Book SynopsisWhat happens when we leave the places we’re from? What do we lose, who do we become, and what parts of our pasts are unshakeable? Linda Mannheim’s second short story collection tells the stories of twelve people who have relocated – both voluntarily and involuntarily. Opening with the Miami-set thriller 'Noir', these exquisitely rendered stories will leave you reeling. This Way To Departures is a deeply affecting portrait of American society and the constant search for a place to call 'home'.

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Book SynopsisAs Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.The Metamorphosis - the masterpiece of Franz Kafka -was first published in 1915 and is one of the seminal works of fiction of the twentiethcentury. The novel iscited as a key influence for many of today's leading authors; as Auden wrote:"Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man".Traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, wakes to find himself transformed into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Gregor''s transformation is never revealed, and as he attempts to adjust to his new condition he becomes a burden to his parents and sister, who are repelled by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.A harrowing, yet strangely comic, meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation,The Metamorphosishas taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction.The Legend Classics series:Around the World in Eighty DaysThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Importance of Being EarnestAlice''s Adventures in WonderlandThe MetamorphosisThe Railway ChildrenThe Hound of the BaskervillesFrankensteinWuthering HeightsThree Men in a BoatThe Time MachineLittle WomenAnne of Green GablesThe Jungle BookThe Yellow Wallpaper and Other StoriesDraculaA Study in ScarletLeaves of GrassThe Secret GardenThe War of the WorldsA Christmas CarolStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeHeart of DarknessThe Scarlet LetterThis Side of ParadiseOliver TwistThe Picture of Dorian GrayTreasure IslandThe Turn of the ScrewThe Adventures of Tom SawyerEmmaThe TrialA Selection of Short Stories by Edgar Allan PoeGrimm Fairy TalesThe AwakeningMrs DallowayGulliver's TravelsThe Castle of OtrantoSilas MarnerHard Times

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Book SynopsisJapan's mythology is alive with gods, spirits and monsters. It draws on Buddhist and Shinto traditions to explain the nature of the world of the island of Japan, and the heavenly status of the long line of emperors. The warrior class of the imperial court, and the natural spirits of the countryside represent parallel and interdependent aspects of Japanese society, explored through ancient legend and folklore in this fascinating new book in the Flame Tree Myths and Legend series. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.

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Book SynopsisIt is just after nine o'clock in the morning. Gidza will die in exactly forty-three minutes and thirteen seconds.Rotten Row' is the Criminal Division of Harare, and the courts and the unfortunates who pass through them are the subjects of this mesmerising collection of stories. In these portraits of lives aching for meaning and redemption, Petina Gappah crosses the barriers of class, race, gender and sexual politics in contemporary Zimbabwe, to explore the causes and effects of crime and the nature of justice.

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