Anthologies & Short Stories

Book SynopsisNew magical girls on the scene means a new collection of short stories about their lives! Plus, you’ll get to read the bonus origin story Snow White Raising Project for the first time in print. Don't miss out on these episodes that are sure to add even more color and intrigue to the Magical Girl Raising Project series!

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Book SynopsisE. T. A. Hoffmann’s classic tales of Gothic horror and fantasy are presented in a new translation accompanying the beguiling drawings of Natalie FrankTrade Review“Sumptuous. . . . Enough eldritch ferocity to supply hallucinatory macro-doses to you and every adult you know. . . . [Natalie Frank’s] artwork . . . is gruesome perfection, for Hoffmann’s tales intend to shake us out of our torpor, to make us see the fantastical forces at work all around us.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal“This pioneering master of the uncanny is as relevant as ever. . . . Capture[s] the brilliance of E. T. A. Hoffmann, whose influence ranges from Freud to Poe to Blade Runner.”—Washington Post“Frank and Zipes have met the challenge of taking on Hoffman with fierce energy, investing these timeless tales with a new relevance and contemporary sensibility.”—Claire Gilman, The Drawing Center“Frank’s extraordinary artwork frames Zipes’s translations of Hoffmann’s stories on each page, offering readers an experience in which the visual images and verbal texts are in constant conversation, commenting on and enriching each other.”—Donald Haase, author of Folktales and Fairy Tales: Traditions and Texts from Around the World

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Book SynopsisThese early short stories brim with the beauty of the Italian countryside and seaside, telling tales both sumptuous and unnerving.Calvino's war-torn Italy is vivid, intense, almost hyper-real. A trio of greedy burglars rob a pastry shop, a boy offers a girl presents of toads and insects from the garden, a wealthy family invites a rustic goatherd to lunch, only to mock him. In every story he reveals the hidden meaning beneath the surface of everyday life, and the ludicrousness of war.Some stories from Last Comes the Raven have been previously available in the collection Adam, One Afternoon. This new expanded collection includes several stories newly translated by Ann Goldstein and is an important addition to Calvino's legacy.'In Last Comes the Raven, a collection of early stories, we find the man behind the magician' New YorkerTrade ReviewIn these beautifully translated stories, the quality of the writing emerges as clearly as do the ease and range of his inventiveness. Calvino's special gift is to link the physical and immediate with an allegorical timelessness. All the characters and creatures in these stories conspire to convey a feeling of the wonder, mystery and terror of life * Guardian *Calvino's strength is his economy and subtlety. The best of his allegorical fantasies have the power of the Brothers Grimm, rollicking stories on the surface, with an underlying savagery * Listener *Calvino was drawn to narratives as pure and potent objects; in this collection, he examines but does not deconstruct them . . . There is the author's trademark ironic distance and careful wit, as well as tinges of surrealism. But, where the mature Calvino found a style that was supremely arch, alien, and spare, his more mimetic stories retain the funk of the human . . . The reader of Last Comes the Raven registers a bloom of social feelings: sympathy, recognition, curiosity * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisIncluding the contents of the classic collections Uncanny Stories (1923) and The Intercessor and Other Stories (1931), this new volume also features two rare strange tales from a third, lesser-known book which explore further facets of Sinclair's fascination with the uncanny.

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Book SynopsisA brand new anthology of previously unpublished and uncollected supernatural mysteries by some of the masters of the Golden Age thrills, spills and chills perfect for Halloween.It is said that books are written to bring sunshine into our dull, grey lives to show us places we want to escape to, lives we want to live, people we want to love. But there are also stories that can only be found in the deepest, darkest corners of the library. Stories about the unexplained, of lost souls, of things that go bump before the silence. Before the screaming.And some stories just disappear. Stories printed in old newspapers, broadcast live on the wireless, sometimes not even published at all these are the stories you cannot find on even the dustiest of library shelves.Ghosts from the Library resurrects forgotten tales of the supernatural by some of the most acclaimed mystery authors of all time. From Arthur Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr to Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, this spine-chilTrade Review‘A delightfully shiversome set of tales to be read over a series of dark nights.’—The Invisible Event ‘The collection is full to the brim with elegant and subtle writing, clever character studies and some masterclass-level misdirection. Perfect for a long winter’s night.’—Crime Review ‘Criminally spooky – would make a great Christmas stocking gift!’—FictionFan ‘Despite being hitherto “lost”, there are few duds here.’—Guardian ‘A particular favourite of mine was Agatha Christie’s Personal Call, written for the BBC’s Light Programme in 1954. This translates well to the page … as the story builds to a tense climax guaranteed to send a shiver up an unsuspecting spine.’—Crime Review

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and unsettling anthology of 32 science fiction short stories in tribute to the prophetic dystopias of New Wave sci-fi pioneer, and literary titan of the twentieth century, J. G. Ballard-featuring Will Self, Iain Sinclair, Christopher Fowler, Chris Beckett, and a new Jerry Cornelius story from Michael Moorcock. Few authors are so iconic that their name is an adjective - Ballard is one of them. Master of both literary and science fiction, his novels such as Empire of the Sun, Crash and Cocaine Nights show a world out of joint - a bewildering, alienating and yet enthralling place. From his rapturously weird takes on contemporary reality to his classic dystopias like The Drowned World and High Rise, Ballard's legacy shaped the future of literature. This first-of-its-kind anthology, featuring our greatest literary and science fiction authors, pays tribute to the unique visions of humanity's uncanny and uneasy clash with the future - our empires of concrete - seen through the warped lens of J. G. Ballard.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI A well written sharp, incisive crime story (much like a dagger thrust should be) is a thing of beauty. There are many in this anthology. Read and enjoy. - Frost Magazine Quality and variety... are guaranteed. - Morning Star Chilling and crafty, and full of devious characters. Not all of the victims are innocent, and the effects of each story will linger long after you close the volume. - The Girl Who Reads It's good to see earlier contributions from such luminaries as Peter O'Donnell, Julian Rathbone and Larry Beinhart among the star-studded cast which features Ian Rankin, Jeffrey Deaver, Denise Mina and John Harvey. - Shots Mag The daggers are drawn, business ends out. An absolute must read for all crime fiction fans. - Advance the Plot Edgy, twisted and disturbing, Daggers Drawn is a visceral and thrilling collection showcasing the very best modern crime fiction has to offer. - Book Lover's Boudoir [A]n overall entertaining tale of short stories with quite a few enjoyable tales to entice the reader. - Run Along the Shelves I'd definitely recommend this great collection for anyone who is a crime fiction fan. - Snazzy Books [A]n engrossing and entertaining read. - Annarellix Review

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Book SynopsisA dazzling collection of retold and original fairy tales from fifteen acclaimed and bestselling YA writers, including Tracy Deonn and Melissa Albert. A dazzling collection of fifteen original and retold fairy tales from acclaimed and bestselling writers Fairy tales have been spun for thousands of years and remain among our most treasured stories. Weaving fresh takes and unexpected reimaginings, At Midnight brings together a diverse group of celebrated writers to breathe new life into our beloved traditions. Dahlia Adler, “Rumplestiltskin” Tracy Deonn, “The Nightingale” H.E. Edgmon, “Snow White” Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood” Stacey Lee, “The Little Matchstick Girl” Roselle Lim, “Hansel and Gretel” Darcie Little Badger, “Puss in Boots” Malinda Lo, “Frau Trude” Alex London, “Cinderella” Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Nutcracker” Rebecca Podos, “The Robber Bridegroom” Rory Power, “Sleeping Beauty” Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid” Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird” and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1949, Tomato Cain and Other Stories is the sole collection of short fiction by Nigel Kneale. Drawing on his experiences of growing up on the Isle of Man, many of Kneale's tales conjure up a remote, old-fashioned community where mythology and superstition are part of everyday life. Several stories go further, making imaginative leaps into the kind of weird, eerie territory with which Kneale would go on to make his name, as the writer of TV's Quatermass, The Road, Beasts and The Stone Tape. Though garlanded with praise on publication - it won its author the 1950 Somerset Maugham Award - Tomato Cain has long since been out of print. This new edition is published to mark the centenary of Kneale's birth, uniting the stories from both the original UK and US editions for the first time ever. It's sure to delight Kneale's legions of fans and indeed all admirers of skilfully-crafted short stories.Trade ReviewWinner of the 1950 Somerset Maugham Award

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Book Synopsis"I had been called to pick up Jeje from a karaoke bar in Jongno district..."A deftly expressive short modern love story concerning the misadventures of Hyoung and Jeje as they navigate the Seoul underworld in search of something more from life with lots to say about our contemporary moment; how people use and are used by others, but find solace in each other despite.

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Book SynopsisA new collection of stories from the cult author of Terminal Boredom.Izumi Suzuki had ideas about doing things differently, ideas that paid little attention to the laws of physics, or the laws of the land. In this new collection, her skewed imagination distorts and enhances some of the classic concepts of science fiction and fantasy.A philandering husband receives a bestial punishment from a wife with her own secrets to keep; a music lover finds herself in a timeline both familiar and as wrong as can be; a misfit band of space pirates discover a mysterious baby among the stars; Emma, the Bovary-like character from one of Suzuki's stories in Terminal Boredom, lands herself in a bizarre romantic pickle.Wryly anarchic and deeply imaginative, Suzuki was a writer like no other. These eleven stories offer readers the opportunity to delve deeper in this singular writer's work.Trade ReviewFascinatingly skewy -- Cal Revely-Calder, best books of 2023 * Daily Telegraph *This collection showcases [Suzuki's] unique sensibility, which combined a punk aesthetic with a taste for the absurd. Her work-populated by misfits, loners, and femmes fatales alongside extraterrestrial boyfriends, intergalactic animal traffickers, and murderous teen-agers with E.S.P.-wryly blurs the boundary between earthly delinquency and otherworldly phenomena. * The New Yorker *The work and messages of Ursula K. Le Guin, the author's longer-lived contemporary, come to mind. Both Suzuki and Le Guin knew that gender roles are a matter of costume or control, affect or affliction. The terms we use to define humanity are often inhuman -- Catherine Lacey * New York Times *Brilliant and often bleak . all shot through with a camp ethos, dark humour and kitchen-sink realism . in their brio and jagged urgency, these stories have, if anything, only gained in their alarming immediacy. * Times Literary Supplement *Not only still relevant but remarkably fresh ... All these stories are brilliant * Guardian *With this impressive collection, translators Bett, David Boyd, Helen O'Horan, and Daniel Joseph bring 11 strange, transfixing, and compassionate short stories from Suzuki to English-speaking audiences. SFF fans are sure to be pleased with these slangy, accessible new translations of a master. * Publishers Weekly *Her punky irreverence remains radiant' * Frieze *These strangely prescient stories are perfect for fans of Haruki Murakami, George Saunders, and Philip K. Dick * Publishers Weekly *Extraordinary. To use one of her own coolly illuminating formulations, Suzuki is steward of a new anxiety -- China Miéville[A] riveting book of short stories by cult favorite Japanese sci-fi author Izumi Suzuki. -- Sophia June, Most Anticipated Books of 2023 * Nylon *A little speculative, a little punk, a little chaotic-all singular in their voice and vision. In this new collection, there will be cheating husbands, score settling, alternate timelines, bored teens, and space pirates...What a thrill it is to see that more of her stories are coming down the pipes. -- Most Anticipated Books of 2023 * Lit Hub *Even decades after her death, Suzuki's sci-fi fantasy worlds feel fresh. The 11 stories in this deeply unsettling and imaginative collection are sure to enthrall, disturb and entertain...A brilliant follow up. -- 15 Upcoming Releases We Can't Wait to Read in 2023 * Tokyo Weekender, *Sure to be wonderfully off-kilter and imaginative. -- Iain Maloney * Japan Times *This volume is at the top of my TBR list. -- Karla J. Strand * Ms. Magazine *This collection reaches out from the past not as a warning so much as the musings of a writer grasping for hope in a dark world. Music is woven through the book, as if Suzuki had created an accompanying playlist and is urging readers to listen along...These 11 stories surprise with wry humor and stun with the loneliness of living. * Kirkus Reviews *[Suzuki] has produced stories that delight in weaving the uncanny into everyday experiences. The stories are edgy and comic, taking a sharp, sardonic scalpel to male privilege in Japanese society ... a singular voice in Japanese literature -- Michael Cronin * Irish Times *Through stories of murderous aliens, rock-and-roll has-beens and failed witches, Suzuki knows very well that life on Earth sucks, but that doesn't stop her from constantly imagining and reimagining radical alterities. -- Marv Recinto * ArtReview Asia *Suzuki creates worlds subtly unstuck from specific times and locations ... The anxiety at the heart of her writing resonates far beyond its temporal walls. Suzuki's science fiction of the 1980s has an eerie accordance with the world as we know it today. -- Genie Harrison * Tokyo Weekender *Suzuki's work is richly steeped in science fiction, fantasy, and '70s counterculture...throughout [she] empathizes with those who feel alien, other, or ostracized-especially women and girls battling patriarchy and misogyny. -- Laura Zornosa * TIME *The continuing translation of Suzuki's work is extremely exciting, as it helps to provide a more thorough picture of a dynamic and experimental artist whose work parallels some of the most important work of the 1970s new wave, cyberpunk, and beyond. -- Nell Keep * Booklist, Starred Review *Sardonic, dystopian commentaries on the struggle to stay sane in a world that often fails to offer encouragement to do so. -- Sean Sheehan * The Prisma *This new collection brings the same gritty, surreal vibes we love. * Book Culture *These stories are deeply, persistently, wonderfully odd, full of humor, irony, heartache, and aliens. -- Patrick Rapa * The Philadelphia Inquirer *Sharp and achingly present, these eleven short stories ... present emotional and often unsettling glimpses into worlds both familiar and fantastical ... Suzuki's voice is boldly abrasive. -- Bella Creel * Asymptote Journal *Reader, beware: Suzuki's stories are soft, but they are not light. -- Nick Mamatas * The Fabulist *Blurring together magic, fantasy, and sci-fi, [Suzuki's] stories bend reality to explore themes of marriage, friendship, love, sexuality, and femininity. * The Millions *Wild and restless ... I can't think of anyone I'd rather read this spring than this countercultural icon of the Japanese literary underground. -- Angel Lambo * Frieze *A forerunner of cyberpunk ... With dark humour and cool affect, [Suzuki] presented the isolation of Japanese domestic life. -- Stephanie LaCava * Telegraph *An enjoyably acidic and darkly funny set of stories in which the novelty is not always so much in the ideas as in the consistently engaging execution. Suzuki's distinctly misanthropic voice enlivens these narratives of women whose mundane lives are altered - sometimes humorously, sometimes catastrophically - by science-fictional or supernatural occurrences. -- Dexter Palmer * The Washington Post *Translated into English decades after her death, the sci-fi stories of Izumi Suzuki gently twist modern Japan into tales of unspeakable loneliness. -- Amanda DeMarco * Spike Art Magazine *Impressively uncanny stuff. -- Tobias Carroll * Words Without Borders *[Hit Parade of Tears] challenges the concepts of fantasy and science fiction, twisting these genres into new and strange things. These tales are bleak, funny, feminist, angry, and often deeply allegorical and political. * Books & Bao *Hit Parade of Tears perfectly demonstrates Suzuki's sharp social satire, her singular voice, and her unique aesthetics ... mesmerising feminist explorations of gender, alienation and treacherous states of reality that could not have been written by anyone else -- Jonathan Thornton * Fantasy Hive *Suzuki's acidic voice permeates these 11 hazy, imaginative stories following women whose lives are altered by time travel, aliens, magic and more. * The New York Times Book Review *A collection of stories that sway between science fiction, fantasy and the intrigue of modern relationships. Expect a wild ride through affairs, space pirates and discoveries of new dimensions. -- Ellen Scott * Stylist *It's rare for a short story collection to captivate and glue your eyes to the page like a thriller. But Hit Parade of Tears ... does just that, lining up one twisted mindbender after another ... her plots beguile as they come apart and pull together like pieces of a deliberately imperfect puzzle. -- Eric Margolis * Japan Times *This newly translated collection of Izumi Suzuki's short stories, first published more than forty years ago, is jaunty, odd, violent, femme-centric, funny-but what strikes me most is its freshness." -- Young Kim * LIBER *[Hit Parade of Tears] has the could-it-be-prescience that renders good science fiction both captivating and uncanny. At the same time, it often feels so rooted in the '60s and '70s that it could have emerged from a time capsule..its prose is strong and clear, a message from the past that has, thanks to her stellar team of translators, arrived here asking to be heard. -- Lily Meyer * NPR *Two years ago, Izumi Suzuki's work was published in English for the first time in the collection Terminal Boredom. This second collection gives English language readers even more of her inventive and atmospheric stories that explore life on the outskirts using science fiction and fantasy elements. -- Patricia Thang * Book Riot *Suzuki's narratives might contain B-movie silliness. They also have the hypnotic power of a bender. Just look at the time - you've suddenly finished them all. -- Jen Vafidis * The New York Times Book Review *A unique voice in science fiction ... Suzuki's stories represent female rage at a society which refused to include her ... darkly witty -- Terri-Jane Dow * Mslexia *Packed with casual, occasional sadism ... Each story is air-locked away from the noisy links between organism and ecosystem, consumer supply chain and perpetual war ... Dreams of estrangement play out across a total lack of world. -- Alex Quicho * The White Review *[Suzuki's] characters' clever means of dealing with society give life to each story even half a century after their original publication. It is not so much the specifics of the worlds Suzuki creates as the way her characters find relief within them that makes Hit Parade of Tears translate well for a contemporary audience. -- Jenny Wu * The Harvard Review *[Hit Parade of Tears] speaks to our anxieties and fears about a world, a future, slowly slipping from our grasp -- Ian Mond * Locus Magazine *This posthumous collection of stories is absurd, with little to do with the laws of physics: Suzuki takes common sci-fi and fantasy tropes - themselves a skewer on reality - and twists them further so that what you're left with is time- and space-bending plotlines and very strange characters. * Harper's Bazaar *Both humorous and devastating ... [Suzuki's] signature sci-fi style is as moving as it is unpredictable and a must-read by anyone interested in the emotional politics of our potential future(s). -- Jennifer Brough * Lucy Writers Platform *Suzuki is a master at mixing high sci-fi concepts with melodrama. -- Ben Dreith * Maudlin House *Ominous and funny ... Suzuki's "sci-fi surreal" explores reality in the same way that surrealism did and still does in its contemporary manifestations, and critiques society as all good sci-fi does. -- Vik Shirley * Firmament Magazine *Izumi takes her insincerity to depths unimaginable, from where it floats up as alien, tampered, and wholly disorienting. -- Shahriar Shaams * The Daily Star (Bangladesh) *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE JOHN LEONARD PRIZE AT THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS AND THE FERRO-GRUMLEY AWARD FOR LGBTQ FICTIONTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'So's distinctive voice is ever-present: mellifluous, streetwise and slightly brash, at once cynical and bighearted...unique and quintessential' Sunday Times'So's stories reimagine and reanimate the Central Valley, in the way that the polyglot stories in Bryan Washington's collection Lot reimagined Houston and Ocean Vuong's novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous allowed us to see Hartford in a fresh light.' Dwight Garner, New York Times '[A] remarkable début collection' Hua Hsu, The New YorkerA Roxane Gay's Audacious Book Club Pick!Named a Best Book of Summer by: Wall Street Journal * Thrillist * Vogue * Lit Hub * Refinery29 * New York Observer * The Daily Beast * Time * BuzzFeed * Entertainment Weekly Seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tender-hearted, balancing acerbic humour with sharp emotional depth, Afterparties offers an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian-Americans. As the children of refugees carve out radical new paths for themselves in California, they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer Rouge genocide and grapple with the complexities of race, sexuality, friendship and family.A high school badminton coach and failing grocery store owner tries to relive his glory days by beating a rising star teenage player. Two drunken brothers attend a wedding afterparty and hatch a plan to expose their shady uncle's snubbing of the bride and groom. A queer love affair sparks between an older tech entrepreneur trying to launch a 'safe space' app and a disillusioned young teacher obsessed with Moby-Dick. And in the sweeping final story, a nine-year-old child learns that his mother survived a racist school shooter.With nuanced emotional precision, gritty humour and compassionate insight into the intimacy of queer and immigrant communities, the stories in Afterparties deliver an explosive introduction to the work of Anthony Veasna So.Trade ReviewSo's distinctive voice is ever-present: mellifluous, streetwise and slightly brash, at once cynical and bighearted...unique and quintessential * Sunday Times *witty and sharply expressed...the reader senses that [So] had a vast amount of soul and spirit in his account, and that he'd only just begun to draw from it...So's stories reimagine and reanimate the Central Valley, in the way that the polyglot stories in Bryan Washington's collection Lot reimagined Houston and Ocean Vuong's novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous allowed us to see Hartford in a fresh light. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *[A] remarkable début collection...The young people in Afterparties spill forth with language. His stories are chatty and crass, as characters incessantly tease one another, make jokes,...talk back and talk trash -- Hua Hsu * The New Yorker *A bright and fearless debut, full of heart, joy and unforgettable characters. -- Douglas StuartThe sheer richness and energy of So's narratives can't be overstated - his characters are full of love, and full of longing, and full of laughter, and full of the possibilities that life offers them and also the ones it hides. It's rare and magical and wild to find queer life, as it's actually lived, on the page - or on any pages - with all its multiplicities and creases and paradoxes and curves, and yet So lays it out for us, sparing nothing and giving everything. I was in awe through the entire collection -and you will be, too. Afterparties is an actual marvel. -- Bryan Washington, author of LOT and MEMORIALA wildly energetic, heartfelt, original debut by a young writer of exceptional promise. These stories, powered by So's skill with the telling detail, are like beams of wry, affectionate light, falling from different directions on a complicated, struggling, beloved American community. -- George SaundersAfterparties weaves through a Cambodian-American community in the shadow of genocide, following the children of refugees as they grapple with the complexities of masculinity, class and family. Anthony Veasna So explores the lives of these unforgettable characters with bracing humour and startling tenderness. A stunning collection from an exciting new voice. -- Brit Bennett, author of THE VANISHING HALFThe mind-frying hilarity of Anthony Veasna So's first book of fiction settles him as the genius of social satire our age needs now more than ever. Few writers can handle firm plot action and wrenching pathos in such elegant prose. This unforgettable new voice is at once poetic and laugh-out-loud funny. These characters kept talking to me long after I closed the book I'm destined to read again and cannot wait to teach. Anthony Veasna So is a shiny new star in literature's firmament and Afterparties his first classic. -- Mary Karr, author of THE LIARS' CLUBAnthony Veasna So is a terrific writer. These wild, complex and funny stories are brilliant in every way. They also speak in profound ways to this troubled American moment. One of the most exciting debuts of the past decade. -- Dana Spiotta, author of INNOCENTS AND OTHERSKaren Russell, Carmen Maria Machado, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah - you can count on one hand the authors of this century whose debut short-story collections are as prodigious and career-making as Afterparties. This lovingly specific, history-haunted comedy of Cambodian-American manners should put Anthony Veasna So on smart readers' radar to stay. -- Jonathan Dee, author of THE PRIVILEGES

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Book SynopsisFrom helpful elves to an enchanting Nutcracker, rediscover the German Christmas tales behind our most iconic festive traditions*A Daily Express Book of the Year*Eine fröhliche Weihnachten -- A Merry Christmas -- made all the more joyful with these literary treats redolent of candle-lit trees, St. Nikolaus, gingerbread, roast goose and red cabbage, tinsel and stollen cakes, accompanied by plenty of schnapps.In this collection, classic works by the Brothers Grimm and Thomas Mann intertwine with more recent stories from writers like Peter Stamm and Martin Suter to bring together the greatest festive tales from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. From a child lost in a snowy, pine-scented forest meeting an unlikely saviour to old lovers reuniting during a last-minute dash across the city for presents, each story creates magical moments of reflection and rediscovery.Bursting with family chaos, carols and yuletide cheer, A German Christmas showcases those works that have helped define the festive period the world over.Trade ReviewA festive treat with a German twist * Daily Express, *Christmas Gift Guide 2022* *A gorgeous little book and the perfect Christmas stocking filler * Art Shelf, *Christmas Gift Guide 2022* *

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Book SynopsisThe first short story collection from the Queen of Chillers. Prepare to be terrified... This Halloween prepare to be terrified with C. J. Tudor's first collection of short stories. A creak of the floorboard, a shiver down your spine, the feeling that you're not alone... These eleven twisted tales of the macabre from the bestselling author of The Chalk Man are your perfect companions as the nights draw in...if you're brave enough.Trade ReviewAll hail the queen of scream. A Sliver of Darkness is C.J. Tudor at her spine-tingling, nightmare-inducing best. Read it if you dare... * CHRIS WHITAKER *This unsettling collection of stories from a writer often called the 'British Stephen King' deftly inverts the banal and unremarkable to reveal their underlying horror * METRO *Beautifully barbaric, creepy as hell and crammed with barbed wit, Tudor can say more in one short story than many writers can manage in a full length novel * JOHN MARRS *Brilliantly creepy and perfectly executed * JAMES OSWALD *A decadent and phantasmagorical descent into the dark chasm where I first fell in love with horror fiction. Told with real heart along with daemonic savagery, these are stories to luxuriate with in the tenebrous * MATT WESOLOWSKI *Chilling * Choice Magazine *PRAISE FOR C.J. TUDOR * -- *If you like my stuff, you'll like this * Stephen King *A dark star is born * A. J. Finn *Some writers have it, and some don't. C. J. Tudor has it big time * Lee Child *

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Book SynopsisThis selection brings together the fantastic Gothic stories of Vernon Lee, including the landmark collection Hauntings, first published in 1890, along with six additional tales and the 1880 essay 'Faustus and Helena'.Table of ContentsIntroduction Winthrop's Adventure Oke of Okehurst; or, the Phantom Lover Amour Dure Dionea A Wicked Voice The Legend of Madame Krasinska The Virgin of the Seven Daggers Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady The Doll Marsyas in Flanders Appendix I: Faustus and Helena Appendix II: Preface to Hauntings Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisIntroducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world''s greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Celebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil.Akutagawa was one of the towering figures of modern Japanese literature, and is considered the father of the Japanese short story. This paradigmatic selection, which includes the stories that inspired Akira Kurosawa''s 1950 film Rashomon, showcases the terrible beauty, cynicism, sublime pain and absurd humour of his writing.''One never tires of reading and re-reading his best works. The elegantly sTrade ReviewOne never tires of reading and re-reading his best works. The elegantly spare style has a truly spine-tingling brilliance -- Haruki MurakamiExtravagance and horror are in his work, but never in the style, which is always crystal-clear -- Jorge Luis Borges

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Book SynopsisThis annual anthology of rare stories of crime and suspense brings together tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction for the first time in book form, including a short novel by Christianna Brand.Mystery stories have been around for centuriesthere are whodunits, whydunits and howdunits, including locked-room puzzles, detective stories without detectives, and crimes with a limited choice of suspects.Countless volumes of such stories have been published, but some are still impossible to find: stories that appeared in a newspaper, magazine or an anthology that has long been out of print; ephemeral works such as plays not aired, staged or screened for decades; and unpublished stories that were absorbed into an author's archive when they died . . .Here for the first time are three never-before-published mysteries by Edmund Crispin, Ngaio Marsh and Leo Bruce, and two pieces written for radio by Gladys Mitchell and H. C. Baileythe latter featuring Reggie Fortune.Together with a newly unearthed short story by Ethel Lina White that inspired Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes, and a complete short novel by Christianna Brand, this diverse mix of tales by some of the world's most popular classic crime writers contains something for everyone.Complete with indispensable biographies by Tony Medawar of all the featured authors, the fourth volume in the series Bodies from the Library once again brings into the daylight the forgotten, the lost and the unknown.Trade Review‘In this trip down memory lane, familiar names from the golden age, such as Ngaio Marsh, Gladys Mitchell and Edmund Crispin, share the honours with lesser lights claiming their overdue recognition as gifted contributors to classic crime. The centrepiece is a novella by Christianna Brand who, after years of neglect, is now enjoying a revival. Other snappier tales of criminal intent, gathered for the first time in book form, testify to Tony Medawar’s skill as an excavator of lost treasures of crime fiction. This, the fourth in the series of Bodies From The Library, is the best yet.’—Daily Mail 'An annual treat – almost like the summer version of a Christie for Christmas.'—Kate Jackson, author of The Pocket Detective and Cross Examining Crime ‘One of the best mixed anthologies I’ve come across … If you’re already a vintage crime fan, then this is one to grab; and if you’re new to the genre, then you’ll find this a very enjoyable way to introduce yourself to some of the greats. Highly recommended!’—FictionFanBlog

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together remarkable short stories by the Russian Symbolist Fyodor Sologub that explore the lengths to which people will go to transcend the mundane. Renowned as one of late imperial Russia’s finest stylists, Sologub bridges the great nineteenth-century novel and the fin-de-siècle avant-garde.Trade ReviewSologub's prose is beautiful: limpid, clear, balanced, poetical, but with a keen sense of measure. . . . -- Dmitri Svatopolk-Mirsky, author of A History of Russian Literature: From Its Beginnings to 1900[Sologub’s] vivid, honed, stinging style . . . combines simplicity and elegance, coldness and fire, tenderness and austerity. . . . His anguishing conceptions more and more convincingly lift the cover of enchantment that all of reality turns out to be. He is the singer of death: but he sings of death with all the tenderness of a prayer, all the ardor of passion; he speaks of death the way a passionate lover speaks of his beloved. -- Andrei Bely, author of PetersburgAlternately funny and frightening, charming and chilling, Sologub's short fiction remains curiously undervalued. Fusso's excellently selected and masterfully translated collection, accompanied by an exemplary introduction and copious notes, finally allows readers of English to appreciate the full power of Sologub's relentlessly double vision and the depth of his literary craft. -- Stanley J. Rabinowitz, Amherst College[A] richly painted world . . . The stories collected in To the Stars contain echoes of Baudelaire, Huysmans and Wilde. . . [Fusso's] English versions capture not just the morbid corporeality of Sologub’s prose, but also its radiant poetry and extravagant wordplay. -- Philip Ross Bullock * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction by Susanne FussoSelected Works About Sologub in EnglishNote on Transliteration and Translation Issues1. To the Stars (1896)2. Beauty (1899)3. In Captivity (1905)4. The Two Gotiks (1906)5. The Youth Linus (1906)6. In the Crowd (1907)7. Death by Advertisement (1907)8. The White Dog (1908)9. The Saddened Fiancée (1908)10. The Sixty-Seventh Day. A Novella (1908)11. The Road to Damascus (1910) (written with Anastasia Chebotarevskaya)12. The Kiss of the Unborn Child (1911)13. The Lady in Shackles. A Legend of the White Nights (1912)14. Little Fairy Tales (selection, 1898–1906)NotesPublication History of the Stories

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Book SynopsisThe first collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories published in American magazines between 1921 and 1924Trade Review"For F. Scott Fitzgerald scholars and fans alike, this collection immerses us in the luminous world of 1921-1924 magazines, from?Vanity Fair?and?Metropolitan?to the?Saturday Evening Post?and?McCall's. Thanks to Alexandra Mitchell and Jennifer Nolan, the charming sparkle of eighteen underrated and often overlooked gems finally get the dais they deserve." -Kirk Curnutt, Troy University, Executive Director of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society

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Book SynopsisDark tales inspired by J. M. Barrie's classic stories of Neverland, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, and of course Peter Pan, from some the masters of science-fiction, horror and fantasy including A. C. Wise, Claire North, Lavie Tidhar and more. The award-winning Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane bring together the masters of fantasy, science-fiction and horror, to spin stories inspired by J. M. Barrie’s classic tale. A murder investigation leads a detective to a strange place called Neverland; pupils attend a school for Peters; a young boy loses his shadow and goes to desperate lengths to retrieve it. These stories take the original tales of Peter & Wendy, the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell, twisting and turning them. From dystopias to the gritty streets of London, these stories will keep you reading all night and straight on ‘til morning. Featuring stories from: Lavie Tidhar Claire North Premee Mohamed Kirsty Logan Edward Cox Anna Smith Spark Alison Littlewood A. C. Wise Rio Youers Gama Ray Martinez Juliet Marillier Robert Shearman A. K. Benedict Laura Mauro Cavan Scott Guy Adams Paul Finch Muriel GrayTrade ReviewMarie O’Regan and Paul Kane have mustered an enviable crew of lost boys and girls to explore the shadowy side of Neverland, creating a new set of fables for a lost generation. Like a fistful of fairy dust, these stories transform Peter Pan into something thrillingly contemporary – take the second star to the right and read on ’til morning. - British Fantasy Award winner Dan Coxon"O’Regan and Kane have pulled the anthology together as only editors with consummate skill and experience can, and in terms of style and delivery, there really is something for everyone. It will be good to see The Other Side of Never take flight in the real world. There is certainly enough here to get anyone ‘hooked’."—The British Fantasy Society"Prepare for family secrets, crime scenes and many other tales to ponder what never growing up and Never Land really mean. I loved the collection’s ability to play with the concept and the tales all manage to run the emotions from happy to grief to fear with ease."—Runalong the Shelves"A deftly-crafted, and hugely enjoyable anthology. Probably not suitable for kids, but perfect for those adults who “never grew up”."—California ReadingPRAISE FOR CURSED: AN ANTHOLOGY, FROM THE EDITORSA magical, mythical, mystical collection that should appeal to fans of dark fables and traditional folk horror. - Den of GeekThis anthology should satisfy most fantasy readers and is well worth a look. - BooklistThese stories are by turns eerie, grotesque, and delightful... Readers won’t have to be Brothers Grimm fans to appreciate this dark mélange. - Publishers Weekly ReviewThe editors have assembled a fantastic collection here, one that offers an array of talent and is packed with stories that are all worthy of a return visit... Certainly lives up to and surpasses expectations. - Starburst Magazine RevewPuts new spins on old favorite stories and tropes, as well as offers a few completely new takes on the concept. - Book RiotSkin-crawling, tooth-grinding scary and sensuous... an excellent collection whose unforgettable, spooky images invoke the magic of daily life. - Foreword Magazine ReviewA strongly put together compilation, with very solid qualities... Really does achieve exactly what it set out to do. - The Bookbag ReviewEvery story selected for inclusion here is of incredibly high quality, delicious and moreish, provoking in the reader a compulsion to keep turning the pages until the book is complete. A compulsion strong enough to be a curse Perhaps. You’ll need to buy a copy and find out for yourself. - A Set the Tape ReviewEnchanting, spellbinding, gruesome and funny but seldom dull we give Cursed a 666/666. - Horror Hot HouseA masterpiece in its editorial storytelling. - Her CampusI enjoyed the twists and darkness in the stories and I will happily reread a few of them in the future. - A Novel Purpose ReviewA really interesting mix of fairy tale, horror, and urban fantasy... A really well put together collection! - A Cat, A Book, and a Cup of TeaA wonderful collection of stories. - Lucy’s Novel PurposeA solid collection... The overall vibe of this book is really dark & creepy, and in addition to the stories by authors I love, it was a great introduction to some new-to-me authors! - Grimdark Dad ReviewThe book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, is sure to be met here. The book has something for everyone, and continues the tradition of Titan producing some of the best anthology books around. - Trans-scribe ReviewNo matter what your reading preference there will be something here for you... Each author really did fulfil the brief though and I very much enjoyed how diverse the ideas were, be it taken from existing mythology or through an entirely fresh approach. - Paperbacks & Pinot ReviewI really enjoyed this story collection... This anthology is defiantly for fans of fairy tales. It reaches out like a voice in the woods tempting your childhood self to step off the path and roam in the darkness for a little while. - Istoria Lit ReviewI enjoyed reading this book so much! It was so interesting... I would definitely recommend this book. It was such a quick read with you able to read a tale here and there. - Pythia Reads ReviewBeautiful, twisted, and refreshing takes on classic stories (with a few brand new fairytales thrown in the mix, too). - Howling Libraries blog tour reviewA great collection. - SciFi Movie Page reviewLike watching a amazing story teller tell a story...so much to love about this anthology. - The Misadventures of a Reader blog tour reviewA great collection of work from some great authors... has something for everyone. - Where There’s Ink There’s Paper ReviewWhat impressed me was the depth and range of stories... There’s something to delight every fantasy / fairytale / horror fan. - The Book Lover’s Boudoir ReviewDefinitely worth checking out if you enjoy the darker side of fairy tales and the curses within. - Fantastic Books & Where to Find Them ReviewAn incredible collection. A must have for any fantasy fan. - An Average Life ReviewThis book is packed with great tales, and some amazing authors. Whatever style that you enjoy, or writers that you like, you will find something to read in this book. - Reader’s Enjoy Author’s Dreams ReviewI really enjoyed reading Cursed it was perfect as I like fantasy with a dark twist... I would definitely recommend Cursed and I am sure there is something in their for everyone. - Odd Socks and Lollipops ReviewPerfect for the current state of the world. You’ll get sucked into these wonderful stories and want so much more! - mall3tg1rl blog tour reviewCURSED is a masterfully edited book from a list of highly talented authors that delivers on its promise of evil curses, dark fairy tale retellings, and twists that are sure to give you goosebumps. - The Writerly Way blog tour reviewThe cadence of the book is spot on... O’Regan and Kane have a fantastic knack for knowing how to put stories in the right order. - Novel Lives blog tour review[These] stories read quickly, but pack a real punch, landing in that sweet spot of short fiction that is often strived for but can be hard to land. - Looking Glass Reads blog tour reviewA worthy addition to the twisted fairy tales genre. - The Frumious Consortium blog tour reviewA fine collection of tales by some of the best names in fantasy... A high level of quality and some really interesting spins on the theme. - Runalong the Shelves ReviewI wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to fans of dark fairytales. - The Paperback Piano Review

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Book SynopsisWith stories from modern writers, and the founding fathers of horror fiction, weird or cosmic horror combines the dark brooding shadows of the night with the presence of elder gods at the edges of our world. Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft and Ramsey Campbell sit alongside new tales by new writers from open submissions. New, contemporary and notable writers featured are: Ramsey Campbell, Daniel Carpenter, Micah Castle, Kevin M. Folliard, Anastasia Garcia, Timothy Granville, Steve Hanson, Maria Haskins, Nyx Kain, Shona Kinsella, Lena Ng, Reggie Oliver, Jason Parent, Bonnie Quinn, Eric Reitan, Cody Schroeder, Lucy A. Snyder, Richard Thomas, Chris Wheatley, and Maria Wolfe. These appear alongside classic stories by Louisa May Alcott, Robert Bloch, William Hope Hodgson, Fritz Leiber, Clark Ashton Smith and more. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Book SynopsisTwenty-nine new short stories representing the state of the art in international science fiction. The second annual instalment to the 'rare and wonderful' (The Times) The Best of World SF Volume 1, this collection of twenty-nine stories, including eight original and exclusive additions, represents the state of the art in international science fiction. Navigating around the globe, The Best of World SF Volume 2 features writers from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Greece, Grenada, India, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, The Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Each story has been selected by World SF expert and award-winning author Lavie Tidhar. Taking us into space – Mars at first, then the stars – and then back to a strange, transformed Earth via AI, gods, aliens and the undead, the collection traces the ever-changing meaning of the genre from some of the most exciting voices writing today. This is not a retrospective of what science fiction around the world used to look like. This is a snapshot of what some of it looks like now. And it's never been more exciting. Reviews for The Best of World SF series: 'We need this anthology, and we need editors like Tidhar' The Times 'Just the start of a whole new game for speculative fiction authors around the world' LA Review of Books 'An excellent, lovingly curated collection' Financial Times 'This wonderful anthology should be a hit with any sci-fi fan' Publishers Weekly 'Tidhar gives a cheerful, fannish introduction to the stories, drawn from 26 countries on five continents, and encompassing a dizzying range of tones and approaches' The Times ‘An outstanding assortment of international sci-fi shorts… a bold and powerful argument for non-Anglophone SF’s potential to push the genre’s boundaries.’ Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewTrade ReviewAn outstanding assortment of international sci-fi shorts... A bold and powerful argument for non-Anglophone SF's potential to push the genre's boundaries * Publishers Weekly Starred Review *We need this anthology, and we need editors like Tidhar * The Times (Science Fiction Book of the Month) *Tidhar has collected an excellent range here... this collection of stories shows that good genre writing transcends international boundaries' * Locus Magazine *A rich blend of stories that mix traditional SF concerns within different cultural matrixes... in ranging further abroad, SF has come closer to home in stories dealing with domestic and personally intimate concerns' * Toronto Star *A different take on familiar science fiction tropes shaped by the life, circumstances and experiences of the contributors. Recommended * Concatenation *

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Book SynopsisWhat marks life in Addis Ababa are the starkly different realities coexisting in one place. It’s a growing city taking shape beneath the fraught weight of history, myth, and memory. It is a heady mix. It can also be disorienting, and it is in this space that the stories of Addis Ababa Noir reside . . . These are not gentle stories. They cross into forbidden territories and traverse the damaged terrain of the human heart. The characters in these pages are complicated, worthy of our judgment as much as they somehow manage to elude it. The writers have each discovered their own ways to get us to lean in while forcing us to grit our teeth as we draw closer . . . Despite the varied and distinct voices in these pages, no single book can contain all of the wonderful, intriguing, vexing complexities of Addis Ababa. But what you will read are stories by some of Ethiopia’s most talented writers living in the country and abroad. Each of them considers the many ways that myth and truth and a country’s dark edges come together to create something wholly original—and unsettling.Trade ReviewWhat I found when I wanted to read the next short story in this anthology, was that I had to take a rest. The stories in Addis Ababa Noir are that powerful. The finished story was good. Ergo, I wanted to read the next one.Not all the stories involve crime, but the anthology contains many gems and all hold a mirror to life and death in a country riven by civil warfare, notably one by Mengiste herself where experts from Argentina are called in to identify bodies of ‘disappeared’ Ethiopians. On the lighter side there is a wonderful piece of social observation in Bewketu Seyoum’s Under the Minibus Ceiling which follows the random thoughts and conversations of passengers on a bus, which range from the price of berbere (a blend of hot spices integral to Ethiopian cooking), how to confuse the Prophet Isiah with the President of Eritrea and who, exactly, is Angelina Jolie?Table of Contents11 IntroductionPART I: PAST HAUNTINGS17 Kind Stranger29 A Double-Edged Inheritance47 Ostrich66 Dust, Ash, FlightPART II: TRANSLATIONS OF GRIEF91 Father Bread105 The Blue Shadow120 A Night in Bela SeferPART III: MADNESS DESCENDS137 Insomnia153 Of the Poet and the Café174 Under the Minibus Ceiling183 Of Buns and HowlsPART IV: POLICE AND THIEVES207 Kebele ID220 None of Your Business228 Agony of the Congested Heart 244 About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisCollecting the exclusive short story fiction from Star Trek Magazine tying into the Star Trek online game. Collecting the exclusive short story fiction from Star Trek Magazine tying into the Star Trek online game. This incredible collection features 19 illustrated stories exclusively written for the Star Trek Magazine. It features action-packed tales starring iconic characters such as Data, Seven of Nine, and Scotty, plus alien enemies including the Klingons and the Jem'Hadar.

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Book SynopsisMaman was exigeante—there is no English word—and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.Trade Review"A staggeringly intelligent examination into the nature of truth, love, respect, beauty and trust...This is that rare thing, or merle blanc, as maman might say: a perfect book. I've read it four times, which you can do between breakfast and lunch." -- Nicola Shulman - The Times Literary Supplement"Weighing in at just 64 pages, Helen DeWitt’s The English Understand Wool is a delight." -- Mia Levitin - The Irish Times"This is a short, sharp sliver of a story—only 64 pages—but every single word is pitch perfect… Think of it as the literary equivalent of a shot of ice-cold vodka—Belvedere or Grey Goose only, of course." -- Lucy Scholes - Prospect"For a wonderfully sideways take on the complex intersections between class, wealth and power—intersections that invariably favour those who have most of them already—I recommend reading The English Understand Wool, by the American writer Helen DeWitt." -- Alex Clark - The Observer"The English Understand Wool is Helen DeWitt’s best and funniest book so far – quite a feat given the standards set by the rest of her work… Its pages are rife with wicked pleasures. It incites and rewards re-reading." -- Heather Cass White - The Times Literary Supplement"Readers of Helen DeWitt’s limited previous output—two novels and a collection of stories in twenty-two years—will fall greedily on anything new. Her novella The English Understand Wool exceeds expectations." -- John Self - The Critic

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Book SynopsisThis riverrun edition of Turgenev's most accomplished stories contains A Nest of Gentlefolk, A Quiet Backwater, First Love, and A Lear of the Steppes - the defining masterpieces of his career. Justly celebrated as a novelist, playwright, and poet, these stories encapsulate his skills: in the scope and span of his depiction of nineteenth-century provincial life; in his nuanced portraiture of the vivid quirks of human character; and in the elusive poise of his narrative style - all artfully captured in Jessie Coulson's subtly brilliant translation.Presented by riverrun editions with an exclusive preface by award-winning translator Boris Dralyuk.

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Book SynopsisBeyond the Veil is the second volume in an annual, non-themed horror series of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer, and edited by Mark Morris. This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window. Contents List: THE GOD BAG by Christopher Golden CAKER’S MAN by Matthew Holness THE BEECHFIELD MIRACLES by Priya Sharma CLOCKWORK by Dan Coxon SOAPSTONE by Aliya Whiteley THE DARK BIT by Toby Litt PROVENANCE POND by Josh Malerman FOR ALL THE DEAD by Angeline B. Adams and Remco van Straten THE GIRL IN THE POOL by Bracken MacLeod NURSE VARDEN by Jeremy Dyson IF, THEN by Lisa L. Hannett AQUARIUM WARD by Karter Mycroft A MYSTERY FOR JULIE CHU by Stephen Gallagher AWAY DAY by Lisa Tuttle POLAROID AND SEAWEED by Peter Harness DER GEISTERBAHNHOF by Lynda E. Rucker ARNIE’S ASHES by John Everson A BRIEF TOUR OF THE NIGHT by Nathan Ballingrud THE CARE AND FEEDING OF HOUSEHOLD GODS by Frank J. Oreto YELLOWBACK by Gemma Files FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.Trade Review"There is no end to the talent Mark Morris has brought together here. Fans of the genre will be pleased to see new work from such favorites as Nathan Ballingrud and Gemma Files, among others. So if you’re ready for a long fall night, pick up a copy of this massive anthology and fall into the mysterious worlds Beyond the Veil." -- PhantastiqaPraise for the first book in the series: "This rich and masterful collection of horror highlights both up-and-coming and established authors in an interesting twist on the standard anthology [...] Highly recommended for longstanding horror fans and those readers who may not think horror is for them. There is something for everyone in this one." — Booklist "This is a short story collection that does exactly what it sets out to, delight and scare. With stories from well-known authors in the genre as well as a few from emerging voices, After Sundown has something for everyone. Highly recommended." — The British Fantasy Society "An entertaining, slickly written, mainstream, fun, something-for-every-horror-fan anthology.” — HorrorTree “Beautifully written pieces that lean into the intuitive and fantastic.” — Publishers Weekly “There’s a refreshing lack of pretentiousness about these stories. The authors span several continents so there’s a decent array of themes and styles. Each tale had a very distinct voice, with a superb variety that perfectly illustrates what a broad church the genre covers. I had a blast reading this book. It really has reinvigorated my interest in the horror genre.” — Stephen Bacon, author & critic“I'm impressed with the imagination and variety coming from the writers. Beyond the Veil, from Flame Tree Press, is another happy clump of ickiness...and I mean that in a good way.” -- The Happy Horror Writer

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Book SynopsisFinalist for the 2021 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction“A House Is a Body will not simply be talked about as one of the greatest short story collections of the 2020s; it will change the way all stories—short and long—are told, written, and consumed. There is nothing, no emotion, no tiny morsel of memory, no touch, that this book does not take seriously. Yet, A House Is a Body might be the most fun I’ve ever had in a short story collection.” —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy Dreams collide with reality, modernity with antiquity, and myth with identity in the twelve arresting stories of A House Is a Body. Set in the United States and India, Swamy’s characters grapple with motherhood, relationships, and their bodies to reveal small but intense internal moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world. In “Earthly Pleasures,” a young painter living alone in San Francisco begins a secret romance with one of India’s biggest celebrities, and desire and ego are laid bare. In “A Simple Composition,” a husband’s professional crisis leads to his wife’s discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy. And in the title story, an exhausted mother watches, hypnotized by fear, as a California wildfire approaches her home. Immersive and assured, provocative and probing, these are stories written with the edge and precision of a knife blade.A House Is a Body introduces a bold and original voice in fiction, from a writer at the start of a stellar career. Don't miss Shruti Swamy's debut novel, The Archer (available September 7, 2021), which has already been longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.Trade ReviewAn Electric Lit Favorite Short Story Collection of 2020“A House Is A Body might be the most fun I've ever had in a short story collection.” —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy “Stunning.” —Ms. “Swamy’s debut short story collection is rich, mesmeric . . . These are nuanced and quietly powerful stories about our most urgent and deeply felt experiences—grief, love, and desire.” —BuzzFeed (29 Summer Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down) “Equal parts elegance and sorrow, absurdity and sensuality. This book is magic.” —C Pam Zhang, author of How Much of These Hills Is Gold “Swamy connects the narratives through her clean prose, punctuating moments both surreal and eerily realistic.” —Time ("Here Are the 12 New Books You Should Read in August") “In this story collection that hops back and forth between India and the U.S., Shruti Swamy delivers a meticulous investigation of the pleasures, pains, and confusions that bodies afford—especially when those bodies belong to people of color. In the hypnotic, almost Lynchian title story (which previously appeared in The Paris Review), a Californian woman watches as a wildfire steadily advances on her home. These are closely observed stories that often turn into provocative studies about the absurdity of our entanglement with others.” —The Millions “Two-time O. Henry Award winner Shruti Swamy shows impressive range within the deceptively narrow confines (200 pages) of her debut short story collection, A House Is A Body . . . Swamy’s words readily dazzle, and the collection’s themes, including a haunting exploration of sibling rivalry, reveal themselves gradually.” —The AV Club ("5 New Books to Read in August") “The 12 stories that make up Shruti Swamy's A House Is a Body are mesmerizing in their richness . . . Swamy captures the full breadth of the human experience.” —PopSugar ("26 Incredible New Books Coming Your Way This August") “[Swamy] writes with sureness and grace. Her writing is more poetry than prose . . . The stories are rewarding for the elegance and lilt of the writing. Swamy takes you on an easy, well-articulated rides set in India, Germany, and the United States . . . If you love words, the way they can be used to describe objects and actions, the ways they can be assembled for effect, buy A House Is a Body. You will be rewarded.” —New York Journal of Books “The winner of two O. Henry Prizes, Shruti Swamy will publish her first short-story collection this summer, and you won't want to miss out on reading it. The 12 stories in A House Is a Body move between India and the U.S., focusing on women's interior lives and the ways in which their identities differ from the perceptions and presumptions of those around them.”—Bustle "Swamy’s pulsating prose produces riveting narratives. Her stories twist in subtle yet unexpected ways . . . The fallible characters in Swamy’s ravishing book are always falling into something and bravely grasping what they can on their way down in a frenetic attempt to pull themselves back up. A dazzling and exquisitely crafted collection." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review“Spanning the geographical and social distance between India and the U.S., Swamy’s 12 tales illuminate her characters’ imperfections and struggles, ultimately forming an attuned and mystical exploration into the enigmas of being human.”—Booklist"Swamy writes with a cool precision that draws the reader into her debut collection . . the plots unspool in lovely lucid prose that has a poetic omniscience . . . Swamy is off to a strong start." —Publishers Weekly “This is one of the books I'll turn to again and again, to study the tapestry of the prose, which is so beautiful and original. And there is such a deep curiosity at work here. I couldn't stop reading once I'd begun, couldn't part with this clear, exquisite, intelligent mind, contemplating an endlessly troubled and intimate world. It made me love reading all over again.” —Rebecca Lee, author of Bobcat and Other Stories “I’ve been reading Shruti Swamy’s stories for a long time and so for me to have them here together is cause for great celebration. These stories are written with such rare patience and a restraint that they are at times, almost unbearably tense. That’s a story writer. Not a book to read in a hurry. Take your time, as Swamy did. No need for hyperbole, either. The beauty and timeless grace of these stories will always speak for themselves.” —Peter Orner, author of Maggie Brown Others: Stories "Shruti Swamy writes with a confidence and rich understanding that recalls such renowned storytellers as Katherine Anne Porter and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Her collection A House is a Body is the perfect book for lovers of the short story and for all those willing to lose themselves in Swamy’s thoroughly developed fictional worlds. Shruti Swamy is a rare talent and A House is a Body is a gorgeous debut." —Laura Furman, author of The Mother Who Stayed and former series editor of The O'Henry Prize Stories "Powered by intense imagery and jolts of frank sexuality, Shruti Swamy’s A House Is a Body blurs the line between fantastical and naturalistic storytelling with its tales of love, loss, and life lived across cultures . . . mesmerizing."—Foreword Reviews, starred review

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Book SynopsisIn her brilliantly inventive debut collection, Vanessa Onwuemezi takes readers on a surreal and haunting journey through a landscape on the edge of time. At the border with another world, a line of people wait for the gates to open; on the floor of a lonely room, a Born Winner runs through his life's achievements and losses; in a suburban garden, a man witnesses a murder that pushes him out into the community. Struggling to realize the human ideals of love and freedom, the characters of Dark Neighbourhood roam instead the depths of alienation, loss and shame. With a detached eye and hallucinatory vision, they observe the worlds around them as the line between dream and reality dissolves and they themselves begin to fragment. Electrifying and heady, and written with a masterful lyrical precision, Dark Neighbourhood heralds the arrival of a strikingly original new voice in fiction.Trade Review‘Onwuemezi, who is also a poet, has said she thinks first of rhythm when she writes. When she deploys her considerable skill for sound and metre with purpose, the resulting lyricism makes for compelling reading...she has a rightful place in the tradition of surrealist, nihilistic writers such as Julio Cortázar, Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo and Samanta Schweblin.... there are stories here that give shape to incoherence with a precision and style that is dazzling.’ — Baya Simons, Financial Times‘[A] beautiful, vertiginous and enriching first collection ... there is a folkloric power in the way Onwuemezi combines clarity and mystery, evoked in a dramatic, memorable soundworld.’ — David Hayden, Guardian‘Onwuemezi conjures nightmarish urban landscapes that swallow their protagonists. Each story in the book is like a window in an apartment block: lonely squares of light in the dark …The stakes are surreal but precipitously high, which is all that matters really. When you fall from the heights of heaven, you’ll hit the ground with a thud.’ — Susannah Goldsbrough, Telegraph‘Vanessa Onwuemezi’s work makes legible the liminal spaces of contemporary existence: border-zones at once geopolitical, metaphysical and – above all – linguistic. She sends English off on a great line of flight, from which it returns as poetry.’ — Tom McCarthy, author of Satin Island‘Onwuemezi is an exceptionally gifted writer. Her prose is bold, her vision singular. Unnervingly brilliant, Dark Neighbourhood is a phenomenally imaginative collection.’ — Claire-Louise Bennett, author of Checkout 19‘Dark Neighbourhood is a thrill and a challenge. Vanessa Onwuemezi is her own thing, but reading her I experience the same exciting, destabilizing sense of the world being shown anew – being made anew – that I get from Silvina Ocampo, Clarice Lispector or Dambudzo Marechera.’ — Chris Power, author of A Lonely Man ‘Onwuemezi’s writing is a breath of fresh air. This collection is a marvel.’ — Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters ‘With stories of ambiguous embodiments, slick, mordant desires and warping cityscapes, Vanessa Onwuemezi's Dark Neighbourhood offers a new poetics of storytelling. Lyrical clarity combines with formal experimentation alongside hotching, grimaced, and dazzling world-building: a potent, portentous, truly original collection.’ — Eley Williams, author of The Liar's Dictionary‘Every sentence in Vanessa Onwuemezi’s Dark Neighbourhood demands and deserves attention. Each story pulses and throbs with a precise and electric energy, yet there’s still so much space for her characters to explore the depths of themselves, and, in turn, ask the reader to do the same. Onwuemezi is a writer who approaches her craft with real rigour and care, and her voice is unlike any I’ve read.’ — Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of Open Water

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Book SynopsisWhat kind of Detective am I? Eardrum or tympanum? Gullet or aesophagus? Pussy or pudenda? A Detective needs a language almost as much as a language needs a Detective.In this new collection of stories, award-winning author Ivan Vladislavić invites readers to do some detective work of their own. Each story can be read as just that – a story – or you can dig a little deeper. Take a closer look, examine the artefact from all angles, and consider the clues and patterns concealed within.Whether skewering extreme marketing techniques or constructing dystopian parallel universes; whether mourning a mother’s loss or tracing a translator’s on-stage breakdown, Vladislavić’s pitch-perfect inquisitions will make you question your own language – how it defines you, and how it undoes you. Trade Review ‘Kafka isn’t named in the catalogue of 101 Detectives, but his fingerprints are all over this book. Or do they belong to Ivan Vladislavic? One of the boldest, wittiest, and most imaginative fiction writers working today, Vladislavic packs a “snub-nosed lingo” and has a knack for the uncanny. He finds it in ordinary and unlikely places . . . Seeing “every human action as sign, symptom, or subterfuge,” Vladislavic’s amazing fiction makes detectives of readers and writers alike.’ -- Laurie Greer (bookseller) * Politics & Prose *‘Vladislavic experiments with the identities and roles society proposes. He is a detective pondering meaning ("There's a pattern I'm missing, he thought. A pattern I'm missing. Or is there?" ... "Let's say the whole thing is a set-up, he thought, an elaborate sting to do away with me"). He is a South African outsider in American tentatively trying to fit in but actually repelled and overcome by casual monstrosity. He is a guest at the lavishly and artistically staged launch of the new Ford Kafka motor car. He describes a "corporate storyteller" having a bad day with the menacing recitation pod imposed upon her by Human Capital and Technology. In "The Reading", an African woman reads an account of her abduction as a child slave to a room full of civilised and casually well-meaning German liberals, each with their own concerns. Does anyone understand? Can language convey her experience? Possible universes clash and diverge. Follow Vladislavic into that very familiar anomie which is our daily life at the beginning of the third millennium.’ -- Newham Bob Archer (bookseller Books)‘Known for “juxtaposing the banal and the bizarre,” Vladislavić’s work provides fascinating glimpses into post-apartheid South Africa as well as “dystopian parallel universes”’. * World Literature Today *‘Whether skewering extreme marketing techniques or construction dystopian parallel universes; whether mounting a mother's loss or tracing a translator's on-stage breakdown, Vladislavić's perfect inquisitions will make you question your own language - how it defines you, and how it undoes you.’ * Bookshy Books *‘Vladislavic has created a work of art that I have every confidence will continue to be de-constructed by reader-detectives for many years to come.’ * The Bookbag *‘[written in an] enjoyably imaginative writing style’ * The Skinny *‘This collection has got me thinking and excited.’ * Lizzy's Literary Life *

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Book SynopsisHaunting in their tone, brilliant in their images - very like fantastic presences moving across glass - the twenty-one fictions in this startling debut collection seem both inexplicably familiar and like no writing we have seen before.Trade Review"Reading the 21 runelike stories that comprise Schwartz's debut collection is a bit like eavesdropping: you may not follow the conversation, but you'll certainly overhear something interesting. In these fragmentary, oblique vignettes, unnamed narrators mention mostly unnamed characters, and the relationships among the various theys, shes and hes are often unspecified. Replacing the structure of narrative are some of the pleasures of poetry ... The title story opens: 'The goblet, to begin with.' It continues with descriptions of a flag, a confession, a will, a map. The heart of the tale lies in oblique references to a murder in an earlier century, and the possible massacre of a family. In the mysteriously titled 'Killies,' maiden sisters holiday too peacefully in Spain ... Clearly this collection is not for those who want a take-charge narrator, but it may intrigue those who prefer their fiction through a glass darkly." Publishers Weekly / "Schwartz's first book lies somewhere between short stories and poetry. His stories, sometimes only a page in length, investigate such events as a train ride, a visit to a garrison, or a wedding through an impressionistic stream of consciousness. Often, an object will evoke a flow of ideas; for example, the image of a postage stamp leads to an image of slaughter. Words are spare but significant, and they echo long after being read. Collections of experimental fiction will want this volume." Library Journal

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Book SynopsisJust when you thought it was safe to go back online, YouTube sensation Mr. CreepyPasta returns with a whole new collection of truly creepy tales deemed too terrifying for the offline world—until now.The Creepypasta Collection, Volume 2 delves into the depths of the absolute best short stories from the darkest corners of the Internet. You won’t be able to sleep with the light off after experiencing the misadventures of our heroes and heroines, who encounter everything from the highly suspicious to the incredibly disturbed. With stories that range from the unforgettable “Jeff the Killer” to the fear-inducing “Smiling Dog,” this collection is the perfect gift for Creepypasta fans and horror enthusiasts alike.Trade Review“This second in a series of Creepypasta collections is even better than the first. If you enjoyed Vol. 1, you'll certainly enjoy this one as well. If you haven't, I'd recommend starting with this one instead of the first. Horror fans will certainly find something here to like.” * Cultured Vultures *

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Book SynopsisA collection of urgent, thrilling and original stories from the award-winning, bestselling author of The Slap and Barracuda. Love, sex, death, family, friendship, betrayal, tenderness, sacrifice and revelation... This incendiary collection of stories from acclaimed writer Christos Tsiolkas takes you deep into worlds both strange and familiar, and introduces you to characters that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page.Trade ReviewThe best writing you are likely to come across on the shifting boundaries between love and friendship... A blistering, accomplished collection * Independent *As compelling to read as a novel... A contemporary storyteller working at the very top of his game * Guardian *An engrossing, powerful, disturbing collection * Independent on Sunday *Raw and powerful * Evening Standard *Not just an impressive talent but an appalling one * Sunday Times *Acclaim for The Slap:'A cool, calm, irresistible masterpiece' Chris Cleave'The Slap is nothing short of a tour de force' Colm Tóibín'Honestly, one of the three or four truly great novels of the new millennium' John Boyne 'As addictive as the best soap opera' Daily MailAcclaim for Barracuda:'Tsiolkas writes with compelling clarity about the primal stuff that drives us all: the love and hate and fear of failure... A brilliant, beautiful book. If it doesn't make you cry, you can't be fully alive.' (Sunday Times)'I finished Barracuda on a high: moved, elated, immersed... This is the work of a superb writer who has completely mastered his craft but lost nothing of his fiery spirit in so doing. It is a big achievement.' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisLyrical, dark, comic or iconoclastic, the Irish short story has always punched well above its weight. Anne Enright has brought together a dazzling collection of Irish stories by authors born in the twentieth century - from Mary Lavin and Frank O'Connor to Claire Keegan and Kevin Barry. With a pithy and passionate introduction by Enright, The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story traces this great tradition through decades of social change and shows the pleasure Irish writers continue to take in the short-story form. Deft and often devastating, the short story dodges the rolling mythologies of of Irish life to produce truths that are delightful and real. Also includes stories by: Maeve Brennan, Roddy Doyle, Mary Lavin, Colum McCann, William Trevor, John McGahern, Colm Tóibín, Claire Keegan and Kevin Barry.Trade ReviewEnright has assembled a collection notable for its emotional range, its openness to many voices (not all lonely) and its willingness to reflect current realities. There is no conclusive formula linking such disparate narratives, no slick exploitation of Irishness, but rather a rich interplay of themes that capture a world in transition -- Declan Kiberd * Irish Times *A rich and absorbing volume, an evocation of life in Ireland which, at its finest, produces brilliantly skewering fragments written to pierce as well as gleam ... Enright's choice is a shrewd one, succeeding in typifying each writer whilst expressing their uniqueness -- Tom Adair * Scotland on Sunday *A book that intoxicates you with the sheer scope and potency of the short story form -- Daragh Reddin * Metro *The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story is more cherishable than canonical, and refreshingly contemporary in its selection of writers and writerly concerns -- Keith Hopper * Times Literary Supplement *[Anne Enright's] witty, brilliant introduction is one of the jewels in this selection ... When making her choices she concentrated on the art rather than the Irishness, and the result is sometimes wonderfully unexpected - here are William Trevor, Colm Tóibín, Roddy Doyle, Clare Boylan and all the other geniuses, but not as you think you know them. Unmissable -- Kate Saunders * The Times *In an elegant and considered introduction to this collection, [Enright] explains that these short stories are simply ones she enjoys. However, the 31 inclusions cannot but say something about Ireland ... 'A Priest in the Family' by Colm Tóibín is superb ... Edna O'Brien offers another fresh take on the sexuality of the clergy ... The further positives of The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story are too many to mention ... In this collection you encounter loners, outsiders and deeper versions of people you know; and eventually, one will say something just to you, and the mystery of the Irish short story comes as close as it can to being understood -- Eithne Shortall * Sunday Times Ireland *We may not be very good at economics or honest politics, but we certainly know how to write a short story. The excellent Granta Book of the Irish Short Story, edited by Anne Enright, is a must-read. * Irish Times *Full of tales that combine lyricism, humour and tragedy by the likes of William Trevor as well as relative newcomers such as Claire Keegan and Philip Ó Ceallaigh, it is shot through with an enduring sense of place but at the same time marks the enormous social changes Ireland has undergone in the past century -- Giles Foden * Conde Nast Traveller *This collection makes a bewitching bedside companion, amply illustrating that the Irish short story is very much alive and kicking -- Emma Hagestadt * Lady *The collection shines with personality, studiously avoiding what the editor describes as "charm", or "God save the mark", Irish charm * Independent *From Roddy Doyle to Elizabeth Bowen, and William Trevor to Edna O'Brien, a wealth of authors are contained within this excellent collection of modern Irish short fiction * Metro *An eclectic mix of intriguing short stories ... each story leaves you hungry for the next one -- Siobhan White * Big Issue in the North *This collection attempts to define the essential Irish aspects of the stories chosen ... the best pieces here serve as a prompt to find or rediscover the writers' other works -- Isobel Montgomery * Guardian *An] excellent miscellany of modern short fiction from Ireland ... Throughout, the prose is economical, in the sense of being deft, not sparse ... The prevailing mode is an everyday realism of carefully observed gestures and lifelike dialogue, well adapted to the mental turmoil of lustful, lovelorn protagonists ... Wisely, the stories are arranged imaginatively, not chronologically - think mix tape, not reference work - so, unlike many anthologies, this is a book you actually want to sit down with and read -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *Over 400 pages of amazing writing -- Judi Curtin * Irish Daily Mail *A dazzling collection * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisTo the tradition of eldritch horror pioneered and refined by writers such as H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, and Thomas Ligotti comes Laird Barron, an author whose literary voice invokes the grotesque, the devilish, and the perverse with intensity and astonishing craftsmanship.Collected here for the first time are nine terrifying tales of cosmic horror, including the World Fantasy Award-nominated novella “The Imago Sequence,” the International Horror Guild Award-nominated “Proboscis,” and the never-before-published “Procession of the Black Sloth.” Together, these stories, each a masterstroke of craft and imaginative irony, form a shocking cycle of distorted evolution, encroaching chaos, and ravenous insectoid hive-minds hidden just beneath the seemingly benign surface of the Earth.With colorful protagonists, including an over-the-hill CIA agent, a grizzled Pinkerton detective, and a failed actor accompanying a group of bounty hunters, Barron’s stories are resonant and authentic, featuring vulnerable, hard-boiled tough guys attempting to stand against the stygian wasteland of night. Throughout the collection, themes of desolation, fear, and masculine identity are played out against the backdrop of an indifferent, devouring cosmos.Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.Trade ReviewWINNER OF THE 2007 SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD FOR BEST COLLECTION"One of my favorite writers, period. ... one of the most unique and accomplished prose talents now working in America. He writes dangerous stories, in something I've described as like a cross between H.P. Lovecraft and James Dickey ... Very much like crack to my brain."—Nic Pizzolatto, creator of HBO's True Detective“[Barron’s] successfully transposed the oddly yoked pleasure and dread of Lovecraft's work to a modern and more complex idiom with skillful craftsmanship, intelligence, and a fertile, detailed imagination.”— William Mingin, Strange Horizons“When a horror story really works for me, I throw the book against the wall with a shriek and hide behind the sofa. Then, trembling, and in tears I crawl across the floor in supplication and pick up where I left off. Laird Barron does this to me.”—Christopher Hsiang, io9.com"Barron’s dark and haunting fiction also frequently draws on the tradition of hard-boiled detectives and noir that are clear influences on True Detective. The Imago Sequence, his first collection, is a great place to start."—Buzzfeed“Laird Barron is one of those writers who makes other writers want to break their pencils. I’m serious. His work is that good. Worse than that, he’s an original (damn him!), and the finest writer to join the ranks of the dark fantastic in a long, long time.”—Norman Partridge, author of Dark Harvest and Lesser Demons"Relentlessly readable, highly atmospheric, sharply and often arrestingly written—Barron’s prose style resembles, by turns, a high-flown Jim Thompson mixed with a pulp Barry Hannah."—Slate"The scariest writer on the planet has to be Laird Barron."—Paul Goat Allen, The Barnes & Noble Book Blog"Laird Barron has, in a remarkably short period of time, emerged as one of the leading writers of contemporary weird fiction."—S. T. JoshiWINNER OF THE 2007 SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD FOR BEST COLLECTION"One of my favorite writers, period. ... one of the most unique and accomplished prose talents now working in America. He writes dangerous stories, in something I've described as like a cross between H.P. Lovecraft and James Dickey ... Very much like crack to my brain."—Nic Pizzolatto, creator of HBO's True Detective“[Barron’s] successfully transposed the oddly yoked pleasure and dread of Lovecraft's work to a modern and more complex idiom with skillful craftsmanship, intelligence, and a fertile, detailed imagination.”— William Mingin, Strange Horizons“When a horror story really works for me, I throw the book against the wall with a shriek and hide behind the sofa. Then, trembling, and in tears I crawl across the floor in supplication and pick up where I left off. Laird Barron does this to me.”—Christopher Hsiang, io9.com"Barron’s dark and haunting fiction also frequently draws on the tradition of hard-boiled detectives and noir that are clear influences on True Detective. The Imago Sequence, his first collection, is a great place to start."—Buzzfeed“Laird Barron is one of those writers who makes other writers want to break their pencils. I’m serious. His work is that good. Worse than that, he’s an original (damn him!), and the finest writer to join the ranks of the dark fantastic in a long, long time.”—Norman Partridge, author of Dark Harvest and Lesser Demons"Relentlessly readable, highly atmospheric, sharply and often arrestingly written—Barron’s prose style resembles, by turns, a high-flown Jim Thompson mixed with a pulp Barry Hannah."—Slate"The scariest writer on the planet has to be Laird Barron."—Paul Goat Allen, The Barnes & Noble Book Blog"Laird Barron has, in a remarkably short period of time, emerged as one of the leading writers of contemporary weird fiction."—S. T. Joshi

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Book SynopsisJeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel and Cat O' Nine Tales, is one of the world's favourite storytellers and has topped the bestseller lists around the world in a career spanning four decades. His work has been sold in more than 100 countries and in fifty-one languages. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).Jeffrey is also an art collector and amateur auctioneer, and has raised more than 50m for different charities over the years. A member of the House of Lords for over a quarter of a century, the author is married to Dame Mary Archer, and they have two sons, two granddaughters and three grandsons.

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Book SynopsisThe classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time - a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women'Witty, wise and thought-provoking' Cecelia Ahern'Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence' Lisa Owens, author of Not Working'So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later' Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as ThisIzumi needs to get a job. Haruka needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer. Kato needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed. Mito needs to break up with her boyfriend - or marry him. Sumie just needs somewhere to live. In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight.

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Book Synopsis'I am not asking you to agree with me. In fact, I'd be happier if you didn't. I am afraid of self-censorship in a place of supposed radicalism like a liberal arts school because I am afraid that one day we will all be too afraid of being wrong.'We grew up on the internet, or the Internet, as it was originally known - a proper noun, a place to visit and explore, before we claimed it as everybody's, turning it into a place where we pay bills, shop, fall in love, where kids get past parental controls to come of age. Honor Levy lends her experience to the narrators of these propulsive, provocative and pill-fuelled dispatches, speaking to the malleable reality we all inhabit, where clicks, codes, unreliable words and memes shape identities, personas and reputations. In My First Book, Honor Levy endeavors to contextualize Gen-Z, a generation of young people desperate to discern what matters in a world that paints every event as a catastrophe. Irony is the salve of choice, and Levy deploys it masterfully. She paints the chasm in understanding between her parents' generation and the Zoomer reality overloaded with niche signs and meanings.

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Book SynopsisAbove a disused bar, in a dilapidated Parisian hotel that houses an assortment of indigent, marginalized lost souls, one of the inhabitants, a mysterious, reclusive holy man, is the subject of much speculation from some of his fellow occupants and respectful reverence from others. As the tale unfolds, the dynamics of this precarious microcosm are laid bare, in a powerful portrayal of those society has forgotten.Written when the author of Cain's Book was at the height of his creative powers and enjoying an increasing reputation in avant-garde literary circles, The Holy Man' is here presented with A Being of Distances', Peter Pierce' and A Meeting', stories which similarly tackle themes of loneliness and disenfranchisement.Trade ReviewThis collection will hopefully encourage people to discover the work of one of the most formidably intelligent and radical avant-garde writers Britain has ever produced. – The Morning Star

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