Short stories

Book SynopsisThis anthology, the first of this kind in twenty-five years, collects eighteen astounding works of Jewish fiction.This is the first anthology of translated multilingual Jewish fiction in 25 years: a collection of 18 splendid stories, each translated into English from a different language: Albanian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Ladino, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Yiddish. These compelling, humorous, and moving stories, written by eminent authors that include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Isaac Babel, and Lili Berger, reflect both the diversities and the commonalities within Jewish culture, and will make you laugh, cry, and think. This beautiful book is easily accessible and enjoyable not only for Jewish readers, but for story-lovers of all backgrounds.Authors (in the order they appear in the book) include: Elie Wiesel, Varda Fiszbein, S. Y. Agnon, Gábor T. Szántó, Jasminka Domaš, Augusto Segre, Lili Berger, Peter Sichrovsky, Maciej Płaza, Entela Kasi, Norman Manea, Luize Valente, Eliya Karmona, Birte Kont, Michel Fais, Irena Dousková, Mario Levi, and Isaac Babel.Trade Review“Gold... collects a remarkably diverse array of translated Jewish stories and novel excerpts... This broad and wide-ranging anthology is a fitting ode to the ‘nearly inexhaustible richness and strength’ of the Jewish multilingual tradition."— Publishers Weekly“The stories Gold has chosen are almost uniformly gripping. Not only do their plots compel and the skill of their respective translators astonish; they also move the reader to reflect on the multifarious moral dilemmas that have faced the Jewish people, both as Jews and simply as human beings, in all the lands of their dispersion and at all phases of their history. … There is variety and delight in these stories, whose provenance circles the globe. Deeper still is their reflection on the soul of an ancient people spinning dizzily in a modern world.”— Rabbi David Wolpe, Los Angeles Review of Books“Edit­ed by Nora Gold, the book deliv­ers on its promise to share beau­ti­ful­ly craft­ed fic­tion that trans­ports read­ers across the globe in fif­teen min­utes or few­er. … This book serves as a tes­ta­ment to the pow­er of trans­la­tion.”— Deb­o­rah Miller, Jewish Book Council“What a treasure!”— Alberto Manguel, Director of the National Library of the Argentine Republic“[F]iction, particularly when it reflects the diverse experience of Jewish life throughout the world, gives readers the power to know more and expand the perspectives of the Jewish world we thought we knew. … Buy this anthology particularly if you consider yourself a lover of Jewish literature. It’s an outstanding introduction to the rich diversity that exists in Jewish writing around the world these days.”— Aaron Howard, Jewish Herald-Voice“What the translations of these pieces show is that there is spiritual unity among the themes expressed in these stories that identify them with the bitter-sweet and tragic history of the Jewish people. … Five stars.”— Chicago Book Review“This is a landmark anthology. Nora Gold is a remarkable pioneer who has my heartfelt admiration.”— Cynthia Ozick“This book by Nora Gold is like a treasure chest of marvels, each story a gem from a different time and place. There are living marvels here from so many times and places and voices and experiences that every reader’s idea of Jewish literature will have to be fargresert un farbesert—enlarged and improved.”— Dara Horn, award-winning author of People Love Dead Jews and Eternal Life“Rich and varied, 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages reminds us how diverse the Jewish experience is. For anyone interested in Jewish literature, it's a must-read book and an important addition to the Jewish literary canon.”— Joshua Henkin, Winner of the Edward Lewis Wallant Award for American Jewish Fiction“With this remarkable book, Dr. Gold makes a signal contribution to the current state and study of contemporary Jewish literature. Her anthology offers readers a world tour of Jewish literatures in one volume: 18 works that are of consistently high quality and represent numerous linguistic traditions. I know of no other anthology like this. It deserves significant critical attention and certainly will be of interest to teachers, students, and readers of Jewish literature, comparative literature, and world literature.”— Adam Rovner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English & Jewish Literature, and Director, Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver“One thing is for certain: whether winners of the Nobel Prize or secret scribblers in remote Eastern European shtetls (or both), these writers have clung to their Judaism as if to their very being. Yet, ironically, it is this clinging to identity which makes this collection so universal. They are saying that, in all of the best and worst circumstances, this is who we are and who we shall remain. Nothing can change that. What a treat it is to ‘hear’ the voices from far and wide affirming our humanity.”— Joseph Kertes, Winner of a Canadian National Jewish Book Award and the U.S. National Jewish Book Award for Fiction“18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages explores the modern Jewish identity through the lenses of brutally honest writers. This luminous collection brims with unsettling glimpses of relatable moments, with evocative characters struggling to make sense of a mutable world. A crucial addition to Jewish fiction and an ideal book club choice, with countless themes for discussion.” — Shelly Sanders, Bestselling author of Daughters Of The Occupation (Harper Collins, 2022)“With editorial aplomb and resourcefulness, Gold has selected a wide variety of stories culled from the Jewish Diaspora. To shift the Biblical paradigm, one could also imagine the multicoloured mosaic on the cover as a Joseph’s coat of many colours whose fabric is on display in each of these stories. That garment may be torn or mended – stitched together and stretched across the linguistic spectrum of the Diaspora. … From the Tower of Babel to Isaac Babel, Nora Gold’s 18 is a treasure-trove of translated stories.”— Michael Greenstein, The Miramichi Reader“Nora Gold’s 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages is a multilingual journey through Jewish culture. … Gold’s curation allows readers to explore the vastness of Jewish culture through the eyes of renowned authors, offering a collection that is not only culturally enriching but also universally resonant. And it is not just for Jewish readers; it is a must-read for all lovers of stories illuminating the human experience in all its complexity. … Nora Gold’s meticulous curation and the anthology’s unique features make it a standout contribution to the world of literary collections, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of Jewish literature.”— Norm Goldman, BookPleasures“Readers interested in Jewish literature will find much to enjoy in 18. The anthology definitely shows the richness of Jewish fiction across the world.”— Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton’s The ReporterTable of ContentsForeword by Josh Lambert Introduction by Nora Gold HostageElie Wiesel Translated from French by Catherine TemersonThe GuestVarda FiszbeinTranslated from Spanish by Andrea G. LabingerAnd The Crooked Shall Be Made StraightS. Y. AgnonTranslated from Hebrew by Michael P. KramerThe First ChristmasGábor T. SzántóTranslated from Hungarian by Walter Burgess and Marietta MorryPurimspielJasminka DomašTranslated from Croatian by Iskra PavlovićPurchase of Goods of Dubious OriginAugusto SegreTranslated from Italian by Steve SiporinThe Rebbetzin's Sense of JusticeLili BergerTranslated from Yiddish by Ronnee JaegerNew YorkPeter SichrovskyTranslated from German by John HowardGolemMaciej PłazaTranslated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-JonesFrozen Spring—Jerusalem ReturningEntela KasiTranslated from Albanian by the author with assistance from Sarah LawsonPlace of BirthNorman ManeaTranslated from Romanian by Jean HarrisSonata in AuschwitzLuize ValenteTranslated from Portuguese by Claudio BethencourtThe Washerwoman’s DaughterEliya KarmonaTranslated from Judeo-Spanish by Michael AlpertA Place NowhereBirte KontTranslated from Danish by Nina SokolThe ResearcherMichel FaisTranslated from Greek by Mina KaravantaLuckIrena DouskováTranslated from Czech by David LivingstoneWhere Were You When Darkness FellMario LeviTranslated from Turkish by Leyla Tonguç BasmaciRed CavalryIsaac BabelTranslated from Russian by Boris DralyukAcknowledgmentsContributorsNotes

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Book Synopsis''A beautiful and darkly funny book of linked stories covering two decades in the lives of a group of people on the island of Guernsey'' Belfast Telegraph Annie needs to lose her virginity, so she''s waiting in a car park for Paul.Paul needs drugs for the party, but he''s got to keep an eye on his sister, Josie.Josie needs a father figure. Or that''s how it seems to her driving instructor, Neil.Eva needs to get away from the island. She could do without bumping into the school bully, Kat.Claire needs to drink herself into the mood for the hen do. But she''s been betrayed by her childhood friend, Becky. And she can''t stop thinking about what''s happened to her sister, Kat...''Riotously human and authentic'' NIAMH CAMPBELL''Wonderful, vivid, bittersweet'' SARA BAUME''Gritty, dark and joyful'' MICHELLE GTrade ReviewA beautiful and darkly funny book of linked stories covering two decades in the lives of a group of people on the island of Guernsey. Their desperate need for connection - and the lengths they're willing to go to - are depicted with empathy and dry humour * Belfast Telegraph *Witty, gritty ... a poetic portrait of Guernsey's grubby underside * Daily Mail *Assured ... Thomas writes with compassion and humanity -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *Compelling and engaging * Entertainment Focus *A wonderful, vivid, bittersweet collection, a universal insight into the unglamorous lives of glamorous places. -- Sara Baume, author of Spill, Simmer, Falter, WitherIslanders is a gritty, dark and joyful book about a complex cast of characters. Every one of these stories reveals gleams of love and tenderness; every one of them packs a punch -- Michelle Gallen, author of Big Girl, Small TownYou feel everything in this book. Textured, intense, claustrophobic but riotously human and authentic. -- Niamh Campbell, author of This HappyA layered, immersive and sensory collection, Islanders pulses with life and pathos. Cathy Thomas weaves these overlapping and intersecting stories with finesse, humour, and breathtaking precision. I loved it -- Eimear Ryan, author of Holding Her BreathIslanders is elegant, gritty, funny and unflinching, full of the joys and pains of life, and with a remarkable sense of place. I gulped it down and wanted more. Utterly wonderful. -- Luiza Sauma, Everything You Ever WantedThe thwarted, unorganised, and chaotic rituals of youth are wonderfully evoked, as are the ruptures in those adult lives that have become stale, untruthful, and painful; an affecting and funny debut -- Oisín Fagan, author of NobberThese stories are so good. With beautiful and devastating precision, Cathy Thomas has crafted an unforgettable portrait of her island homeland Guernsey, revealed through a web of frail, flawed and - against all odds - connected human lives. -- Mia Gallagher, author of ShiftI devoured these stories. With impressive range and beautifully precise observations, Thomas writes about what home and homesickness really means, the impact of regret, and the challenges of truly growing up. A voice to watch -- Julianne Pachico, author of The AnthillAn immensely readable debut, full of pathos ... Every place should have a writer like Cathy Thomas to tell its stories; Guernsey is very lucky to have her -- Barney Norris, author of Five Rivers Met on a Wooded PlainFresh and funny and so sharply observed -- Jan Carson, author of The RapturesThe shared but multifaceted claustrophobia of these interwoven lives is intoxicating. Cathy Thomas has a real talent for capturing the specific ennui, yearning, and resignation that occur within a small, resected place; the thoughts that hide behind innocuous conversations, the traitorous desires. This is a sticky, sensory, and very clever collection. -- Susannah Dickey, author of Tennis LessonsA vivid collection of short stories, each one unlocking the next, written in luminous prose that shares the whip and sting of the English Channel its characters call home. Cathy Thomas has given us an island that is never silent, a world of peer pressure, drunk driving and yawning cliffs. This thoughtful, generous work will linger in the memory -- James Clarke, author of Hollow in the LandFunny, complex and painfully insightful, full of empathy without a sniff of sentimentality. The stories are shot through with exquisite details, and descriptions so evocative they left me stunned. Thomas draws the curtain around her reader and her characters, so that while you are with them, each of these tiny lives matters more than any other - what a feat -- Elske Rahill, author of An UnravellingSuperbly crafted * Guernsey Press *

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Book SynopsisTaking us from a sweltering Indian rooftop at night to the marble halls of an ageing Bollywood star''s palace, this is a new collection of short stories from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.A wedding is planned between two innocents at a crumbling mansion of a grand Hudson Valley estate, while among the white-socked convent girls of post-colonial New Delhi a mixed-race couple contemplate their son''s alienation and the failure of hope. A young English girl infiltrates Fifth Avenue theatrical royalty and a lovely Broadway starlet exacts a clever, protracted revenge against her nemesis. Speaking of mortality and family rivalry, of the transfer of power from old to young, of love and the loss of innocence, this is a delicious assortment of fairytales and parables.Trade ReviewA writer of genius . . . a master storyteller * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisIn their moral tales, writers such as Hannah More, Amelia Opie, and Maria Edgeworth embraced explicitly didactic aims, seeking to instill normative moral behavior in their readers while entertaining them with vivid, emotional storytelling. In More's 'Tawney Rachel,' for example, a servant girl suffers severe consequences for succumbing to superstition; in Opie's 'The Black Velvet Pelisse,' a young woman is rewarded for a charitable act with a desirable marriage; and in Edgeworth's 'The Dun,' a wealthy man's selfishness destroys a poor family before he finally sees the error of his ways.This edition offers a selection of five short fictions by More, Opie, and Edgeworth-the best-known writers of the moral tale-prefaced by a critical introduction to the genre and its place in the complex and fascinating debates surrounding the writing and reading of fiction in the Romantic period. The volume concludes with a variety of background materials that help situate the moral tale in its late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century literary contexts, including moral tales for children, theories of education, and contemporary reviews.Trade Review“This is a fascinating and thought-provoking book. Arguing that writing moral tales was women writers’ solution to the disparagement of the novel, Robin Runia’s selection of stories by Hannah More, Amelia Opie and Maria Edgeworth, three popular authors, provides interesting and stimulating illustrations of their different use of the genre. However, Runia does more than this: she includes, for each writer, excerpts from contemporary critical reviews. This gives us an insight not just into the contemporary reception of their work but into the criteria that critics used for these judgements, a most important one being educating and improving the reader. Unusually but commendably, Runia includes in her discussion the moral tales for children by Edgeworth and Opie, providing as context the didactic advice about suitable reading for children and about female education purveyed in two of the most important educational texts of the late 18th century, Practical Education and Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education. This book will be ‘amusing and instructive’ to scholars, students, and general readers alike.” — Michele Cohen, UCL Institute of Education"Professor Robin Runia’s Broadview edition of Moral Tales will appeal to a broad range of readers with interests in the long eighteenth century and Romanticism, the histories of the novel, gender, popular culture and education, and in the distinctive works of Hannah More, Amelie Opie, and Maria Edgeworth, the writers featured in the volume. The stories included are fascinating, rich and compelling, the notes helpful, the contexts (with contemporary reviews, illustrations and commentary) illuminating. Runia’s splendid introduction alone, lucidly placing the moral tale and writers in their respective contexts, is worth the price of the volume. This book should be required reading for any student interested in the long eighteenth century and in how the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries understood themselves." — Christopher Fox, University of Notre Dame“Robin Runia’s Moral Tales provides an excellent introduction to Hannah More, Amelia Opie, and Maria Edgeworth—three leading female authors at the turn of the nineteenth century—and some of their short fictions from the oft-neglected, though popular didactic genre. The contexts from contemporary reviewers and conduct books, as well as their connections to early children’s literature, are useful for student readers and convincingly demonstrate the significance of these works.” — Hilary Havens, University of Tennessee“This well-researched edition shows how moral tales became a mode of resistance to derogatory perceptions of women writers and readers of the English sentimental novel in the late eighteenth century. Runia shows how the moral tale was developed in reaction to the English sentimental novel; how it broadened women’s authority; and how it became a highly versatile form that could be adapted to suit the political positions of writers as diverse as Hannah More, Amelia Opie, and Maria Edgeworth. In an introduction that clearly demonstrates how the moral tale was used for diverse purposes, Runia places the moral tale beside the sentimental novel, not apart from it. This fine and readable edition also includes contemporaneous reviews and selections from other texts by the three writers, which add literary and social context that expands our knowledge of the history of genre, gender, and the English novel.” — Rebecca Shapiro, City University of New York“The rise of the British ‘moral tale’ in the early nineteenth century promoted powerful female authors, advanced far-ranging pragmatic educational theories, and established the genre that flourished in the following decades as the Golden Age of children’s literature. Robin Runia’s collection, Moral Tales, focuses on three influential figures: Hannah More, Amelia Opie, and Maria Edgeworth, supplying biographical information, cultural context, and readable samples from each one. This book will be a useful reference guide for advanced scholars; Runia has employed extensive archival knowledge to excavate both the most essential and the most accessible materials. Professors teaching Women’s and Gender Studies, Education, and Romantic Literature will find it invaluable, since the material deals explicitly with issues of class, gender, and the impact of military service. They show a side of the period erased by canonical Romantic fiction and will provoke passionate discussions among twenty-first century students.” — Katharine Kittredge, Ithaca College“Robin Runia’s Broadview edition of Moral Tales reminds scholars and students that the Romantic-era’s publishing landscape was rich and diverse. It is past time that scholars set the essays, poetry, and novels of Hannah More, Amelia Opie, and Maria Edgeworth into conversation with their tales, and this ground-breaking teaching edition allows us to do so.” — Roxanne Eberle, University of GeorgiaTable of ContentsIntroduction The Moral Tale Hannah More Amelia Alderson Opie Maria Edgeworth Moral Tales: A Selection Hannah More, 'Tawney Rachel,' Cheap Repository Tracts (1796-97) Hannah More, 'The Servant Man Turned Soldier,' Cheap Repository Tracts (1796-97) Amelia Opie, 'The Black Velvet Pelisse,' Simple Tales (1806) Amelia Opie, 'The Soldier's Return,' Simple Tales (1806) Maria Edgeworth, 'The Dun,' Tales of Fashionable Life (1809) In Context A. Contemporary Reviews 1. from anonymous, review of 'Cheap Repository Tracts,' The Evangelical Magazine (October 1795) 2. from anonymous, review of 'Cheap Repository Tracts,' Critical Review (October 1797) 3. from anonymous, review of 'Simple Tales,' Literary Journal (August 1806) 4. from anonymous, review of 'Simple Tales,' Edinburgh Review (July 1806) 5. from anonymous, review of 'Simple Tales,' The Critical Review (August 1806) 6. from anonymous, review of 'Tales of Fashionable Life,' The Critical Review (July 1809) 7. from anonymous, 'On Edgeworth's Tales of Fashionable Life,' The Critical Review, or Annals of Literature (October 1809) B. Illustrations 1. Title page, 'Tawney Rachel,' from Hannah More, Cheap Repository Tracts (1796-97) 2. Title page, 'Servant Man Turned Soldier,' from Hannah More, Cheap Repository Tracts (1796-97) 3. Valentine Green after John Opie, 'A lady telling a gripping story to young women and children' (1785) 4. William Harvey, 'Ennui' [Frontispiece engraving], in Maria Edgeworth's Tales and Novels, Volume 6 (1832) C. Tales for Children 1. Maria Edgeworth, 'Tarlton,' The Parent's Assistant (1796) 2. Amelia Opie, 'The Little Boy and His Lame Dog,' Tales of the Pemberton Family (1825) D. Educating Readers 1. from Maria and Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Practical Education (1798) 2. from Hannah More, Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education with a View to the Principles and Conduct of Women of Rank and Fortune (1799; 1809)

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Book SynopsisFinalist for the Indigenous Voices Awards. On the edge of normal, challenges take many forms—the everyday can be an adventure and the ordinary a triumph. A young woman in a group home investigates a mysterious piece of knitting. An obsessed bag boy does grim battle with a squirrel. A woman, an asparagus bag and a garbageman have a tumultuous short-term relationship. Otherwise unremarkable achievements become epic on the edge of normal. In the tradition of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Room and If I Fall, If I Die, this uplifting short story collection explores the world through the eyes of protagonists whose perspectives are informed by their unique circumstances. Some are struggling with physical challenges while others seek to overcome psychological barriers. Far from being defined by their limitations, these characters revel in achievements others take for granted and find wonder in unexpected places. By celebrating the private triumphs of people who are all too often dismissed, Ashton reminds us all of our own humanity.

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Book SynopsisDedicated to that ominous strain of horror that sends a shiver down your spine, this selection of masterful tales gathers the weird and wonderful from a rich tradition of genre writing. The sound of a sinister tread in an apparently abandoned house; mysterious crimes committed in the dead of night; a glimpse of a monstrous apparition through the murky gloom: all find their home here. This latest anthology in the popular series of Gothic Fantasy collections features new stories by contemporary authors alongside classic tales by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edith Nesbit, Sheridan Le Fanu, Edith Wharton, M.R. James and more. The modern writers included are: Ramsey Campbell, P.G. Galalis, Kevin J.J. Gallivan, Ali Habashi, Maria Haskins, S.R. Masters, Damien Mckeating, John Moralee, Aeryn Rudel, David Schmidt, Cody Schroeder, Shana Scott, Anna Taborska, D.A. Watson, Nemma Wollenfang, and Anna Ziegelhof.

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Book SynopsisMany feminists are concerned about the way transgender ideology naturalizes patriarchal views of sex stereotypes, and encourages transition as a way of attempting to escape misogyny. In this brave and thoughtful book, Max Robinson goes beyond the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of the transition she underwent and takes us through the processes that led her, first, to transition in an attempt to get relief from her distress, and then to detransition, as she discovered feminist thought and community. The author makes a case for a world in which all medical interventions for the purpose of assimilation are open to criticism. This book is a far-reaching discussion of women’s struggles to survive under patriarchy, which draws upon a legacy of radical and lesbian feminist ideas to arrive at conclusions. Robinson’s bold discussion of both transition and detransition is meant to provoke a much-needed conversation about who benefits from transgender medicine and who has to bear the hidden cost of these interventions.

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Book SynopsisCommissioned by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, these tales of dangerous women by the most stellar names in fiction are available for the first time in three-volume paperback.George R.R. Martin is the bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration for HBO's hit series GAME OF THRONES.This second volume features an original short story by Megan Lindholm (who also writes as Robin Hobb). In the bittersweet Neighbors' Sarah, a rather strange widow, lives isolated and alone, surrounded by young families. But is the old lady afflicted by dementia or by something far more odd?Other contributors to this volume of stories of formidable women include worldwide bestselling authors Diana Gabaldon, with an Outlander story, Sharon Kay Penman and Lev Grossman.DANGEROUS WOMEN 2Gardner Dozois's introductionMegan Lindholm, Neighbors'Lev Grossman, The Girl in the Mirror'Sharon Kay Penman, A Queen in Exile'S. M. Stirling, Pronouncing Doom'Caroline Spector, Lies My Mother Told Me'SamTrade Review‘This meaty collection delivers something for nearly every reader’s taste as it explores the heights that brave women can reach and the depths that depraved ones can plumb’Publisher’s Weekly ‘Reads like Martin’s outline for a Game of Thrones prequel that never wasEntertainment Weekly

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Book SynopsisLife has so many facets, so that our preparations for it should be manifold. This means covering a wide area of activities that may range from simple to the most complicated .It is the reason that man is described as a social animal. The magic world that makes human life dynamic and makes him a multi colored shell on the shore of sea of society is emotion. Emotions have strong link with urges, need and interests. If they are satisfied, an individual is said to be enjoying a happy life and is emotionally stable, balance and health..Trade ReviewHer worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend * THE TIMES *Le Guin is a writer of enormous intelligence and wit, a master storyteller with the humor and the force of a Twain * BOSTON GLOBE *Eleven hauntingly written short stories . . . The view is lively, haunting, infinite * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *ORSINIAN TALES . . . represents the delicate, well-polished woodcarving of a woman who has created whole forests with words . . . lovely and sophisticated * PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER *

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking voice in contemporary Latin American literature, María Fernanda Ampuero confronts machismo, inequity, and violence in her latest short story collection. An undocumented woman answers a job posting only to find herself held hostage, a group of outcasts obsess over popular boys drowned while surfing, and two girls suspect sinister behavior from the missionaries lodging in their home. Simultaneously terrifying and exquisite, Human Sacrifices is “tropical gothic” at its finest. Ampuero considers the decay and oppression beneath the surface of our humid and hostile world, where those on the margins must pay the price for the comfort and safety of the elite. These twelve stories contemplate the nature of exploitation and abuse, illuminating the realities of those society consumes and leaves behind.

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Book SynopsisThe most complete English-language collection of the prose of Tadeusz Borowski, the most challenging chronicler of Auschwitz, with a foreword by Timothy Snyder, author of On TyrannyTrade Review“Borowski’s sharp-edged descriptions of life in Nazi concentration camps shatter the limits of even Kafka’s most surreal imaginings . . . conducting a conversation with darkness . . . in an icy style that cloaks hot rage.”—Benjamin Balint, Wall Street Journal“An excellent new translation. . . . For the first time in English, Borowski’s better-known Auschwitz stories have been placed in the broader context of his short writing career. Far from diluting the horror of his vision, this juxtaposition intensifies it.”—Katherine Lebow, Times Literary SupplementShortlisted for the National Translation Award in Prose, sponsored by the American Literary Translators Association“Thanks to Madeline Levine’s marvelous translation, we now have in English the most important work of the most challenging chronicler of Auschwitz.”—Timothy Snyder, from the forewordPraise for the Author: “Tadeusz Borowski joins the company of such artists as Elie Wiesel and André Schwarz-Bart. Like them, he paints a picture of the horror and madness that ruled the concentration camps, so brilliantly that the immediacy of the experience is almost too much to bear.”—New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisA windfall for every reader: a trove of marvelous impossible-to-find Kafka stories in a masterful new translation by Michael HofmannTrade Review"Kafka himself stays well enough afloat. Even when he fumbles, he never falls wholly flat: at his worst, he is provocative yet provisional. But at his best, he is hilarious and mordant, mired in the impossibilities that he could neither live with nor without." -- Becca Rothfeld - Bookforum"This delightful collection features dozens of untitled fragments, false starts, and unfinished work by Kafka, found and chosen by biographer Stach...Opening sentences such as “I was allowed to set foot in a strange garden” and “The city resembles the sun,” make the reader’s pulse heighten with the thrill of entering the space of great literature. This offers precisely the kind of fare Kafka enthusiasts would hope for from the legendary writer’s archives. " -- Publishers Weekly"They have been translated by polyphonic, wizardly Michael Hofmann, who has made of Kafka a marvelous, often very humorous writer of eccentric English prose." -- Reading in Translation"These marks make visible the fourth wall that is implicit in each work Kafka left in some way unfinished, and even in those whose publication he permitted. It’s not only the characters, but Kafka himself who could find no way out. The Lost Writings helps us linger with him, in his impassable doorways." -- Nathan Goldman - The Baffler"I think of a Kafka story as a perfect work of literary art, as approachable as it is strange, and as strange as it is approachable." -- Michael Hofmann"Kafka is the greatest German writer of our time. Such poets as Rilke or such novelists as Thomas Mann are dwarfs or plaster saints in comparison to him." -- Vladimir Nabokov"If the mundane is, for Kafka, the domain of improbability and impossibility—wherein even the simplest of gestures cannot be guaranteed—the extraordinary is evoked with an air of sheer certitude." -- Ari Linden - Public Books

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Book SynopsisConsidered the leading poet on the South Asian subcontinent, Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984), winner of the 1962 Lenin Peace Prize, was an outspoken opponent of the Pakistani government. This volume offers a selection of Faiz's poetry.

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking collection of experimental short fiction by award-winning Syrian author and Booker International Prize for Arabic Fiction nominee Shahla Ujayli, A Bed for the King’s Daughter uses surrealism and irony to examine such themes as women’s agency, the decline of collective life and imagination under modernity, and the effects of social and political corruption on daily life. In “The Memoir of Cinderella’s Shoes,” Cinderella uses her famous glass slipper as a weapon in order to take justice into her own hands. In “Tell Me About Surrealism,” an art history professor’s writing assignment reveals the slipperiness of storytelling, and in “Merry Christmas,” the realities of apartheid interfere with one family’s celebration. Through twenty-two short stories, Ujayli animates—with brevity and inventiveness—themes relevant to both the particularities of life in the Arab world and life outside it.<Trade ReviewDon’t let the relatively brief length of this collection fool you—these stories offer readers a fascinating cross-section of styles, tones, and themes. Some grapple with the political and social struggles of the present day, while others address more timeless themes. The end result is a memorable showcase for Ujayli’s skills as a writer. * Words Without Borders *How do you sharply round out a story that is headed for a cliff? How do you make the sudden feel inevitable, circumventable, then over, as if all at once? Repeatedly, Ujayli manages, if not to square the circle, then to circle the square and so every square within it. * Chicago Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe linked stories in Mama Said are set in Louisville, Kentucky, a city with a rich history steeped in tobacco, bourbon, and gambling, indulgences that can quickly become gripping and destructive vices. Set amid the tail end of the crack epidemic and the rise of the opioid crisis, Mama Said evokes Black family life in all its complexity, following JayLynn, along with her cousins Zaria and Angel, as they come of age struggling against their mothers’ drug addictions. JayLynn heads to college intent on gaining distance from her depressed mother, only to learn that her mother’s illness has reached a terrifying peak. She fears the chaos and instability of her extended family will prove too much for her boyfriend, whose idyllic family feels worlds, not miles, apart from her own. When bats invade Zaria’s new home, she is forced to determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to be a good mother. Angel rebels on Derby night, risking her safety to connect with her absent mother and the wild ways that consumed her. Mama Said separates from stereotypes of Black families, presenting instead the joy, humor, and love that coexist with the trauma of drug abuse within communities. Kristen Gentry’s stories showcase the wide-reaching repercussions of addiction and the ties that forever bind daughters to their mothers, flaws and all.Trade ReviewSurprising and revelatory. Mama Said is funny and smart, with many wonderful images, arresting descriptions, and well-developed characters with rich interior lives. I love this book."— Stephanie Powell Watts, author of No One Is Coming to Save Us"Mama Said is a tough yet tender glimpse into a complex community in a city full of strife and love. The characters contain a depth not often seen in a collection of stories, and readers are sure to be thinking about their lives and relationships long after finishing the last (tear-jerking!) page."—Maggie Henriksen, Carmichael’s Bookstore "Original stories of Black family life in Louisville, Kentucky, for readers of Dantiel Moniz (Milk Blood Heat) and Kai Harris (What the Fireflies Knew). “Surprising and revelatory. . . . I love this book." —Stephanie Powell Watts, author of No One Is Coming to Save UsTable of Contents Mama Said A New World A Satisfying Meal A Sort of Winning Origin Story A Good Education Grown Folks’ Business Introduction To Have and to Hold Animal Kingdom In Her Image Everything You Could Ever Want Acknowledgments

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Book Synopsis''Le Guin''s storytelling is sharp, magisterial, funny, thought-provoking and exciting, exhibiting all that science fiction can be'' EMPIREThe Unreal and the Real is a two-volume collection of stories, selected by Ursula Le Guin herself, and spans the spectrum of fiction from realism through magical realism, satire, science fiction, surrealism and fantasy. Volume One, WHERE ON EARTH, focuses on Le Guin''s interest in realism and magical realism and includes 18 of her satirical, political and experimental earthbound stories. Highlights include WORLD FANTASY and HUGO AWARD-winner ''Buffalo Gals, Won''t You Come Out Tonight'', the rarely reprinted satirical short, ''The Lost Children'', JUPITER AWARD-winner, ''The Diary of the Rose'' and the title story of her PULITZER PRIZE finalist collection ''Unlocking the Air''.Trade ReviewTHE REAL AND THE UNREAL as a pair are brilliant to read, provocative, and handsomely written * Tor.com *Being someone who grew up reading Ursula K. Le Guin's novels and short stories I was absolutely delighted by this collection. The book itself looks stunningly good and the stories themselves flow flawlessly together. I've had such great time rediscovering these fantastic tales and "Where on Earth" might just be the perfect collection for newcomers to her wondrous imaginary landscapes. As for other constant readers, it is a perfect reminder why we love her so much and to boot, it also comes with a few extra treats. * Upcoming 4 Me *[Le Guin had] the heart of a poet who knew all too well the difference between miracle and eureka, revelation and revolution * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Le Guin's storytelling is sharp, magisterial, funny, thought-provoking and exciting, exhibiting all that science fiction can be * EMPIRE *Her worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend * THE TIMES *

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Book Synopsis* THE UNMISSABLE SHORT STORY COLLECTION FEATURING MODESTY BLAISE *'The finest escapist thrillers ever written' THE TIMES'Before Buffy, before Charlie's Angels, before Purdy and Emma Peel, there was Modesty Blaise' OBSERVERDiscover new Modesty Blaise stories in the final collection from legend Peter O'Donnell, spanning his heroine's career from running her criminal empire, the Network, to working for British Intelligence. Including 'Bellman', 'The Dark Angels', 'Old Alex', The Girl With the Black Balloon' and 'Cobra Trap', this collection reveals the untold tales of the world's most famous agent. From her youth in the criminal underworld, to fighting rebels in the jungles of central America and pitched battles on board a moving train, this collection featuring the classic duo of Modesty Blaise and her loyal lieutenant Willie Garvin is an essential part of any Modesty fan's library.Trade ReviewThese books are the finest escapist thrillers ever written * The Times *In the beginning there was Modesty. Cooler than the pretentious James Bond, tougher than the brain-dead Mike Hammer -- Lauren Henderson, author of Dead White FemaleBefore Buffy, before Charlie's Angels, before Purdy and Emma Peel there was Modesty Blaise. For almost 40 years, Peter O'Donnell's iconic heroine drop-kicked her way through a swath of villains and into a unique place in popular culture * Observer *One of the great partnerships in fiction, bearing comparison with that of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson -- Kingsley AmisO'Donnell is one of those rare popular writers, like Josephine Tey or P.G. Wodehouse, who inspire not just fandom but love * New York Times *Modesty Blaise was the comic-strip criminal genius, turned occasional secret service operative, who managed to combine timeless beauty and elegance with the ability to break every bone in your body... there's never been a better time to become acquainted * The Crack *The continuing renaissance of the immortal heroine: thrilling, humorous and timeless adventures, the Modesty Blaise series are seminal British crime * Crime Time *The stories of Modesty are better than James Bond and funnier * Tribune *

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Book SynopsisThe Complete Short Stories of Natalia Ginzburg encourages a deeper understanding of Ginzburg's life's work and compliments those other collections and individual works which are already widely available in English.Table of ContentsIntroduction (Paul Lewis and Alan Bullock) An Absence (Un’assenza) Giulietta (Giulietta) The Children (I bambini) The House by the Sea (Casa al mare) My Husband (Mio marito) German Soldiers Pass Through Erra (Passagio di tedeschi a Erra) The Mother (La madre) The Marshal (Il maresciallo)

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Book SynopsisIt is a wet day in Dorset, and walking to a luncheon party is Sir Edward Feathers QC, followed by two elderly friends: his scruffy neighbour and sparring partner, Veneering, and Fiscal-Smith, the meanest lawyer ever to make a fortune at the Bar. Fans of Jane Gardam''s bestselling novel, OLD FILTH, will be delighted to encounter Filth, now almost ninety, making his immaculate way to Privilege Hill, named perhaps for the Prive-Lieges who arrived with the Normans, but more probably for the village privies. Ranging from a Victorian mansion converted into a home for unmarried mothers to a wartime hospital in the middle of the Blitz, from ghost stories to brilliant observations of love and loneliness in their various manifestations - including, in ''Pangbourne'', a woman who falls in love with a gorilla - to reflections on the haphazard nature of intellect and memories in ''The Last Reunion'', the stories in this collection mix Jane Gardam''s trademark sardonic wit with a delicateTrade Reviewher new collection exemplifies Gardam's zest for human oddity, which she explores with characteristic empathy and humour. * LITERARY REVIEW *Gardam's touch is deft and light...she's such a good writer...This is Jane Gardam's 16th book of fiction: may it not be her last * The Spectator *She does fiction as it should be done, with confidence and insight -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThis was Kipling''s first published volume of fiction. The stories with their brevity and concentration of effect are a landmark in the history of the short story. 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 ContentsDedication ; Preface ; Lispeth ; Three and-an Extra ; Thrown Away ; Miss Youghal's Sais ; 'Yoked with an Unbeliever' ; False Dawn ; The Rescue of Pluffles ; Cupid's Arrows ; The Three Musketeers ; His Chance in Life ; Watches of the Night ; The Other Man ; Consequences ; The Conversion of Aurelian McGoggin ; The Taking of Lungtungpen ; A Germ-Destroyer ; Kidnapped ; The Arrest of Lieutenant Glightly ; In the House of Suddhoo ; His Wedded Wife ; The Broken-Link Handicap ; Beyond the Pale ; In Error ; A Bank Fraud ; Tod's Amendment ; The Daughter of the Regiment ; In the Pride of his Youth ; Pig ; The Rout of the White Hussars ; The Bronckhorst Divorce-Case ; Venus Annodomini ; The Bisara of Pooree ; A Freind's Friend ; The Gate of the Hundred Sorrows ; The Madness of Private Ortheris ; The Story of Muhammad Din ; On the Strength of a Likeness ; Wressley of the Foreign Office ; By Word of Mouth ; To be Filed for Reference

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Book SynopsisIn these six late stories Tolstoy explores human relationships and moral choices, raising profound questions about life in gripping fictional form. 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' is an existential masterpiece, a harrowing tale of the final illness and death of a bourgeois lawyer. Newly translated, and with a wide-ranging Introduction.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; NOTE ON THE TEXT AND TRANSLATION; SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY; A CHRONOLOGY OF LEO TOLSTOY; THE TWO OLD MEN; HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED?; THE FORGED COUPON; MASTER AND WORKMAN; ALYOSHA POT; THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH; EXPLANATORY NOTES

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Book SynopsisMary Gaitskill is the author of the story collections Bad Behavior, Because They Wanted To (nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award), and Don't Cry, the novels The Mare, Veronica (nominated for the National Book Award), and Two Girls, Fat and Thin, and a collection of essays, Somebody With A Little Hammer. Her stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, Artforum, and Granta, among many other journals, as well as in The Best American Short Stories and The O. Henry Prize Stories.Trade ReviewStubbornly original, with a sort of rhythm and fine moments that flatten you out when you don't expect it, these stories are a pleasure to read -- Alice MunroPinteresque...Ms. Gaitskill writes with such authority, such radar-perfect detail, that she is able to make even the most extreme situations seem real...[her] reportorial candor, uncompromised by sentimentality or voyeuristic charm...underscores the strength of her debut -- Michiko KakutaniRazor-sharp brilliance -- D. M. ThomasQuite honestly changed my life... I cannot believe I was 32 before I discovered it. I just thought it was one of the most amazing things I'd ever read and it now lives on my desk so that I can revisit it any time -- Pandora Sykes * The High Low *Delicious . . . comedy is balanced by genuine pathos, and Gaitskill is perceptive about how our desires can elude and confound even ourselves . . . Gaitskill masters human dynamics: the nuance of her portrayal of emotion and psychology; the daring of her selection of challenging subjects and people; the quality of her prose, with its occasional flights of gorgeous imagery . . . Her stories portray oddballs and free spirits on the fringes of 80s New York, often embroiled in complex sexual or romantic lives -- Matt Rowland Hill * i, The book I read every New Year *

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Book SynopsisWidely acknowledged as the father of the Japanese short story, Ryunosuke Akutagawa remains one of the most influential Japanese writers of all time. Rashomon and Other Stories, a collection of his most celebrated work, resonates as strongly today as when it first published a century ago. This volume includes: In a Grove: An iconic, contradictory tale of the murder of a samurai in a forest near Kyoto told through three varying accounts; Rashomon: A masterless samurai contemplates following a life of crime as he encounters an old woman at the old Rashomon gate outside Kyoto; Yam Gruel: A low-ranking court official laments his position all the while yearning for his favourite, yet humble, dish; The Martyr: Set in Japan's Christian missionary era, a young boy is excommunicated for fathering an illegitimate child, but not all is as it seems; Kesa and Morito: An adulterous couple plots to kill the woman's husband as the situation threatens to spin out of control; The Dragon: A priest concocts a prank involving a dragon, but the tall tale begins to take on a life of its own. With a new foreword by noted Akutagawa scholar Seiji Lippit, this updated version of a classic collection is a an excellent, readable introduction to Japanese literature.Trade Review"Clear-eyed glimpses of human behavior in the extremities of poverty, stupidity, greed, vanity … Story-telling of an unconventional sort, with most of the substance beneath the shining, enameled surface." --The New York Times Book Review"There are enough Swiftian touches in Akutagawa to show his hatred of stupidity, greed, hypocrisy and the rising jingoism of the day. But Akutagawa's artistic integrity kept him from joining his contemporaries in the easy social criticism or naive introspection … What he did was question the values of his society, dramatize the complexities of human psychology, and study, with a Zen taste for paradox, the precarious balance of illusion and reality." --Howard Hibbett, from the Introduction to Rashomon and Other Stories

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Book SynopsisThe port of Tianjin is where the ancient Chinese empire met the sea. The turn of the 20th century was a tumultuous time for the city, with the Qing dynasty on its last legs and the Boxers unleashing their ill-fated rebellion against the European trading concessions that had colonised its streets.For Tianjin’s inhabitants, daily life carried on. These hardy people were shaped by the bitter earth from which they sprang, and every once in a while, there would emerge someone so remarkable that a new name would be inducted into Tianjin’s hall of fame.From a miracle doctor to an ill-mannered mynah bird, they came from every walk of life and in all shapes and sizes. Together, their stories make up the rich tapestry of a city that the modern world has washed away...

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Book SynopsisThe stories collected in What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours are linked by more than the exquisitely winding prose of their creator: Helen Oyeyemi's ensemble cast of characters slip from the pages of their own stories only to surface in another.The reader is invited into a world of lost libraries and locked gardens, of marshlands where the drowned dead live and a city where all the clocks have stopped; students hone their skills at puppet school, the Homely Wench Society commits a guerrilla book-swap, and lovers exchange books and roses on St Jordi's Day. It is a collection of towering imagination, marked by baroque beauty and a deep sensuousness.Trade ReviewOyeyemi's imagination is impressive and vast . . . Her ability to conceive her stories on such a grand scale is what makes her work so magnetic, sucking the reader into any number of netherworlds. Perhaps it's this ability to consume and be consumed that keeps Oyeyemi constantly, and prolifically, at work. * Guardian *Transcendent . . . the pleasurable awareness of a story being told courses through the collection like electricity . . . Oyeyemi expertly melds the everyday, the fantastic and the eternal . . . with each story I had the delightful and rare experience of being utterly surprised . . . Oyeyemi has created a universe that dazzles and wounds * New York Times *Alluring . . . the style and peculiar authority of this exceptional young writer will carry you carefully through thelabyrinth and into a new and exciting literary landscape . . . If you are seduced by magical realism - particularly the novels of Allende and Marquez - you will savour Oyeyemi's inventive tales. * Daily Mail *Wild, luscious and startling . . . Oyeyemi glides seamlessly across time, space and genre . . . Oyeyemi's observations are as sharp as they are humorous. But she is equally at home in a more lyrical mode, her writing warm and sensuous . . . these gorgeously baroque stories are full of humour, tenderness, wisdom and strange delights -- Rebecca Abrams * Financial Times *Enchanting . . . the breadth of Oyeyemi's imagination is impressive, teetering, as ever, on the edge of magical realism. Her use of fairytales, folklore and ghost stories is distinctly reminiscent of the work ofAngela Carter . . . inviting, luscious prose. -- Lucy Scholes * Guardian *Curious, erotic, by turns dark and humorous; like the many secrets these stories reveal, Helen Oyeyemi's imagination is ripe to be unlocked, revelled in and treasured. * Literary Review *Ethereal beauty and unexpected humour * Independent on Sunday *Boasts ambitious stories written masterfully by an adventurous author, and is another example of Oyeyemi's skill at finding inspiration in the smallest and most ephemeral details. * New York Times Live *What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours illustrates the necessity and power of private, written confessions. * New Yorker *This is a truly exceptional work of fiction, by a writer we should be delirious to have as a contemporary. -- Stuart Evers * Independent *Oyeyemi's fireworks illuminate a world in which other people are always more mysterious and strange than we might think * Spectator *[Oyeyemi] has come up with something unique, keeping pace with a modern mixed-up world * Daily Telegraph *Oyeyemi takes the classic folk tale on a sometimes dark, often erotic, always fantastic, journey. The book itself is a thing of beauty, too. * Pool *Oyeyemi captures the off-kilter fairy-tale magic of her 2014 masterwork, Boy, Snow, Bird . . . [she] writes with mastery, sometimes keeping her prose sparse and declarative only to unleash a bounty of description and humor a sentence later. * Entertainment Weekly *Beautifully broken tales with wonderfully flawed characters . . . a fascinating glimpse into a world built on our fears, hopes and desires . . . articulating such disorder proves Oyeyemi as the painstakingly masterful writer that she is. * Stylist *The best teller of fairy tales we've got . . . [Oyeyemi's] first collection of short stories is obviously a bit of a treat . . . allowing for more invention, more sexiness and more beautiful sentences that lead you round the corner to something surprising . . . brilliant * Emerald Street *Witty and tender . . . simple and beautiful . . . hers is a rare talent -- Kate Clanchy * Guardian *These short stories are pure, sensuous enjoyment, packed with colour and passion * Times *A collection of short stories, which will suck the reader into Oyeyeymi's wild and surreal imagination. * Red Magazine *Occasionally gothic, sometimes fantastical, always captivating. * Radio Times *Oyeyemi has created a universe that dazzles and wounds. * Scotland on Sunday *It is Oyeyemi's boundless inventiveness which drives these stories . . . stylistically bold, fantastical, disorientating and ruthlessly defying convention. Oyeyemi, one of the Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2013, now effortlessly outpaces most of her peers. In this short fiction we can discern hints of Angela Carter and hear notes of Aimee Bender but on the whole what rings out is Oyeyemi's singular, magical voice. * National *Her arguments, about identity, about sexuality, are more fluid than [Angela] Carter's . . . Reading What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is like settling into a rollercoaster: you must abandon yourself * New Statesman *What is Not Yours is Not Yours is like a charmed set of Russian dolls: spellbound, we are gripped by the seamlessly joined stories unfolding from-and into-one another, as we wait for Oyeyemi to reach for her next bit of magic. * Londonist *Dizzying, baffling, and beguiling . . . unruly in the best way, drawing on pre-modern modes of story-telling (fairy tales, Boccaccio, The Arabian Nights) to show they've lost none of their power in the present * Vulture *Imaginative, playful and entirely unique, this collection of short stories is magical realism at its finest * Time Out (US) *The stories in this collection are poetic and puzzling . . . get ready to tumble through the doors of this beautifully challenging and satisfying collection * NPR *

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Book SynopsisThe late stories by an influential writer of singular talentBetween 1799, when he left the Prussian Army, and his suicide in 1811, Kleist developed into a writer of unprecedented and tragically isolated genius. This collection of works from the last period of his life also includes 'The Earthquake in Chile,' 'Michael Kohlhaas,' 'The Beggarwoman of Locarno,' 'St. Cecilia or The Power of Music,' 'The Betrothal in Santo Domingo,' 'The Foundling,' and 'The Duel.'For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of Contents"The Earthquake in Chile"; "The Marquise of O--"; "Michael Kohlhaas"; "The Beggarwoman of Locarno"; "St Cecilia or The Power of Music"; "The Betrothal in Santo Domingo"; "The Foundling"; "The Duel"

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Book SynopsisIn this thrilling collection of stories, John Wyndham, author of the acclaimed classics The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos, conducts ten experiments along the theme of ''I wonder what might happen if . . .''There''s the story of the meteor, which holds much more than meets the eye. In Chronoclasm a man is pursued by his own future. We meet a robot with an overactive compassion circuit.And what happens when the citizens of the future turn the past into a giant theme park?''One of the few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence'' SpectatorTrade ReviewOne of the few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence * Spectator *Wyndham has a gift for bizarre plots * Guardian *

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

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

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Book SynopsisLast Night is a spellbinding collection of stories about passion - by turns fiery and subdued, destructive and redemptive, alluring and devastating. A lover of poetry is asked by his wife to give up what may be his most treasured friendship. A book dealer is forced to face the truth when a figure from his past pays an unexpected visit. In the title story, a husband has promised to assist his wife's suicide.Drawn in by a lingering swirl of tone, revelation and insight, the reader of these ten powerful stories will be transfixed as, seemingly without effort, Salter finds the charged moments that will come to shape a fate and detonates them before our very eyes.Trade Review'James Salter is a master of the great American short story . . . Extraordinarily subtle, precise and elegant' The Times‘He has written three books that everyone should read before they die . . . Last Night is a deeply gratifying reminder of what reading is for’ Independent ‘Breathtaking . . . Salter’s stories are masterpieces of poise and clarity . . . Hugely enjoyable and endlessly stimulating’ Metro, 5-star review‘There is a steady hum of eroticism beneath his narrative and in the voluptuous restraint of his style. What else can I say? I highly recommend it’ Daily Telegraph Remarkable . . . Fictions set apart not just by their concision, watchfulness and lucidity, but also by the understated way they communicate the trickle effect of betrayal * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThe nation’s favourite annual guide to the short story, now in its tenth year.Best British Short Stories invites you to judge a book by its cover – or, more accurately, by its title. This new series aims to reprint the best short stories published in the previous calendar year by British writers, whether based in the UK or elsewhere. The editor’s brief is wide ranging, covering anthologies, collections, magazines, newspapers and web sites, looking for the best of the bunch to reprint all in one volume.Featuring: Richard Lawrence Bennett, Luke Brown, David Constantine, Tim Etchells, Nicola Freeman, Amanthi Harris, Andrew Hook, Sonia Hope, Hanif Kureishi, Helen Mort, Jeff Noon, Irenosen Okojie, KJ Orr, Bridget Penney, Diana Powell, David Rose, Sarah Schofield, Adrian Slatcher, NJ Stallard, Robert Stone, Stephen Thompson and Zakia Uddin.Trade ReviewBest British Short Stories 2019 is a dazzling and captivating collection that needs to be read. There are stories that are moving, real, bold and brilliantly ambitious, it is a collection of writers that need to be savoured and celebrated! -- Ross Jefferey * Storgy *

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Book Synopsis From a celebrated master of the Southern Gothic comes a last collection of hard-hitting short fiction, his final posthumous work Beloved for his novels Twilight, The Long Home,and The Lost Country ,and his groundbreaking collection I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down, William Gay returns with one final posthumous collection of short stories, adapted from the archive found after his death in February 2012. In addition to previously unpublished short stories, Stories from the Attic includes fragments from two of the unpublished novels that were works in progress at the time of his death. Marked by his signature skill and bare-knuckled insight, this collection is a must-read for William Gay devotees and fans of Southern short fiction.

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