Anthologies & Short Stories

You’ve just passed someone on the street who could be the love of your life, the person you’re destined for – what do you do? In Murakami’s world, you tell them a story. The five weird and wonderful tales collected here each unlock the many-tongued language of desire, whether it takes the form of hunger, lust, sudden infatuation or the secret longings of the heart.Selected from Haruki’s Murakami’s short story collections The Elephant Vanishes, Blind Willow Sleeping Woman, Men Without WomenVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us human Also in the Vintage Minis series: Love by Jeanette WintersonPsychedelics by Aldous HuxleyEating by Nigella LawsonSummer by Laurie Lee

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Book SynopsisNow with a stunning new cover look, King''s ''propulsively intriguing . . . staggeringly addictive'' (USA Today) No. 1 bestseller, that inspired the hit television series, centres on a small town suddenly cut off from the rest of the world.Time isn''t just running short. It''s running out.On a beautiful autumn day, a small New England town is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into the dome and rain down flaming wreckage. A gardener''s hand is severed as it descends. Cars explode on impact. Families are separated and panic mounts.No one can fathom what the barrier is, where it came from, or when - and if - it will go away.Now, a few intrepid citizens, led by an Iraq War veteran turned short-order cook, face down a ruthless politician dead set on seizing the reins of power in the town. But their main adversary is the dome itself . . .Trade Review'King's most purely entertaining novel in years . . . utterly compelling.' * John Connolly *'Staggeringly addictive.' * USA Today *'Tight and energetic from start to finish.' * New York Times *'The pedal is indeed to the metal.' * Guardian *'You're sorry when it ends.' * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisJorge Luis Borges''s Labyrinths is a collection of short stories and essays showcasing one of Latin America''s most influential and imaginative writers. This Penguin Modern Classics edition is edited by Donald A. Yates and James E. Irby, with an introduction by James E. Irby and a preface by André Maurois.Jorge Luis Borges was a literary spellbinder whose tales of magic, mystery and murder are shot through with deep philosophical paradoxes. This collection brings together many of his stories, including the celebrated ''Library of Babel'', whose infinite shelves contain every book that could ever exist, ''Funes the Memorious'' the tale of a man fated never to forget a single detail of his life, and ''Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote'', in which a French poet makes it his life''s work to create an identical copy of Don Quixote. In later life, dogged by increasing blindness, Borges used essays and brief tantalising parables to explore the enigma of time

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Book SynopsisJohn Cheever's Collected Stories explores the delicate psychological frameworks of 20th century suburbia.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HANIF KUREISHIThis outstanding collection by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist John Cheever shows the power and range of one of the finest short story writers of the last century. Stories of love and of squalor, they include masterpieces such as ''The Swimmer'' and ''Goodbye, My Brother'' and date from the time of his honourable discharge from the Army at the end of the Second World War.Trade ReviewI’ve read nothing better this year than The Stories of John Cheever. -- Peter McKay * Daily Mail, Book of the Year *Cheever's accomplishment in his exacting art is proportionally large, as solid as it is brilliant, and likely to endure * New York Review of Books *Currently I'm reading John Cheever's Collected Stories. My God, he was good -- David Mitchell'The Swimmer' is a masterpiece of mystery, language and sorrow -- Michael ChabonI reread Cheever's 'The Swimmer' late the other night. It had the effect that reading Cheever always has: it made me want to get up and start the futile task of trying to write something as measured yet mysteriously, heart-judderingly unexpected for myself -- Gordon Burns * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisSince their first publication in the 1830s and 1840s, Edgar Allan Poe''s extraordinary Gothic tales have established themselves as classics of horror fiction and have also created many of the conventions which still dominate the genre of detective fiction. Yet, as well as being highly enjoyable, Poe''s tales are works of very real intellectual exploration. Abandoning the criteria of characterization and plotting in favour of blurred boundaries between self and other, will and morality, identity and memory, Poe uses the Gothic to question the integrity of human existence. Indeed, Poe is less interested in solving puzzles or in moral retribution than in exposing the misconceptions that make things seem `mysterious'' in the first place. Attentive to the historical and political dimensions of these very American tales, this new critical edition selects twenty-four tales and places the most popular - `The Fall of the House of Usher'', `The Masque of the Red Death'', `The Murders in the Rue Morgue; and `The Purloined Letter'' - alongside less well-known travel narratives, metaphysical essays and political satires. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Table of ContentsMS Found in a Bottle ; Berenice ; Morella ; Ligeia ; The Man That Was Used Up ; The Fall of the House of Usher ; William Wilson ; The Man of the Crowd ; The Murders in the Rue Morgue ; Eleonora ; The Masque of the Red Death ; The Pit and the Pendulum ; The Mystery of Marie Roget ; The Tell-Tale Heart ; The Gold-Bug ; The Black Cat ; A Tale of the Ragged Mountains ; The Purloined Letter ; The Systems of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether ; The Imp of the Perverse ; The Cask of Amontillado ; The Domain of Arnheim ; Hop-Frog ; Von Kempelen and his Discovery

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Book Synopsis*Kazuo Ishiguro's new novel Klara and the Sun is now available*In Nocturnes, Kazuo Ishiguro explores ideas of love, music and the passing of time. From the piazzas of Italy to the hush-hush floor' of an exclusive Hollywood Hotel, the characters we encounter range from young dreamers to cafe musicians to faded stars, all of them at some moment of reckoning. Gentle, intimate and witty, this quintet is marked by a haunting theme the struggle to keep alive a sense of life's romance, even as one gets older, relationships founder and youthful hopes recede.Each of these stories is heartbreaking in its own way, but some have moments of great comedy, and they all require a level of attention that, typically, Ishiguro's writing rewards.' Observer [They] come up on you quietly, but then haunt you for days These little pieces could only be the work of a great composer.' Evening StandardA fine and moving collection of stories, displaying his unique combination of the sad, the stoic and the consoling. It's about failure, but it dignifies failure, and with it, the human condition.' Margaret Drabble, Guardian

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Book SynopsisAn all-new collection of summer-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the holiday season.Trade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction both for readers and for writers’ – Val McDermid ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisThe No.1 Sunday Times bestseller featuring a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider as well as the novella 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', now with a stunning new cover look.News people have a saying:'If it bleeds, it leads'.Following a horrific explosion at a school, Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency notices something suspicious about the TV reporter who is first on the scene. In this riveting title story, Holly sets out to discover what he is hiding in her first solo crime case.Dancing alongside this stand-alone sequel to The Outsider are three more irresistible long stories: 'Mr Harrigan's Phone' sees young Craig introduce a curmudgeonly retired businessman to the wonders of the smartphone; 'The Life of Chuck' is a three act life-story - told in reverse order - about a man whose face appears on a billboard; and 'Rat' sees a struggling author head to a remote cabin in the woods of North Maine, where a deal-making rodent offers him a life-changing pact.Trade ReviewFull of vividly drawn characters and unsettling themes, If It Bleeds is another tour de force by a master storyteller * Daily Express *Full of vividly drawn characters and unsettling themes, If It Bleeds is another tour de force by a master storyteller * Daily Express *Such glimpses into King's own mind are riveting and satisfyingly terrifying. Read the book for this * Evening Standard *Such glimpses into King's own mind are riveting and satisfyingly terrifying. Read the book for this * Evening Standard *The horror writer is at his familiar best with four suspenseful and sometimes surprisingly tender novellas... If It Bleeds brings together four new stories, all offering vintage King themes with their own particular twist... King, as always, is right on the money * Observer *The horror writer is at his familiar best with four suspenseful and sometimes surprisingly tender novellas... If It Bleeds brings together four new stories, all offering vintage King themes with their own particular twist... King, as always, is right on the money * Observer *The titular novella is...an impeccably judged whodunnit...the other three [are] readable, engaging studies of male lives at different stages * The Sunday Times *The titular novella is...an impeccably judged whodunnit...the other three [are] readable, engaging studies of male lives at different stages * The Sunday Times *You may wonder if the great yarn spinner of the supernatural possesses psychic abilities of his own because this collection of short stories is so timely... Spine-chillingly brilliant * The People *You may wonder if the great yarn spinner of the supernatural possesses psychic abilities of his own because this collection of short stories is so timely... Spine-chillingly brilliant * The People *You'll fly through IF IT BLEEDS * Daily Telegraph *You'll fly through IF IT BLEEDS * Daily Telegraph *You are drawn in immediately and kept guessing until the end * the Sun (On the audiobook) *You are drawn in immediately and kept guessing until the end * the Sun (On the audiobook) *Four wonderful stories * Press Association *Four wonderful stories * Press Association *full of vividly drawn characters ... another tour de force by a master storyteller * Daily Mirror *Full of vividly drawn characters ... another tour de force by a master storyteller * Daily Mirror *His achievements... are dazzling in scope... immensely enjoyable * London Review of Books *His achievements... are dazzling in scope... immensely enjoyable * London Review of Books *The straightforward cadences of King's voice, paired with his signature sit-down-and-let-me-tell-you-a-story style, were immediately soothing. And the stories he was telling - about the seductions and corruptions of technology, the extremes of beauty and depravity in even the most ordinary life, the workings of a universe we can never entirely understand - were somehow exactly what I wanted to read right now... As sirens blare outside my Brooklyn window and the headlines grow more apocalyptic by the day, I might start working my way through King's backlist. He's good company in the dark * New York Times *The straightforward cadences of King's voice, paired with his signature sit-down-and-let-me-tell-you-a-story style, were immediately soothing. And the stories he was telling - about the seductions and corruptions of technology, the extremes of beauty and depravity in even the most ordinary life, the workings of a universe we can never entirely understand - were somehow exactly what I wanted to read right now... As sirens blare outside my Brooklyn window and the headlines grow more apocalyptic by the day, I might start working my way through King's backlist. He's good company in the dark * New York Times *Four new, exceptionally compelling novellas that reaffirm his mastery of the form... stories that cover a surprising amount of emotional territory but can still be read in a sitting... King's affection for [Holly] is evident on every page... deeply empathetic and compulsively readable * Washington Post *Four new, exceptionally compelling novellas that reaffirm his mastery of the form... stories that cover a surprising amount of emotional territory but can still be read in a sitting... King's affection for [Holly] is evident on every page... deeply empathetic and compulsively readable * Washington Post *The iconic author will keep you up late at night engrossed in four tales about our dreams and our frailties * USA Today *The iconic author will keep you up late at night engrossed in four tales about our dreams and our frailties * USA Today *King is rightly acclaimed as one of the greatest - and most inventive - storytellers of our time and The Institute is a dazzling achievement * Daily Express (on The Institute) *King is rightly acclaimed as one of the greatest - and most inventive - storytellers of our time and The Institute is a dazzling achievement * Daily Express (on The Institute) *A genuinely intriguing mystery, one that uses many of the tropes of both so-called "grip-lit" thrillers and more conventional forensics-driven crime fiction... The Outsider gives King fans exactly what they want * Guardian (on The Outsider) *A genuinely intriguing mystery, one that uses many of the tropes of both so-called "grip-lit" thrillers and more conventional forensics-driven crime fiction... The Outsider gives King fans exactly what they want * Guardian (on The Outsider) *One of the greatest storytellers of the past century...If you read only one thriller this summer, make it this one * Daily Mail (on The Outsider) *One of the greatest storytellers of the past century...If you read only one thriller this summer, make it this one * Daily Mail (on The Outsider) *

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Book Synopsis''If I think about it, and I have the time and inclination and capacity to do so, we dogs are an odd lot.''How does a dog see the world? How do any of us? In this playful and enigmatic story of a canine philosopher, Kafka explores the limits of knowledge. Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book SynopsisThree irresistible short stories by Ali Hazelwood the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of TikTok sensation THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS, now available in paperback for the first time with a new, exclusive, bonus chapter.Trade ReviewNeuroscientist and TikTok star Ali Hazelwood's funny, steamy stories marry science to sizzling sexual chemistry, as her three endearing heroines head from animosity to head-over heels with a trio of strong, stroppy but ultimately lovable work rivals/crushes. * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FICTION PRIZE 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2018 'Brilliantly inventive and blazingly smart' Garth Greenwell 'Impossible, imperfect, unforgettable' Roxane Gay 'A wild thing ... covered in sequins and scales, blazing with the influence of fabulists from Angela Carter to Kelly Link and Helen Oyeyemi' New York Times In her provocative debut, Carmen Maria Machado demolishes the borders between magical realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. A wife refuses her husband's entreaties to remove the mysterious green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague spreads across the earth. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery about a store's dresses. One woman's surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted house guest. A dark, shimmering slice into womanhood, Her Body and Other Parties is wicked and exquisite.Trade ReviewDeliciously weird and dark and erotic and queer and smart and full of desire, and profoundly original, this is about the alienation of being a woman in a way you've never read before * The Pool *A writer of rare daring ... there's a ragged glory to [the stories'] formal experimentation and erotic fearlessness, and the gusto with which they reinvent horror, SF and fairytale tropes. -- Justine Jordan * Guardian *Her Body and Other Parties is a love letter to an obstinate genre that won't be gentrified. It's a wild thing, this book, covered in sequins and scales, blazing with the influence of fabulists from Angela Carter to Kelly Link and Helen Oyeyemi, and borrowing from science fiction, queer theory and horror... Not since Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves," in 2006, has a debut collection of short stories from a relatively unknown author garnered such attention, or deserved it more. -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *Brilliant and unsettling ... Machado ranks alongside Shirley Jackson and Margaret Atwood, and she brings all her (there should be a woman's word to replace "mastery") formidable skills to bear in this tale of the rent fabric of women's lives ... Machado's narrators are articulate and thoughtful, with vivid internal lives. But she's sharp enough at capturing the messiness of ordinary human behaviour to distinguish one character from the next, keeping the stories distinct and marking each with flares of stark beauty. Machado has rare gifts, disciplined by years of writing short stories for magazines, and her literary fearlessness has already been recognised in the US, where this collection was a finalist for the 2017 National Book Awards. The stories in Her Body and Other Parties, on the vulnerability and the appetites of women, their transgressions and their disappearances, have the depth of fairy tales and the grim acid rasp of the best horror fiction. You cannot wait for her to tell more of them. * Financial Times *Those of us who knew have been waiting for a Carmen Maria Machado collection for years. Her stories show us what we really love and fear. -- Alexander CheeMachado's verve shines through: macabre, erotic, and never quite what they initially seem, these aren't stories that are easily dismissed. -- Lucy ScholesDaring ... Machado has created a provocative blend of fabulism, feminism, magic realism and lashings of sex. * Tatler *Striking ... spellbinding ... even the most banal settings become unnerving in Machado's pen, and her images linger with the reader long after the last page has been turned. Although her voice is invigoratingly fresh, Her Body and Other Parties never reads like a debut collection. Rather, it reads like a writer at the height of her powers - confident and assured, fearless and experimental ... it feels like discovering a well-kept secret you immediately want to share with everyone you know. -- Kaite Welsh * Diva *

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Book Synopsis*From the Booker-shortlisted author of Small Things Like These*Faber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles. The evening is fine. In the sky a few early stars are shining of their own accord. She watches the dog licking the bowl clean. This dog will break her daughter's heart, she's sure of it.Claire Keegan's mesmeric story takes us into the heart of the Wicklow countryside, and of the farming family of Victor Deegan, with his three teenagers, the milking and the mortgage'.When Deegan finds a gun dog and gives it as a present to his only daughter, his wife is filled with foreboding at this seeming act of kindness. As the seasons pass, long-buried family secrets threaten to emerge.Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.

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Book SynopsisCecelia Ahern at her quirky, magical best' Daily MailNow an Apple Original series from Apple TV+A story for every woman.A story for every moment.Whether you want to laughTo be movedTo loveTo feel less guiltTo cryTo be comfortedTo ROARThere is a story for you.From Sunday Times bestselling author Cecelia Ahern comes a collection of witty, original and moving stories for women everywhere.Funny, wise and weighty, in a very good wayread one or two of Ahern's fables at a time [to] truly appreciate their wit, pathos and imagination.' IndependentWitty, playful, entertaining but also thought-provoking, salutary and empowering' Daily MailA Radio 2 Bookclub Choice.Trade Review‘A wonderful, inspiring collection…the kind of book everyone should have on their shelf’ Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido ‘These provocative and witty stories prove it’s time to recognise Cecelia Ahern as one of our finest writers’ John Boyne, bestselling author of The Heart’s Invisible Furies ‘These stories sing from the page … sharp, clever, witty: a joy to read’ Donal Ryan, bestselling author of The Spinning Heart ‘An impressive, timely and entertaining collection’ Observer ‘Confidential, sympathetic and witty’ The Times ‘Funny, magical, her most powerful, most feminist work yet’ Irish Sunday Independent ‘Smart and provocative…told with wit and verve.’ Mirror ‘Intriguing, substantial and impactful…The quiet call to arms that women never knew they needed’ Irish Independent ‘Witty, smart, perpetually readable, this is the perfect collection’ Heat ‘Inventive and ingenious, with a doffing of the cap to Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood’ Stylist ‘Witty and relatable’ Woman and Home ‘Stories worth waiting for’ Image ‘Rich, challenging and comic’ Daily Express ‘Thought-provoking, clever and humorous… startlingly original and very enjoyable’ Women’s Weekly

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Book Synopsis'Wickedly clever prose and a sense of humour that seems to loom up like a character in itself' – M John Harrison, GuardianIn her brilliantly inventive and haunting debut collection of stories, Julia Armfield explores the body, mapping the skin and bones of her characters through their experiences of isolation, obsession, love and revenge.Teenagers develop ungodly appetites, a city becomes insomniac overnight, and bodies are diligently picked apart to make up better ones. The mundane worlds of schools and sleepy sea-side towns are invaded and transformed, creating a landscape which is constantly shifting to hold on to its inhabitants. Blurring the mythic and the gothic with the everyday, Salt Slow considers characters in motion – turning away, turning back or simply turning into something new entirely.Winner of The White Review Short Story Prize 2018, Armfield is a writer of sharp, lyrical prose and tilting dark humour – Salt Slow marks the arrival of an ambitious and singular new voice.'Salt Slow is exemplary. A distinct new gothic, melancholy, powerful and poised.' – China Miéville, author of The City & The City'Armfield is an enormous, gut-wrenching talent.' – Daisy Johnson, author of Everything UnderTrade ReviewSalt Slow is exemplary. A distinct new gothic, melancholy, powerful and poised. -- China Miéville, author of The City & The CityUnafraid to venture beyond realism’s limits, Julia Armfield refashions our contemporary existence as an eerie, care-worn dreamworld, taking our quotidian anxieties and desires and handing them back to us empathetically remade . . . Armfield is a significant, exciting talent. -- Sam Byers, author of Perfidious Albion and judge of The White Review Short Story Prize 2018This debut collection is both wild and wonderful, packed with mythical transformations that take place in the most ordinary of contemporary settings . . . vivid . . . visceral . . . marvellous. * Daily Mail *Reading this collection is the only thing you need to do right now. Reading this collection is the only thing you ever need to do. Armfield is an enormous, gut-wrenching talent. -- Daisy Johnson, Man Booker Prize shortlisted author of Everything UnderTruly dazzling . . . Horror for the Instagram generation. There is a melancholy sense in reading such a wonderful collection of short stories and finding them so subtle, intelligent and imaginative. When I put the book down I wondered: will her first novel be as good? -- Stuart Kelly * The Scotsman *These exquisitely written stories are like the quietly surreal lovechild of Anne Michaels and Julio Cortazar. Both moving and poetic, salt slow introduces Julia Armfield as a writer to watch and greatly admire. -- Sharlene Teo, author of PontiThe stories in this collection look at women’s bodies and their experiences in society with an eerie, otherworldly lense . . . For fans of Carmen Maria Machado, Sophie Mackintosh and Megan Hunter * Elle *Remember the name Julia Armfield as this will be the year that salt slow bubbles under then pops up everywhere on best-of lists and literary prizes . . . Visceral, perturbing and exhilarating. * Stylist *Writers should take risks and Julia Armfield does this fearlessly with stories that unnerve and delight in equal measure. There are echoes of Leonora Carrington and Carmen Maria Machado, but Armfield's distinct voice is her own: singular, visceral and eerie. A hugely impressive first collection. -- Sinéad Gleeson, author of ConstellationsVisceral, fierce and beautifully unsettling, Armfield's writing has an astonishing power. This collection haunted me with its brilliance. -- Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll FactoryHer work has a timelessness to it, and a generosity of emotion that’s brave and affecting. -- Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of Clouds and judge of The White Review Short Story Prize 2018These are brilliantly addictive, barbed, illusive stories. Armfield creates a cleverly unsettling, iridescent world that we are all the better for entering. -- Irenosen Okojie, author of Speak GigantularIn the tradition of Kelly Link and Aimee Bender, Julia Armfield's salt slow places a surrealist lens on women's bodies, interactions and relationships to expose their mythic, metamorphic potential. Subversive in viewpoint, these stories achieve a simplicity and crispness of tone, setting and story that gives them the timeless, evocative quality of fables. -- Caoilinn Hughes, author of Orchid and the Wasp'Armfield’s debut introduces a significant new voice in contemporary writing; original and challenging . . . each story seems as strange and troubling as a dream; illogical and inevitable, and all the more powerful for that.' * The Herald *These short stories portray tender cruelties and macabre metamorphoses in wickedly clever prose . . . and a sense of humour that seems to loom up like a character in itself, having been lying in wait in a corner all along. -- M John Harrison * Guardian *Thrilling . . . A writer whose next move you wouldn’t want to miss. * Observer *Filled with magic, insight, and a rare level of creativity that mark Armfield as a fresh new voice . . . Artistic and perceptive, Armfield's debut explores the ebbs and flows of human connection in lives touched by the bizarre. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisFrom the title story's fantastical inter-dimensional assassins to the steampunk dystopia of "Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard" burrowing through the ruins of a civilisation destroyed by a plague, from Black Mirror-esque tales of blockchain cryptography ("Byzantine Empathy") and Internet trolling ("Thoughts and Prayers") to a three-story hard-SF arc about artificial intelligence and the singularity ("The Gods Will Not Be Chained", "The Gods Will Not Be Slain" and "The Gods Have Not Died In Vain"), here are 17 interlinking visions that explore what it is to be human, and what it is like to abandon or transcend that. This collection confirms Ken Liu, author of the astonishing and multi-award winning The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, as one of speculative fiction's greatest short story writers. Contents include: Ghost Days, Maxwell's Demon,The Reborn, Thoughts and Prayers, Byzantine Empathy, The Gods Will Not Be Chained, Staying Behind, Real Artists, The Gods Will Not Be Slain, Altogether Elsewhere Vast Herds of Reindeer, The Gods Have Not Died in Vain, Memories of My Mother, Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit – Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts, Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard, A Chase Beyond the Storms (an excerpt from The Veiled Throne, Book 3 of the Dandelion Dynasty), The Hidden Girl, Seven Birthdays, The Message, Cutting.Trade ReviewThe king of speculative short stories delivers his most exquisite miniatures and a brand new novella * Waterstones Weekly *In his cyberpunk-tinged visions, our homes are so often on fire – but the flames illuminate our difficult present in unexpected ways. A hugely accomplished collection * SFX *Ken Liu's latest twist-filled sci-fi and fantasy anthology emphasises family and shared humanity... The 17 stories of The Hidden Girl come out amid high expectations. Liu not only meets these with equanimity, but also sends his stories jetting off into new dimensions' * Straits Times *With its themes of assimilation and breaking free, of colonial and other yokes, the immigrant experience feels familiar, yet strange, in the hands of Lanzhou-born, US-based Liu, a master also at translating Chinese science fiction. His ideas about different worlds will transport you * South China Morning Post *

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Book SynopsisA spellbinding selection of short stories in the original Italian alongside their English translationsThis new dual-language edition of ten stories selected from The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories celebrates some of the very best twentieth-century literature from Italy. Each story appears in the original Italian alongside an expert English translation, providing unique cultural insight and literary inspiration for language learners. Ranging from a spellbinding tale of the supernatural to a powerful portrait of post-war Italy, this revelatory collection includes works from beloved authors, Italo Calvino, Fausta Cialente, Alba de Céspedes, Grazia Deledda, Natalia Ginzburg, Elsa Morante, Lalla Romano, Umberto Saba, Alberto Savinio, and Elio Vittorini.

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Book SynopsisThis powerful collection of stories, set in the mid-West among the lonely men and women who drink, fish and play cards to ease the passing of time, was the first by Raymond Carver to be published in the UK.Trade ReviewThe master craftsman of the modern American short story * Daily Telegraph *One of America's most original, truest voices -- Salman RushdieOne of the most celebrated American short-story writers of the 20th century * New York Times *A remarkable collection * New York Review of Books *I remember being floored by the first Raymond Carver collection I read: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love -- David Sedaris * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisA woman granted a superpower discovers it’s more trouble than it’s worth. A neighbourhood forum becomes the setting for a bizarre ghost story. A children’s entertainer wrestles with problems that are nothing to joke about. A harassed dad attempts to meet the challenge of the primary school cake competition. By turns tender and satirical, witty and bizarre, the stories in this debut collection cast a fresh eye on first-world problems. Funny and humane, they zoom in on the absurdities and poignancies in work, family, love and loss in our frenetic modern lives.Trade Review[These stories] chart the transformative, vengeful, poignant moments of everyday life with an appealing down-to-earth candour. * Daily Mail *An impressive debut. * The Irish Times *Brotzel packs each mini escapade with surprise and wit, playing deftly with form and tone and probing what is absurd and poignant in everyday life. Each story can turn on a phrase, and there’s a powerful sensation that something sinister is inching towards you with every line. * The Herald *Thoughtful and satirical, Alan Bennett meets David Sedaris meets Jasper Fforde. Dan Brotzel’s collection turns clichés on their heads. * Press & Journal *Alive with humour, wit and subtle observations...and, then, when we’re least expecting it, a darkness, a deeper reality,a shadow that creeps up behind and holds up a mirrorThis book is unique, original and, most importantly, a joy to read – a masterclass in short story writing.A bouncy and heartfelt read. Get ordering! * Storgy Magazine *Hotel du Jack is funny, sad, excruciating and poignant.Brotzel’s prose style is anarchic and economical. His dialogue fizzes along brilliantly and he’s genuinely a laugh-out-loud writer, but with some real pathos and depth to his characters too.Funny , but also touching,and sometimes a little bit odd. For that I truly enjoyed them. * NetGalley *A contemporary collection with 21st century themes. Brexit, Trump, Alexa and other themes abound, but never does the author skimp on the portrayal of characters... A great read. * NB Magazine *The kind of collection that gets more interesting and fuller with every subsequent analysis or discussion. * Superfluous Reading blog *Hotel du Jack brings together 28 stories, frequently marrying style and substance to pull off a fresh, witty and insightful collection. * The Short Story *

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE SHORT STORY COLLECTION THAT GAVE THE WORLD DRIVE MY CAR, THE BAFTA AND OSCAR WINNING FILMA dazzling Sunday Times bestselling collection of short stories from the beloved internationally acclaimed Haruki Murakami. Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all. Marked by the same wry humour that has defined his entire body of work, in this collection Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic. 'Supremely enjoyable, philosophical and pitch-perfect new collection of short stories...Murakami has a marvelous understanding of youth and age' Observer 'Murakami at his whimsical, romantic best' Financial TimesTrade ReviewSupremely enjoyable, philosophical and pitch-perfect new collection of short stories. . . Murakami has a marvellous understanding of youth and age - and the failings of each * Observer *Murakami writes of complex things with his usual beguiling simplicity. . . Strangely invigorating to read. . . It is Murakami at his whimsical, romantic best * Financial Times *Calculatedly provocative. . ., the stories offer sweet-sour meditations on human solitude and a yearning to connect. . . Murakami, always inventive, is one of the finest popular writers at work today -- Ian Thomson * Evening Standard *Written with all the cats, spaghetti, humor, and gentle surrealism we might expect . . . Men Without Women is a funny, lovely, unmistakably Murakami collection of seven stories about the lives of people trying to find their place in the world and reckoning with their pasts * Buzzfeed *A disconcertingly funny portrait of modern loneliness -- Hayley Maitland * Vogue *

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

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Book SynopsisAn unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young adult and adult intermediate learners of Modern Standard Arabic."Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. I love his work - and you will too!" - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers Short Stories in Arabic for Intermediate Learners has been written especially for students from low-mid intermediate (ACTFL) level of Modern Standard Arabic. Mapped to B1 and approaching B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories are designed to give you a sense of achievement and a feeling of progress when reading, and most importantly - enjoyment! What does this book give you?- Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary- Controlled language at your level, including the 1000 most frequent words, to help you progress confidently- Realistic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability- Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way- Beautiful illustrations accompanying each story, to set the scene and support your understanding- Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'With intriguing plots that will spark your imagination and keep you reading, Short Stories in Arabic for Intermediate Learners will take your grasp of MSA to the next level with key features to support and consolidate your progress, including: · A glossary for bold-face words in each text · A bilingual word list · Full plot summary · Comprehension questions after each chapter.As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Arabic for Intermediate Learners uses reading as the perfect tool to not only delight in learning Modern Standard Arabic, but to accelerate your journey towards fluency.Note that this book has been designed so that you get used to reading in Arabic, by turning the pages from left to right. Therefore, the first story begins at the back of the book. The English introduction starts at the front of the book.Use the codes inside the book and ebook to access a bonus story for free and the discounted audiobook on our Language Readers Library site or in the Language Readers app.Trade ReviewAs researchers in language acquisition, we need to study people like you. * Stephen Krashen, Emeritus Professor, University of Southern California *Olly's advice on language learning is the real deal, and I recommend you pay attention to what he has to say! * Benny Lewis, Fluent in 3 Months *When we wanted to create a free online course on how to learn a language we asked Olly to write it with us. * Dr Tita Beaven, The Open University *Learning a language is challenging, but it's one of the best things you can do for your brain and your learning skill set... Olly Richards is doing some seriously incredible work to empower more and more people to rise to the challenge. * Jonathan Levi *Olly bridges the gap between theory and practice by helping you to use scientific principles to get real results with your language learning. * Anthony Metivier, Magnetic Memory Method *Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. -- Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers

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Book SynopsisThis new translation includes Kafka's most famous story, The Metamorphosis, together with two other stories, The Judgement and In the Penal Colony, and Meditation and the autobiographical Letter to his Father. The edition includes a detailed introduction, notes, and other helpful items.Trade ReviewThis edition contains a fascinating introduction by Ritchie Robertson, offering Buddhist, Freudian and expressionist readings of the text. * Guardian online, WB Gooderham *Bracing surprises for buffs as well as an easy passage into the labyrinth for newcomers. * Boyd Tonkin, The Independent *Table of ContentsMeditation ; The Judgement ; The Metamorphosis ; In the Penal Colony ; Letter to his Father

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Book SynopsisCurtis Sittenfeld is the author of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling Rodham. Other novels include American Wife and Prep, both bestsellers and longlisted for the Orange Prize, The Man of My Dreams, Sisterland, Eligible, and the acclaimed short story collections You Think It, I'll Say It and Help Yourself. Her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire, Oprah Magazine and the New York Times magazine. Sittenfeld was also the guest editor for the 2020 Best American Short Stories anthology. She lives with her family in the American Midwest. Follow her on Twitter @CSittenfeld

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Book SynopsisFor the first time in English, Osamu Dazai’s hilariously comic and deeply moving prequel to No Longer HumanTrade Review"What I despise about Dazai is that he exposes precisely those things in myself that I most want to hide." -- Yukio Mishima

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Book SynopsisA charming new paperback edition of one of J.R.R. Tolkien's major pieces of short fiction, and his only finished work dating from after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.

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Book Synopsis''Sometimes - not often - a book comes along that feels like Christmas. Philip Hensher''s timely, but timeless, selection of the best short stories from the past 20 years is that kind of book. His introduction is as enriching as anything that has been published this year'' Sunday TimesA spectacular treasury of the best British short stories published in the last twenty yearsWe are living in a particularly rich period for British short stories. Despite the relative lack of places in which they can be published, the challenge the medium represents has attracted a host of remarkable, subversive, entertaining and innovative writers. Philip Hensher, following the success of his definitive Penguin Book of British Short Stories, has scoured a vast trove of material and chosen thirty great stories for this new volume of works written between 1997 and the present day.Includes short stories by A.L. Kennedy, Tessa Hadley, Kazuo Ishiguro,Trade ReviewSometimes - not often - a book comes along that feels like Christmas. A Santa's sack of goodies to be unwrapped, revealing ever more lovely treats. Philip Hensher's timely, but timeless, selection of the best short stories from the past 20 years is that kind of book. In fact, his introduction is as enriching as anything that has been published this year. -- Melissa Katsoulis * The Times *Like its predecessors, this volume is a feast, and every morsel worth savouring * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisThis is the complete collection of stories from one of the most original and powerful American writers of the twentieth century. Including A Good Man is Hard to Find and Everything That Rises Must Converge, this collection also contains several stories only available in this volume.

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Book SynopsisA gripping Quick Read from the master of the race against time thriller.Have you ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time?You are hiking in the Scottish highlands with three friends when you come across a girl.She is half-naked, has been badly beaten, and she can't speak English.She is clearly running away from someone.Do you stop to help her? Even if it means putting your friends' lives and your own - in terrible danger?Trade ReviewPace, pace, pace is what Simon Kernick does best. * Daily Mirror *Simon Kernick writes great plots, great characters, great action. * Lee Child *Simon Kernick writes with his foot pressed hard on the pedal. Hang on tight! * Harlen Coben *Simon Kernick uses every trick in the book to keep the action breakneck. * Time Out *From the first line, Simon Kernick knows how to get a thriller shifting, and he doesn't let up until the very last * Daily Mirror *

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Book SynopsisAn all-new collection of winter-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the festive period.Trade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction both for readers and for writers’ – Val McDermid ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisThe Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl in the first of two unsettling and sinister volumes.''They are brutal, these stories, and yet you finish reading each one with a smile, or maybe even a hollow laugh, certainly a shiver of gratification, because the conclusion always seems so right'' Charlie Higson, from his introduction.Roald Dahl is one of the most popular writers of the modern age, effortlessly writing for children and adults alike. In this, the first of two volumes chronologically collecting all his published adult short stories, we see how Dahl began by using his experiences in the war to write fiction but quickly turned to his powerful and dark imagination to pen some of the most unsettling and disquieting tales ever written.In 27 stories, written between 1944 and 1953, we encounter such classic tales as ''Man from the South'', featuring a wager with appalling consequences; ''Lamb to the Slaughter'', in which a wife murders her

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

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Book SynopsisA woman is found dead in an apparent suicide – but there may be something darker at play. Featuring Inspector Jimmy Perez, Too Good To Be True is a gripping Quick Read from Ann Cleeves' bestselling Shetland series.Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall.When young teacher Anna Blackwell is found dead in her home, the police think her death was suicide or a tragic accident. After all, Stonebridge is a quiet country village in the Scottish Borders, where murders just don't happen. But Inspector Jimmy Perez soon arrives from far-away Shetland when his ex-wife, Sarah, asks him to look into the case. The local gossips are saying that her new husband, Tom, was having an affair with Anna. Could Tom have been involved with her death? Sarah refuses to believe it – but needs proof.Anna had been a teacher. She must have loved kids. Would she kill herself knowing there was nobody to look after her daughter? She had seemed happier than ever before she died. And to Perez, this suggests not suicide, but murder . . .Quick Reads are short books from bestselling authors, perfect for a fast and satisfying read – whether you're a regular reader, or just getting started. With Too Good To Be True, you can get a taste of the thrilling story of Shetland's Inspector Jimmy Perez. Start the series with book one, Raven Black.

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Book SynopsisOdessa was a uniquely Jewish city, and the stories of Isaac Babel - a Jewish man, writing in Russian, born in Odessa - uncover its tough underbelly. Gangsters, prostitutes, beggars, smugglers: no one escapes the pungent, sinewy force of Babel's pen. From the tales of the magnetic cruelty of Benya Krik - infamous mob boss, and one of the great anti-heroes of Russian literature - to the devastating semi-autobiographical account of a young Jewish boy caught up in a pogrom, this collection of stories is considered one of the great masterpieces of twentieth-century Russian literature. Translated with precision and sensitivity by Boris Dralyuk, whose rendering of the rich Odessan argot is pitch-perfect, Odessa Stories is the first ever stand-alone collection of all the stories Babel set in the city - and includes tales from the original collection as well as later ones.Trade Review“One of those ‘where have you been all my life?’ book . . . Fractured, jarring, beautiful, alive to humour . . . an excellent translation.” —Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian “These celebrated stories have never been rendered with the cutting flair Boris Dralyuk’s new English translations impart to them . . . Babel’s is an ebullient elegy, filled with violence, sex, and life.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “The salty speech of the city’s inhabitants is wonderfully rendered in a new translation by Boris Dralyuk, who preserves the characters’ Yiddishisms (‘He doesn't talk much, but when he talks, you want he should keep talking’) and imbues the dialogue with hard-boiled language reminiscent of Dashiell Hammett (‘Buzz off, coppers... or we’ll flatten you’). Although Babel mostly lets characters speak for themselves, the narrators’ descriptions can be as luxurious as the stolen jewels given to Benya’s sister on her wedding night, or as surprising as a slap in the face.” —Vice “Glorious stories by the incomparable Babel . . . This wonderful collection is a companion volume to Red Cavalry. Babel is required reading.” —Eileen Battersby, Irish Times (Best Books of 2016) “Electric, heroically wrought prose.” —John Updike “Aside from being a great writer, Babel stands as an emblem of the tragedy of 20th century totalitarianism . . . literary genius framed by 20th-century tragedy.” —New York Times “His is still an original, sparky voice sounding out of the great Russian literary pantheon.” —Paddy Kehoe, RTE Arena “Sparkling, wily and loose-tongued . . . Babel’s dialogue calls for a daring translator . . . Boris Dralyuk delivers brilliantly.” —Times Literary Supplement “It is impossible to look at the world the same way after reading Babel . . . one of the enduring jewels of 20th-century Russian literature.” —Financial Times

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Book SynopsisA brilliant collection of short stories and short form fiction from the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett, one of the world''s best-loved authors.''Clever, neatly constructed and funny Pratchett is one of the great comic writers and storytellers of our time'' GuardianA Blink of the Screen charts the course of Pratchett''s long writing career: from his schooldays through to his first writing job on the Bucks Free Press; to the origins of his debut novel, The Carpet People; and on again to the dizzy mastery of the Discworld series.Here are characters both familiar and yet to be discovered; abandoned worlds and others still expanding; adventure, chickens, death, disco and, actually, some quite disturbing ideas about Christmas, all of it shot through with his inimitable brand of humour.With an introduction by Booker Prize-winning author A.S. Byatt and drawings by the author himself, this is a book to treasure.

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Book SynopsisJhumpa Lahiri is the Millicent C. MacIntosh Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Barnard College, Columbia University. In 2000, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Interpreter of Maladies, her debut story collection. She is also the author of The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth and The Lowland, a finalist for the Booker Prize and the National Book Award in Fiction. Since 2015, Lahiri has been writing in Italian: In altre parole (In Other Words), Il vestito dei libri (The Clothing of Books), Dove mi trovo (self-translated as Whereabouts), Il quaderno di Nerina and Racconti romani (Roman Stories). She is also the editor of The Penguin Classics Book of Italian Short Stories, which was published in Italy as Racconti italiani.

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Book Synopsis‘His body was pressed against the wall at the head of the bed, and the face was a mask of agonised horror and fruitless entreaty. But the eyes were already glazed in death, and before Francis could reach the bed the body had toppled over and lay inert and lifeless. Even as he looked, he heard a limping step go down the passage outside.’ E. F. Benson was a master of the ghost story and now all his rich, imaginative, spine-tingling and beautifully written tales are presented together in this bumper collection. The range and variety of these spooky narratives is far broader and more adventurous than those of any other writer of supernatural fiction. Within the covers of this volume you will encounter revengeful spectres, vampires, homicidal spirits, monstrous spectral worms and slugs and other entities of nameless dread. This is a classic collection that cannot fail to charm and chill.

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Book Synopsis''The morning became a long, drawn-out afternoon that became depthless night dawning innocently through the house''Tales of desire and madness from this giant of Brazilian literature.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book SynopsisEven as he grew up on the edge of Lewis, the vastness of Russia never felt too distant for Donald S Murray. Its great literary traditions were often discussed in his home village, while the political unrest and religious fervour that marked its past and present were occassionally reflected in his life on the island. Inspired by the Russian canon, the songs, verse and stories contained within these pages draw upon the experiences of his youth, shifting continually between myth and history, the absurd and moving, the satirical and everyday. Its extraordinary and diverse narratives underline the truth of its opening line: 'I can see these islands mirror Russia.'Trade Review'One of the great lyrical writers of our time.' - Cathy Macdonald

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1921 as part of her ground-breaking short-story collection Monday or Tuesday, Kew Gardens follows the thoughts of a set of characters walking past a flower bed in the royal botanic garden on a hot July day. Interweaving the thoughts of the characters with depictions of the natural world surrounding them, the narrative flows from mind to mind, from the tranquil flower bed to the bustling city outside. Written in Woolf’s trademark style, brimming with keen observation and rich language, Kew Gardens is both a paean to the natural world and an empathetic exploration of human experience. 'The light fell either upon the smooth, grey back of a pebble or the shell of a snail with its brown, circular veins, or, falling into a raindrop, it expanded with such intensity of red, blue and yellow the thin walls of water that one expected them to burst and disappear… Then the breeze stirred rather more briskly overhead and the colour was flashed into the air above, into the eyes of the men and women who walk in Kew Gardens in July.'Table of ContentsKew Gardens, Note on the Text, A Biographical Note on Virginia Woolf

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