Anthologies & Short Stories

Book Synopsis''My God! A whole minute of bliss! Is that really so little for the whole of a man''s life?''A poignant tale of love and loneliness from Russia''s foremost writer.One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics'' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

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Book SynopsisAn unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners of Dutch."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 NumbersShort Stories in Dutch for Beginners has been written especially for learners from high-beginner to low-intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.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 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!'Carefully curated to make learning a new language easy, these stories include key features that will support and consolidate your progress, including:· A glossary for bolded words in each chapter· 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. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners will make learning Dutch easy and enjoyable.Trade ReviewAs researchers in language acquisition, we need to study people like [Olly Richards]. - Stephen Krashen, Emeritus Professor, University of Southern CaliforniaOlly'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 MonthsWhen 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 UniversityLearning 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, Entrepreneur and LifehackerOlly 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 MethodOlly'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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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe stunning debut story collection from the author of Foster and the Booker Prize shortlisted Small Things Like TheseA beautiful, tender work of great clarity.' Sebastian Barry''Simply put, Claire Keegan is one of the greatest fiction writers in the world.'' George SaundersAmong the finest contemporary stories written recently in English.' ObserverA secret one-night tryst in the city. A sister's revenge. A love-struck doctor. A missing girl. In Antarctica, an astonishing sequence of stories, one of our most gifted writers illuminates human longing and fallibility in all its variety.-------Readers love Antarctica:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''This is the best short story collection I have ever read. Trust me she is a real find!''''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''A skilled writer who immerses us seamlessly in the lives of her characters.''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''I have now read every word Claire Keegan has written. That''s how much I love her writing.''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''With her keen eye and lucid prose, Keegan beguiles, jolts and haunts us beyond the pages.''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''The writing is both tender, poetic and authentic ... the stories stay with you long after you have finished reading.''

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Book SynopsisWelcome to New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson''s first collection of short fiction.These wonderful works, originally published individually, have been collected for the first time and convey the true expanse of the Cosmere. Telling the exciting tales of adventure Sanderson fans have come to expect, Arcanum Unbounded include the Hugo Award-winning novella ''The Emperor''s Soul'', an excerpt from the graphic novel ''White Sand'', and the never-before-published Stormlight Archive novella ''Edgedancer''.The collection will include nine works in all:''Edgedancer'' (Stormlight Archive)''The Hope of Elantris'' (Elantris)''The Eleventh Metal'' (Mistborn)''The Emperor''s Soul'' (Elantris)''Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania'' (excerpt; Mistborn)''White Sand'' (excerpt; Taldain)''Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell'' (Threnody) ''SixTrade Reviewanother brisk YA fantasy from Sanderson - inventive, action-stuffed and surprising until the end * SFX *This collection is required reading for Sanderson fans, offering plenty for new readers who are undeterred by learning too much. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Fans of Sanderson's other works will eagerly devour this collection, in which familiar characters return and familiar worlds are further explored. * KIRKUS REVIEWS *Steelheart is the literature equivalent of a blockbuster; episodic and fast-paced with surprises around every turn. * SCI FI NOW *Full of action * THE SUN *as always, Brandon Sanderson creates a unique and interesting universe we get to explore alongside the protagonist...a fun, action packed ride for those of us who remain a child at heart. * Best Fantasy Books *The world of The Reckoners is suddenly presented in all its glory. It's an incredibly vibrant setting that showcases the entire breadth of Sanderson's talent. Expect to finish this one in single sitting. * Upcoming 4 Me *The stories are complex, fascinating, and filled to the brim with three-dimensional characters * Fantasy Book Review *Firefight is a visual, almost cinematic novel * Buzzy Mag *Firefight is a rollercoaster ride of action, entertainment, and humour * Smash Dragons *Firefight is filled with a spine-tingling adventure and heart-racing action that promises to satisfy fans both new and old * Fantasy Book Critic *Steelheart is the literature equivalent of a blockbuster; episodic and fast-paced with surprises around every turn. * SCI FI NOW *A terrifically tall tale, packaging the superhero action into compelling, punchy chapters that keep you reading. It's a fast, feisty read with characters that are skillfully drawn, assassinations, gunfights, physics bending motorcycle chases and a world you can't wait to hear more about. * SFX *Full of action * THE SUN *

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Book SynopsisColm Tóibín was born in Ireland in 1955. He is the author of several novels, including The Master, Brooklyn, and The Magician, and three collections of stories, including The News from Dublin. He has been three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2021, he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature. Tóibín was appointed the Laureate for Irish Fiction 2022-2024.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 'Beautiful, horrible... the most exciting discovery I've made in fiction for some time' Kazuo Ishiguro 'Smoky, carnal, dazzling' Lauren Groff Welcome to Buenos Aires, a place of nightmares and twisted imaginings, where missing children come back from the dead and unearthed bones carry terrible curses. Thrumming with murderous intentions, family betrayals and morbid desires, these stories shine a light on a violent city gripped by urban madness; giving voice to the lost, the oppressed and the forgotten. Lucid and darkly poetic, unsettling and otherworldly, these tales of revenge, witchcraft and fetishes are a masterpiece of contemporary Gothic and a bewitching exploration of the dark inclinations that threaten to lead us over the edge. 'I loved these twisted, lustful whispers in the dark' Daisy Johnson 'Queen of Latin American gothic' Financial TimesTrade ReviewAfter you've lived in Enriquez's marvellous brain for the time it takes to read The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, the known world feels ratcheted a few degrees off centre. Smoky, carnal and dazzling -- Lauren Groff, author of Fates and FuriesI loved these twisted, lustful whispers in the dark. There is serious power in this writing -- Daisy Johnson, author of SistersA weird and wonderful exploration of contemporary horror - cities falling apart, society turning on itself, the loneliness of the internet age. But more than that: these stories are fun. Wild, triggering, sinister, button-pushing fun -- Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious HeresiesRotting little ghosts, heartbeat fetishes, curses and witches and meat: each of these stories is a luscious, bewitching nightmare. I adore this book -- Kirsty Logan, author of The GracekeepersEnriquez's work: tainted rivers, corrupted streets, spoiled meat, slain children, deeply registers the horror of known commonplace. She writes her stories, based in the atmosphere of truth, with a darkly descriptive poetic turn -- Patti SmithEnriquez is a mesmerizing writer who demands to be read. Like Bolaño, she is interested in matters of life and death, and her fiction hits with the full force of a train -- Dave Eggers, author of The CircleSpine-tingling but stunning... these glittering, gothic stories are a force to be reckoned with, and Enriquez's talent and fearlessness is something to behold * Financial Times *Brilliantly unsettling... Tricking us into waiting for a ghost to "put out its head", Enriquez surprises us with real horror -- Chris Power * Guardian *Reminds us what a remarkable and twisted instrument [Enriquez's] imagination is... A heady brew -- Jane Graham * Big Issue *When it comes to book reviewing clichés, the word "haunting" is surely one of the tattiest, yet Mariana Enriquez's newly translated short story collection restores to that tired adjective all its most mysterious, fearful strangeness... an arrestingly original talent -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *A twisted mix of nightmarish desires and ink-black gothic... that will leave you shaken but secretly rather thrilled. Everything about these tales feels shockingly alive... Darkly comic * The Times *[Mariana Enriquez] reaffirms her claim to the title of queen of Latin American gothic * Financial Times *[A] spine-tingling, luminous collection whose enthralling characters all dance across the spectral line between our world and the beyond -- Best books of 2021 * Oprah Daily *Argentinian writer Mariana Enriquez is a highly persuasive cinematic and visceral spell-caster with an apparent desire to plant immovable nightmarish seeds in the brains of her readers... The Dangers of Smoking in Bed showcase[s] her extraordinary imagination * Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisFrom the creators of The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits comes a third collaboration between the biggest names in historical fiction.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1967, this book consists of three short novellas on the theme of women''s vulnerability in the first, to the process of ageing, in the second to loneliness, and, in the third, to the growing indifference of a loved one.THE WOMAN DESTROYED is a collection of three stories, each an exquisite and passionate study of a woman trapped by circumstances, trying to rebuild her life.In the first story, The Age of Discretion', a successful scholar fast approaching middle age faces a double shock her son's abandonment of the career she has chosen for him and the harsh critical rejection of her latest academic work. The Monologue' is an extraordinary New Year's Eve outpouring of invective from a woman consumed with bitterness and loneliness after her son and her husband have left home. Finally, in The Woman Destroyed', Simone de Beauvoir tells the story of Monique, trying desperately to resurrect her life after her husband confesses to an affair with a younger woman.Compassionate, lucid, full of wit and knowing, Simone de Beauvoir's rare insight into the inequalities and complexities of women's lives is unsurpassable.Trade ReviewPraise for THE WOMAN DESTROYED: ‘In these immensely intelligent stories about the decay of passion, Simone de Beauvoir shares with other women novelists the ability to write about emotion in terms of direct experience. What is unique and supremely valuable in her work is the capacity to retain at the same time a coolness and critical detachment towards her material.’ Sunday Times ‘Intensely readable, with a return to warmth and identification with the characters that made THE MANDARINS outstanding’ New Statesman Praise for Simone de Beauvoir: ‘Simone de Beauvoir is a writer whose every work I pounce on eagerly – her vision is so wide, the tale she tells is so interesting, her characterisation so psychologically profound’ YORKSHIRE POST ‘Simone de Beauvoir has the true novelist's gift of selecting detail and creating individuals whilst refusing to sum up situations’ A.S. BYATT

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Book SynopsisWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HELEN SIMPSON From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.Trade ReviewFairy tales reimagined for feminist times * Grazia *She was, among other things, a quirky, original, and baroque stylist, a trait especially marked in The Bloody Chamber - her vocabulary a mix of finely tuned phrase, luscious adjective, witty aphorism, and hearty, up-theirs vulgarity -- Margaret Atwood * Observer *Magnificent set pieces of fastidious sensuality -- Ian McEwanShe can glide from ancient to modern, from darkness to luminosity, from depravity to comedy without any hint of strain and without losing the elusive power of the original tales * The Times *The Bloody Chamber is such an important book to me. Angela Carter, for me, is still the one who said: ‘You see these fairy stories, these things that are sitting at the back of the nursery shelves? Actually, each one of them is a loaded gun. Each of them is a bomb. Watch: if you turn it right it will blow up.’ And we all went: ‘Oh my gosh, she’s right—you can blow things up with these!’ -- Neil Gaiman * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisAn unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners of Norwegian."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 Norwegian for Beginners has been written especially for students from high-beginner to low-intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, a feeling of progress and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, these eight captivating stories are designed to give you a sense of achievement and a feeling of progress when reading.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 to help you progress confidently-Authentic 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-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!'Carefully curated to make learning a new language easy, these stories include key features that will support and consolidate your progress, including: - A glossary for bolded words in each chapter- Full plot summary- A bilingual word list- 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. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Norwegian for Beginners will make learning Norwegian easy and enjoyable.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. I love his work - and you will too! * Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers *

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Book SynopsisA STUNNING NEW HARDBACK COLLECTION OF DAPHNE DU MAURIER''S THIRTEEN DARKEST STORIES - INTRODUCED BY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER STEPHEN KING''Her talent is a bright light that will guide you. These remarkable stories await'' STEPHEN KING''A marvellously dark, unsettling collection. I loved it'' SARAH WATERS''Unputdownable . . . After Midnight promises to never let you sleep again'' LUCY ROSE''Daphne du Maurier is the Godmother of Fear'' ALICE SLATER***On a sharp December day, the wind changes - and the birds begin to gather. In the twisting alleyways of Venice, a grieving couple catch a glimpse of their lost child. A woman returns home to find no trace of her existence. From the inimitable imagination of Daphne du Maurier, these thirteen stories pierce to the dark heart of our relationships: between men and women, humanity and nature, love and obsession, the future and the past. Uncanny, provocative and spine-crawlingly terrifying, these tales will keep you up long after midnight. Whatever you do, don''t look now . . .PRAISE FOR DAPHNE DU MAURIER:''Masterful, troubling and wickedly seductive'' Sarah Perry''Du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand in fiction'' Maggie O''Farrell''She was able to make worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable, not as they seem'' Olivia Laing''The master of slow-burning menace'' Stacey Halls''Daphne du Maurier remains the indisputable queen of the sophisticated literary thriller . . . often imitated and never, ever surpassed'' Laura Shepperson''A glittering collection of dark gems . . . Du Maurier was the queen of creepiness, and a writer of extraordinary talent. These stories will introduce you to her dark imaginings and keep you up well into the night. Do have nightmares. They''ll be good ones'' Anna Mazzola

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERDon''t miss the brand new collection of never-before-seen ghostly tales from these eight authors plus four more. The Winter Spirits is out in October 2023 and available to pre-order now. ''You won''t find a more thrilling winter read this year, or a better line up of writers who have mastered the gothic and ghostly.'' SARA COLLINS, Costa Award-winning author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton Featuring new and original tales from: Bridget Collins Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding Imogen Hermes Gowar Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock Kiran Millwood Hargrave Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mercies Andrew Michael Hurley Sunday Times bestselling author of The Loney Jess Kidd International award-winning author of Things in Jars Elizabeth Macneal Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory Natasha Pulley Sunday Times bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street Laura Purcell Award-winning author of The Silent Companions ______________Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition, the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a ghost story.Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors - all of them master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre - bring the tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding new collection of original spine-tingling tales.Taking you from the frosty Fens to the wild Yorkshire moors, to the snow-covered grounds of a haunted estate, to a bustling London Christmas market, these mesmerizing stories will capture your imagination and serve as your indispensable companion to the cold, dark nights. So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past . . .Trade ReviewThe chilling tales of The Haunting Season will make you feel oddly cosy, in the way that only the best ghost stories can. Exquisitely crafted from some of the finest British writers, I enjoyed every word. -- Francine Toon, Sunday Times bestselling author of 'Pine'Gorgeous, macabre, beautifully crafted . . .a brilliant re-making of an old tradition, and this is a book destined to be read and re-read through many a long winter night -- Amanda Mason, author of 'The Wayward Girls'You won't a more thrilling winter read this year, or a better line up of writers who have mastered the gothic and ghostly. -- Sara Collins, Costa Award-winning author of 'The Confessions of Frannie Langton'It lured me in, then held me fast. A gut-wrenching collection of ghostly tales, at once sumptuous and thrilling, rich and raw. Powerful, original and beautifully written, I didn't want them to end. -- Joanne Burn, author of 'The Hemlock Cure'The Haunting Season contains stories by some of our finest contemporary writers - between them, they revitalize the traditional winter's tale with vibrant, tense writing that will haunt you long after you finish reading -- Jenn Ashworth, author of 'A Kind of Intimacy'The Haunting Season was an absolute treat. Eight gloriously gothic and ghostly tales from some of our best historical writers. Spectral chess, haunted chairs and stories of survival and psychosis. Brilliantly chilling writing. -- Anna Mazzola, author of 'The Unseeing'From today's finest writers of suspense, horror and historical fiction comes a chocolate-box collection of stories to savour alone or share ... Best read by candlelight. * Metro *An array of celebrated writers have contributed spooky stories to this beautifully produced book * Daily Express *Curl up with a hot chocolate but maybe leave the lights on * Prima *You can't go wrong with this creepy collection of 'ghostly tales for long winter nights', from an absolutely stellar cast of writers ... I had to sleep with the lights on after I'd read it * Red *What a line-up of authors ... these classic tales, intended to be read by candlelight, will thrill lovers of old fashioned, spooky tales * Woman *Prepare to be spooked by these eight fantastically frightening tales ... best read by candlelight (if you dare....) * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson''s first collection of short fiction.These wonderful works, originally published individually, have been collected for the first time and convey the true expanse of the Cosmere. Telling the exciting tales of adventure Sanderson fans have come to expect, Arcanum Unbounded include the Hugo Award-winning novella ''The Emperor''s Soul'', an excerpt from the graphic novel ''White Sand'', and the never-before-published Stormlight Archive novella ''Edgedancer''.The collection will include nine works in all:''Edgedancer'' (Stormlight Archive)''The Hope of Elantris'' (Elantris)''The Eleventh Metal'' (Mistborn)''The Emperor''s Soul'' (Elantris)''Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania'' (excerpt; Mistborn)''White Sand'' (excerpt; Taldain)''Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell'' (Threnody) ''SixTrade Reviewanother brisk YA fantasy from Sanderson - inventive, action-stuffed and surprising until the end * SFX *This collection is required reading for Sanderson fans, offering plenty for new readers who are undeterred by learning too much. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Steelheart is the literature equivalent of a blockbuster; episodic and fast-paced with surprises around every turn. * SCI FI NOW *Fans of Sanderson's other works will eagerly devour this collection, in which familiar characters return and familiar worlds are further explored. * KIRKUS REVIEWS *Full of action * THE SUN *as always, Brandon Sanderson creates a unique and interesting universe we get to explore alongside the protagonist...a fun, action packed ride for those of us who remain a child at heart. * Best Fantasy Books *The world of The Reckoners is suddenly presented in all its glory. It's an incredibly vibrant setting that showcases the entire breadth of Sanderson's talent. Expect to finish this one in single sitting. * Upcoming 4 Me *The stories are complex, fascinating, and filled to the brim with three-dimensional characters * Fantasy Book Review *Firefight is a visual, almost cinematic novel * Buzzy Mag *Firefight is a rollercoaster ride of action, entertainment, and humour * Smash Dragons *Firefight is filled with a spine-tingling adventure and heart-racing action that promises to satisfy fans both new and old * Fantasy Book Critic *Steelheart is the literature equivalent of a blockbuster; episodic and fast-paced with surprises around every turn. * SCI FI NOW *A terrifically tall tale, packaging the superhero action into compelling, punchy chapters that keep you reading. It's a fast, feisty read with characters that are skillfully drawn, assassinations, gunfights, physics bending motorcycle chases and a world you can't wait to hear more about. * SFX *Full of action * THE SUN *

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Book Synopsis'There are four ways in but no way out ...'In 'Jack Squat', unemployed Gordon and his partner Omar see a money-making opportunity helping expats buy homes in southern Italy. But their scheme catches up with them after the first home they sell, curiously built with four entrances but no connecting doors inside, is revealed to have a dark history.In 'The Niche', mercilessly bullied schoolboy Billy Lender finds a hiding place in a nook in the school corridor and begins to hear whispers: the voice of a mysterious friend who will help him to plot a devastating revenge.Trade Review'In these expertly-crafted stories the consequences of moral corrosion are truly frightening. There are terrible things in the shadows - and we made them. Charles Lambert is a terrific, devious storyteller." - Owen King, author of Double Feature and co-author of Sleeping Beauties 'Gripping' Attitude Magazine 'Jack Squat ... A charming, elegantly written novella. [...] The Niche ... Deeply poignant.' TLS 'Odd, disturbing and original... two elegant novellas.' Sunday Express 'Genuinely horrifying, but subtle and unique' The Literary Sofa 'Charles Lambert could one day attain classic status.' Maggie Gee 'This disquieting novel is surely one of the year's most bizarre stories... Mr. Lambert's subtle prose enhances the novel's creepiness, as does his refusal to fully resolve or explain its many mysteries.' New York Times 'Charles Lambert is a seriously good writer' Dame Beryl Bainbridge 'Compulsively readable, a one-of-a-kind literary horror story' Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisWalking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black is the only story collection from the legendary writer, actress, ex-biker and columnist Cookie Mueller, published in the UK for the first time.Mueller chronicles her high-risk, high-reward life in glorious technicolour, from becoming a part of John Waters' legendary acting troupe to becoming a mother, from describing the hedonism of 1980s New York to critiquing the government's dire response to the AIDS epidemic. Cookie's voice is fresh, wise, freewheeling and unafraid of darkness. Like a lysergic Nora Ephron, she is the candid flipside to the idealistic hippie dream. Whether good, bad or ugly, her stories are fiercely entertaining and reliably honest.Featuring a new introduction by Olivia Laing, this edition collects Mueller's stories, columns and writings, and presents a testament to a life lived courageously and well.Trade ReviewA how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism and cruelty -- OLIVIA LAINGCookie Mueller wrote like a lunatic Uncle Remus - spinning little stories from Hell that will make any reader laugh out loud. She was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch doctor, an art-hag and, above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl -- JOHN WATERSPeople fall in love with Cookie when they read her . . . She was a matchless beautician of the word -- RICHARD HELLUtterly fearless and stunning -- Steven Long * * The Crack Magazine * *Table of Contents'A how-to manual for a life ricocheting joyously off the rails . . . a live corrective to conformity, conservatism and cruelty' - OLIVIA LAING'Cookie Mueller wrote like a lunatic Uncle Remus - spinning little stories from Hell that will make any reader laugh out loud. She was a writer, a mother, an outlaw, an actress, a fashion designer, a go-go dancer, a witch doctor, an art-hag and, above all, a goddess. Boy, do I miss that girl' - JOHN WATERS'People fall in love with Cookie when they read her . . . She was a matchless beautician of the word' - RICHARD HELL

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Book SynopsisThe strange and wonderful tale of man’s experiences on Mars, filled with intense images and astonishing visions.The classic work that transformed Ray Bradbury into a household name.Trade Review‘The bitter irony of The Martian Chronicles is both stark and shocking’ Guardian ‘As a science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury has long been streets ahead of anyone else’ Daily Telegraph ‘The sheer velocity of his words is an apocalyptic torrent which sweeps the reader on’ Independent ‘No other writer uses language with greater originality and zest. he seems to be a American Dylan Thomas’ Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisNew rejacketed edition of the classic of American literature. The story of a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.Trade Review'Cisneros writes from the heart of a child - bluntly and truthfully ... Everyone needs this book' Los Angeles Times 'Memorable ... the voice is unmistakable' Independent 'Cisneros draws on her rich [Latino] heritage ... and seduces with precise spare prose, creating unforgettable characters we want to lift off the page. She is not only a gifted writer but an absolutely essential one' New York Times Book Review 'Marvellous ... spare yet luminous. The subtle power of Cisneros's storytelling is evident. She communicates all the rapture and rage of growing up in a modern world' San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisAs influential and revelatory in its day as Fifty Shades of Grey is now, Anaïs Nin''s Delta of Venus is a groundbreaking anthology of erotic short stories, published in Penguin Modern ClassicsIn Delta of Venus Anaïs Nin conjures up a glittering cascade of sexual encounters. Creating her own ''language of the senses'', she explores an area that was previously the domain of male writers and brings to it her own unique perceptions. Her vibrant and impassioned prose evokes the essence of female sexuality in a world where only love has meaning.This edition includes a preface adapted from Anaïs Nin''s diary that establishes a context for the work''s gestation, and a postscript to her diary entries in which she explains her desire to use ''women''s language, seeing sexual experience from a woman''s point of view''.Anaïs Nin (1903-1977), born in Paris, was the daughter of a Franco-Danish singer and a Cuban pianist. Her first book - a defence of D

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Book SynopsisA riveting selection of short stories in Spanish alongside their English translations This new dual-language edition of ten stories selected from The Penguin Book of Spanish Short Stories celebrates some of the very best twentieth-century literature from Spain. Each story appears in Spanish alongside an expert English translation, providing unique cultural insight and literary inspiration for language learners. Ranging from a poignant tale of betrayal to a darkly humorous exchange between wedding guests, this captivating collection includes works from authors such as Leopoldo Alas (Clarín), Cristina Fernández Cubas, Medardo Fraile, Carmen Martín Gaite, Karmele Jaio, Carmen Laforet, Javier Marías, Carme Riera, Manuel Rivas, and Esther Tusquets.

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Book SynopsisContains: The Umbrella Man; Dip in the Pool; The Butler; The Hitchhiker; Mr Botibol; My Lady Love, My Dove; The Way Up to Heaven; Parson''s Pleasure; The Sound Machine; The Wish.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA giant of 20th-century science fiction * Guardian *A Jorge Luis Borges for the Space Age * New York Times *The linguistic inventiveness is extraordinary ... Lem has created a curious world in which robots and rockets rub shoulders with kings, dragons, witches and pirates * Independent on Sunday *

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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 SynopsisRead the original stories which were adapted into the celebrated films STAND BY ME, APT PUPIL and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, voted the world''s most popular movie - now with a stunning new cover look. In this classic collection of four novellas, the grand master takes you on irresistible journeys into the far reaches of horror, heartache and hope.Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is the story of two men convicted of murder - one guilty, one innocent - who form the perfect partnership as they dream up a scheme to escape from prison.In Apt Pupil a golden schoolboy entices an old man with a past to join in a dreadful union. The Body sees four young boys venture into the woods and find life, death . . . and the end of innocence.The Breathing Method is the tale of a doctor who goes to his club and discovers a woman determined to give birth - no matter what.Trade ReviewTriumphant . . . Stephen King remains a master * New York Times *Triumphant . . . Stephen King remains a master * New York Times *An incredibly gifted writer * Guardian *An incredibly gifted writer * Guardian *Triumphant . . . Stephen King remains a master. * New York Times *An incredibly gifted writer. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAssembled here in tribute to these relics of a lost age are accounts of terrifying spirits haunting Stonehenge itself, stories of awful fates for those who impose modernity on the sacred sites and grim tales in which unwitting trespassers into the eternal rites of pagan worship find themselves part of an enduring legacy of blood.

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Book SynopsisJames Joyce (1882-1941) was born and educated in Dublin. Although he spent most of his adult life outside Ireland, Joyce's psychological and fictional universe is firmly rooted in his native Dublin, the city which provides the settings and much of the subject matter for all his fiction. He is best known for his landmark novel Ulysses (1922) and its controversial successor Finnegans Wake (1939), as well as the short story collection Dubliners (1914) and the semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916).

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Book SynopsisTwenty-three illustrated gothic tales from the dark corridors of the imagination of Tim Burton. Burton - the creative genius behind Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Nightmare Before Christmas, among others - now gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children: misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and tragedy of these hopeful, yet hapless beings.

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Book SynopsisThe debut collection from the acclaimed author of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed and Our Share of Night. 'An utterly brilliant measure of deep existential terror... You [will] return home looking pale and haunted' Observer Sleep-deprived fathers conjuring phantoms; sharp-toothed children and stolen skulls; persecuted young women drawn to self-immolation. Organized crime sits side-by-side with the occult in Buenos Aires - a place where reality and the supernatural fuse into strange, new shapes. These acclaimed gothic tales follow the wayward and downtrodden, revealing the scars of Argentina's dictatorship and the ghosts and traumas that have settled in the minds of its people. Provocative, brutal and uncanny, Things We Lost in the Fire is contemporary gothic at its darkest and best. 'The only book that's ever left me afraid to turn out the lights... mercilessly incisive and deeply creepy' Irish Times 'Books of the Year' 'These spookily clear-eyed, elementally intense stories are the business' Helen OyeyemiTrade ReviewBright with brilliance... The stories [create] a sensibility as distinctive as that found in Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. They are a portrait of a world in fragments, a mirrorball made of razor blades -- John Self * Guardian *An utterly brilliant measure of deep existential terror ... you [will] return home looking pale and haunted -- ‘Best Summer Books’ selected by Mark O’Connell * Observer *Slim but phenomenal... The spookiness of these 12 stories sets into the reader's mind like a jet stone, sparkling through all that darkness * Vanity Fair *The only book that's ever left me afraid to turn out the lights... mercilessly incisive and deeply creepy -- ‘Books of the Year’ selected by Lisa McInerney * Irish Times *Fiction doesn't get much better than this -- John Ajvide Lindqvist, author * Let the Right One In *Teeming with death, sex and the macabre, this short-story collection by one of Argentina's rising literary talents might best be described as Buenos Aires gothic -- Best Summer Books * Financial Times *[Full of] claustrophobic terror... stylish and compelling -- Luke Brown * Financial Times *Propulsive and mesmerising... I will be haunted for some time by this book * New York Times Book Review *Enríquez is a mesmerizing writer who demands to be read... her fiction hits with the force of a freight train -- Dave Eggers, author * The Circle *Beautiful but savage... [Enriquez] gives the best horror stories a run for their money... This is the best short story collection I have read this year -- Lucy Scholes * National *An utterly brilliant measure of deep existential terror ... you [will] return home looking pale and haunted -- Best Summer Reads * Guardian *Exquisite... unsettling and haunting... engaging and compelling * New Internationalist *These spookily clear-eyed, elementally intense stories are the business. I find myself no more able to defend myself from their advances than Enríquez's funny, brutal, bruised characters are able to defend themselves from life as it's lived -- Helen Oyeyemi, author * Boy, Snow, Bird *It seems wrong, somehow to call this grouping of Mariana Enríquez's stories a collection. There is nothing collected about these stories. These stories unsettle; they disturb; they disquiet. Read them! -- Kelly Link, author * Get in Trouble *Many of us have long looked up to Mariana Enríquez, one of the great talents of the new literature from Argentina. Possibly the most intimate one. Her writing is a prodigious blend which reimagines certain traditions under that dreadful clarity we identify as an author's voice. Sharp and intricate, her genre awareness is deserving of nothing but my admiration. Sharing her work is great cause for celebration -- Andrés NeumanWhen I read Mariana Enríquez's stories, I forget where I am. I miss my subway stop. I hold my breath. Her fiction is that pulse-racingly superb, that electric and original. Mariana Enríquez is an essential voice in contemporary fiction, and The Things We Lost in the Fire will be a sensation -- Laura van den Berg, author * Find Me *Enriquez's stories are not only supremely important, but addictive and joyfully grotesque... Born from the scars of a nation, they will leave a lasting mark on you -- Alan Bett * Skinny *Gripping * Monocle *Enriquez scratches satisfyingly at Argentina's underbelly * Newsweek *A detailed cultural portrait and a blend of realistic fiction and fantasy, the stories feature spirits and murders, marriages happy and sad, friendships and heartaches, all against the backdrop of past and present Argentina... The author picks apart the intricacies of human relationships and lays them out on the page in a manner that is simple, but delicate...A thorough exploration of the human condition, -- Alice Kouzmenko * Storgy Online *

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Book SynopsisFaber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles. A family sets out on a road trip in the American South. The grandmother suggests they change course in order to avoid The Misfit, an escaped convict who's reportedly heading towards Florida. But when their car turns over in a ditch, who should they flag down for help but the very man whose picture they recognise from the paper . . .Flannery O'Connor's famous fifties story evokes heat and dust, family and feuding, God and grace and is utterly uncompromising in its brutality.Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.

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Book SynopsisFaber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles. When Ray turns up to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily, he's given a special task: to be so much his useless self that he makes Charlie look good by comparison.But Ray has his own buried feelings to contend with. Decades earlier, he and Emily would listen to jazz when they were alone, and now, as Sarah Vaughan sings through the speakers, he struggles to control everything the sound brings with it.In Kazuo Ishiguro's hands, a snapshot of domestic realism becomes a miniature masterpiece of memory and forgetting.Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.

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Book SynopsisStrangling vines and meat-hungry flora fill this unruly garden of strange stories, selected for their significance as the seeds of the villainous (or perhaps just misunderstood) `killer plant' in fiction, film and video games.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive editions of Philip K. Dick's short stories, containing some of the most defining works in the Science Fiction genreTrade ReviewOne of the most original practitioners writing any kind of fiction * Sunday Times *A fitting tribute to a great philosophical writer who found science fiction the ideal form the expression of his ideas -- The IndependentOne of the most original practitioners writing any kind of fiction. Philip K. Dick made most of the European avant-garde seem naval gazers in a cul-de-sac -- Sunday TimesDick quietly produced serious fiction in a popular form and there can be no greater praise -- Michael MoorcockNo other writer of his generation had such a powerful intellectual presence. He stamped himself no only on our memories but in our imaginations -- Brian Aldiss

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Book SynopsisAnaïs Nin''s Little Birds is published in Penguin Modern Classics.Anaïs Nin''s second volume of erotic short stories after Delta of Venus, Little Birds is broader in scope, encompassing the entire breadth of human sensuality. Each of the 13 stories captures a moment of pure desire, in all its complexity and paradoxical simplicity.Anaïs Nin (1903-77), born in Paris, was the daughter of a Franco-Danish singer and a Cuban pianist. Her first book - a defence of D. H. Lawrence - was published in the 1930s. Her prose poem, House of Incest (1936) was followed by the collection of three novellas, collected as Winter of Artifice (1939). In the 1940s she began to write erotica for an anonymous client, and these pieces are collected in Delta of Venus and Little Birds (both published posthumously). During her later years Anaïs Nin lectured frequently at universities throughout the USA, in 1974 and was elected to the United States National Institute of Arts and Letters.If you enjoyed Little Birds, you might like Nin''s Delta of Venus, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''One of the most extraordinary and unconventional writers of this century''The New York Times Book Review

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

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Book SynopsisThe most popular anthology of Jorge Luis Borges''s short stories, Fictions is a wildly original and influential collection of fantastic tales, translated from the Spanish with an afterword by Andrew Hurley in Penguin Modern Classics.Jorge Luis Borges''s Fictions introduced an entirely new voice into world literature. It is here that we find the astonishing accounts of ''Funes the Memorious'', the man who can forget nothing; ''Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote'', who recreates Miguel de Cervantes''s epic word-for-word; a society run on the basis of an all-encompassing game of chance in ''The Lottery in Babylon''; the mysterious world of ''Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius'' which seems to be supplanting our own ; and the ''Library of Babel'', which contains every possible book in the whole universe. Here too are the philosophical detective stories and the haunting tales of Irish revolutionaries, gaucho knife fights and dreams within dreams which proved

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Book Synopsis**ESCAPE FROM SPIDERHEAD NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX - STARRING CHRIS HEMSWORTH AND MILES TELLER**The prize-winning, New York Times bestselling short story collection from the internationally bestselling author of Lincoln in the Bardo''The best book you''ll read this year'' New York Times''Dazzlingly surreal stories about a failing America'' Sunday TimesWINNER OF THE 2014 FOLIO PRIZE AND SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2013George Saunders's most wryly hilarious and disturbing collection yet, Tenth of December illuminates human experience and explores figures lost in a labyrinth of troubling preoccupations.A family member recollects a backyard pole dressed for all occasions; Jeff faces horrifying ultimatums and the prospect of Darkenfloxx(TM) in some unusual drug trials; and Al Roosten hides his own internal monologue behind a winning smile that he hopes will maTrade ReviewThe best book you'll read this year * New York Times *Dazzlingly surreal stories about a failing America * Sunday Times *The best short story writer in English – not "one of", not "arguably", but the Best * Time Magazine *Riotously imaginative ... From one of the few living masters of the genre -- Books of the Year * Daily Telegraph *If you're a fan of dark, disturbing and satirical, George Saunders is your ideal travel companion -- Summer Reads * Daily Mail *Funny, poignant - in flashes, deeply moving - light as a feather and consistently weird -- Hari Kunzru * Guardian *

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