Best of
Short-Story-Collection

2017

Jackalope Wives and Other Stories


T. Kingfisher - 2017
    Kingfisher comes a collection of short stories, including "Jackalope Wives," "The Tomato Thief," "Pocosin," and many others. By turns funny, lyrical, angry and beautiful, this anthology includes two all-new stories, "Origin Story" and "Let Pass The Horses Black," appearing for the first time in print.

Master Bits & Mercenary Bites: Girls Night


Lexi Blake - 2017
     Join us for easy to cook, delicious recipes and stay for the stories of the women of McKay-Taggart. From slow cooker special dinners to cocktails that will elevate your game, Suzanne will show you that easy can be delicious. Lexi dives into what happens after happily ever after. Charlie and Ian try to have a night out—but their kids prove that anything can happen when Taggarts are involved. Faith and Ten get a gift they never expected. Karina and Derek go on a stakeout. And Serena finds the meaning of Bliss. All these stories and more explore what it means to be a wife, a mother, a woman navigating love and responsibility. Good meals, good times, good friends. Bon appétit!

What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky


Lesley Nneka Arimah - 2017
    In “Who Will Greet You at Home,” a National Magazine Award finalist for The New Yorker, A woman desperate for a child weaves one out of hair, with unsettling results. In “Wild,” a disastrous night out shifts a teenager and her Nigerian cousin onto uneasy common ground. In "The Future Looks Good," three generations of women are haunted by the ghosts of war, while in "Light," a father struggles to protect and empower the daughter he loves. And in the title story, in a world ravaged by flood and riven by class, experts have discovered how to "fix the equation of a person" - with rippling, unforeseen repercussions. Evocative, playful, subversive, and incredibly human, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky heralds the arrival of a prodigious talent with a remarkable career ahead of her.

This Accident of Being Lost: Songs and Stories


Leanne Betasamosake Simpson - 2017
    These visionary pieces build upon Simpson's powerful use of the fragment as a tool for intervention in her critically acclaimed collection Islands of Decolonial Love. Provocateur and poet, she continually rebirths a decolonized reality, one that circles in and out of time and resists dominant narratives or comfortable categorization. A crow watches over a deer addicted to road salt; Lake Ontario floods Toronto to remake the world while texting "ARE THEY GETTING IT?"; lovers visit the last remaining corner of the boreal forest; three comrades guerrilla-tap maples in an upper middle-class neighbourhood; and Kwe gets her firearms license in rural Ontario. Blending elements of Nishnaabeg storytelling, science fiction, contemporary realism, and the lyric voice, This Accident of Being Lost burns with a quiet intensity, like a campfire in your backyard, challenging you to reconsider the world you thought you knew.

Nocturne Falls Short Story Collection #1


Kristen Painter - 2017
    This box set contains all four Nocturne Falls Short Stories: The Witch's Halloween Hero The Werewolf's Christmas Wish The Vampire's Valentine Surprise The Vampire's True Love Trials *All were previously published as standalones*

Flying Lessons & Other Stories


Ellen OhMatt de la Pena - 2017
    In a partnership with We Need Diverse Books, industry giants Kwame Alexander, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Peña, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Walter Dean Myers, Tim Tingle, and Jacqueline Woodson join newcomer Kelly J. Baptist in a story collection that is as humorous as it is heartfelt. This impressive group of authors has earned among them every major award in children’s publishing and popularity as New York Times bestsellers. From these distinguished authors come ten distinct and vibrant stories.

Dawn: Stories


Selahattin Demirtaş - 2017
    A cleaning lady is caught up in a violent demonstration on her way to work. A five-year-old girl attempts to escape war-torn Syria with her mother by boat. A suicide bombing shatters a neighborhood in Aleppo. And in the powerful story, 'Seher', a young factory worker is robbed of her dreams in an unimaginable act of violence.Written with Demirtaş’s signature wit, warmth, and humor, and alive with the rhythms of everyday speech, DAWN paints a remarkable portrait of life behind the headlines in Turkey and the Middle East – in all its hardship and adversity, freedom and hope.

Signals: New and Selected Stories


Tim Gautreaux - 2017
    Once again, "he reminds us," wrote The Miami Herald, "that great writing is a timeless art."After the stunning historical novels The Clearing and The Missing, Tim Gautreaux now ranges freely through contemporary life with twelve new stories and eight from previous collections. Most are set in his beloved Louisiana, many hard by or on the Mississippi River, others in North Carolina and even in midwinter Minnesota. But generally it's heat, humidity, and bugs that beset his people as they wrestle with affairs of the heart, matters of faith, and the pros and cons of tight-knit communities--a remarkable cast of characters, primarily of the working class, proud and knowledgeable about the natural or mechanical world, their lives marked by a prized stereo or a magical sewing machine retrieved from a locked safe, boats and card games and casinos, grandparents and grandchildren and those in between, their experiences leading them to the ridiculous or the scarifying or the sublime; most of them striving for what's right and good, others tearing off in the opposite direction.

Entropy in Bloom


Jeremy Robert Johnson - 2017
    His short stories present a brilliantly dark and audaciously weird realm where cosmic nightmares collide with all-too-human characters and apocalypses of all shapes and sizes loom ominously. In “Persistence Hunting,” a lonely distance runner is seduced into a brutal life of crime with an ever-narrowing path for escape. In “When Susurrus Stirs,” an unlucky pacifist must stop a horrifying parasite from turning his body into a sentient hive. Running through all of Johnson’s work is a hallucinatory vision and deeply-felt empathy, earning the author a reputation as one of today’s most daring and thrilling writers.Featuring the best of his previously independently-published short fiction, as well as an exclusive, never-before-published novella “The Sleep of Judges”—where a father’s fight against the denizens of a drug den becomes a mind-bending suburban nightmare—Entropy in Bloom is a perfect compendium for avid fans and an ideal entry point for adventurous readers seeking the humor, heartbreak, and terror of JRJ’s strange new worlds.

Five Ways to Forgiveness


Ursula K. Le Guin - 2017
    Le Guin’s acclaimed Hainish series, which tells the history of the Ekumen, the galactic confederation of human colonies founded by the planet Hain. First published in 1995 as Four Ways to Forgiveness, and now joined by a fifth story, Five Ways to Forgiveness focuses on the twin planets Werel and Yeowe, two worlds whose peoples, long known as “owners” and “assets,” together face an uncertain future after civil war and revolution.            In “Betrayals” a retired science teacher must make peace with her new neighbor, a disgraced revolutionary leader. In “Forgiveness Day,” a female official from the Ekumen arrives to survey the situation on Werel and struggles against its rigidly patriarchal culture. Embedded within "A Man of the People,” which describes the coming of age of Havzhiva, an Ekumen ambassador to Yeowe, is Le Guin’s most sustained description of the Ur-planet Hain. "A Woman’s Liberation” is the remarkable narrative of Rakam, born an asset on Werel, who must twice escape from slavery to freedom. Joined to them is “Old Music and the Slave Women,” in which the charismatic Hainish embassy worker, who appears in two of the four original stories, returns for a tale of his own. Of this capstone tale Le Guin has written, “the character called Old Music began to tell me a fifth tale about the latter days of the civil war . . . I’m glad to see it joined to the others at last.”

Unsolved Child Murders: Eighteen American Cases, 1956-1998


Emily G. Thompson - 2017
    Only one in 10,000 are found dead. Yet unsolved child murders are almost a daily occurrence--of nearly 52,000 juvenile homicides between 1980 and 2008, more than 20 percent remain open. Drawing on FBI reports, police and court records, and interviews with victims' families, this book provides details and evidence for 18 unsolved cases from 1956 to 1998.

I Don't Think of You (Until I Do)


Tatiana Ryckman - 2017
    Tatiana Ryckman chronicles the struggles of a long-distance relationship from summer to summer, forming a series of unsent musings to the beloved by the unnamed lover— all while keeping names and gender anonymous. At times funny, this sexy, charged, and deeply felt creation captures what loving from a distance can bring upon all of us.Cover art by Kyle William Butler

Behold the Void


Philip Fracassi - 2017
    It's the kind of place where the wrong people get hurt; hazard is everywhere and it doesn't play favorites. The complacent won't find refuge here on the threshold of the void. Nobody is safe and nothing is sacred. Enjoy the ride."– from the introduction by Laird Barron***BEHOLD THE VOID is nine stories of terror that huddle in the dark space between cosmic horror and the modern weird, between old-school hard-edged horror of the 1980's and the stylistic prose of today's literary giants.*** Praise for Behold the Void: SHORT STORY COLLECTION OF THE YEAR – This Is Horror “Fracassi…builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully…his powers of description are formidable; and he’s especially skillful at creating, and sustaining, suspense.” – The New York Times“…think vintage King at his best.” – Rue Morgue Magazine (“Dante’s Pick”) “…recalls the work of writers such as McCammon, King, and Bradbury.” – John Langan, LOCUS Magazine“With carefully drawn characters, vividly constructed situations, and deft description, Behold the Void offers the perfect blend of honest-to-goodness human nastiness and true supernatural creepiness. This is horror fiction at its best.” – Brian Evenson, author of A Collapse of Horses“Everything here is damned near perfect… a first-rate collection.” Black Static“Philip Fracassi is the next big horror writer to blow your mind. If you’re a fan of the horror genre at all, then this guy is a must-read.” – Lit Reactor“These stories are scary, yes, but more than that, they’re haunting– they get inside you and they don’t go away.” – Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying“Fracassi’s Behold the Void is the perfect read for horror fans who expect authors to raise the bar and redefine what horror fiction means.” – Ronald Malfi, author of Bone White“Fracassi is quickly building a reputation as a superior storyteller of incredible talent…. an author we must surely now hail as a leading light in the dark field of horror fiction.” – This Is Horror

Desire: Vintage Minis


Haruki Murakami - 2017
    The five weird and wonderful tales collected here each unlock the many-tongued language of desire, whether it takes the form of hunger, lust, sudden infatuation or the secret longings of the heart.Selected from Haruki’s Murakami’s short story collections The Elephant Vanishes, Blind Willow Sleeping Woman and Men Without Women.

Difficult Women


Roxane Gay - 2017
    Gay returns with Difficult Women, a collection of stories of rare force and beauty, of hardscrabble lives, passionate loves, and quirky and vexed human connection.The women in these stories live lives of privilege and of poverty, are in marriages both loving and haunted by past crimes or emotional blackmail. A pair of sisters, grown now, have been inseparable ever since they were abducted together as children, and must negotiate the elder sister's marriage. A woman married to a twin pretends not to realize when her husband and his brother impersonate each other. A stripper putting herself through college fends off the advances of an overzealous customer. A black engineer moves to Upper Michigan for a job and faces the malign curiosity of her colleagues and the difficulty of leaving her past behind. From a girls’ fight club to a wealthy subdivision in Florida where neighbors conform, compete, and spy on each other, Gay delivers a wry, beautiful, haunting vision of modern America reminiscent of Merritt Tierce, Jamie Quatro, and Miranda July.I will follow you --Water, all its weight --The mark of Cain --Difficult women --FLORIDA --La negra blanca --Baby arm --North country --How --Requiem for a glass heart --In the event of my father's death --Break all the way down --Bad priest --Open marriage --A pat --Best features --Bone density --I am a knife --The sacrifice of darkness --Noble things --Strange gods

Tremontaine: The Complete Season Two


Ellen Kushner - 2017
    Mind your manners and enjoy the chocolate in a dance of sparkling wit and political intrigue.

Tales of Falling and Flying


Ben Loory - 2017
    I devoured this book in one sitting." --Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children A dazzling new collection of stories from the critically acclaimed author of Stories for Nighttime and Some for The DayBen Loory returns with a second collection of timeless tales, inviting us to enter his worlds of whimsical fantasy, deep empathy, and playful humor, in the signature voice that drew readers to his highly praised first collection. In stories that eschew literary realism, Loory's characters demonstrate richly imagined and surprising perspectives, whether they be dragons or swordsmen, star-crossed lovers or long-lost twins, restaurateurs dreaming of Paris or cephalopods fixated on space travel. In propulsive language that brilliantly showcases Loory's vast imagination, Tales of Falling and Flying expands our understanding of how fiction can work and is sure to cement his reputation as one of the most innovative short-story writers working today.Praise for Ben Loory's Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day "This guy can write!" --Ray Bradbury"[A] wild, dreamy debut . . . These stories are full of wit, humor, and heart." --The Boston Globe

Sit


Deborah Ellis - 2017
    With a single powerful image, Deborah Ellis draws our attention to nine children and the situations they find themselves in, often through no fault of their own. In each story, a child makes a decision and takes action, be that a tiny gesture or a life-altering choice.Jafar is a child laborer in a chair factory and longs to go to school. Sue sits on a swing as she and her brother wait to have a supervised visit with their father at the children’s aid society. Gretchen considers the lives of concentration camp victims during a school tour of Auschwitz. Mike survives seventy-two days of solitary as a young offender. Barry squirms on a food court chair as his parents tell him that they are separating. Macie sits on a too-small time-out chair while her mother receives visitors for tea. Noosala crouches in a fetid, crowded apartment in Uzbekistan, waiting for an unscrupulous refugee smuggler to decide her fate.These children find the courage to face their situations in ways large and small, in this eloquent collection from a master storyteller.

Strangers to Temptation


Scott Gould - 2017
    Linked by a common voice, these thirteen stories introduce us to a cast of uniquely Southern characters.

Hall of Heroes


H.L. BurkeArthur Daigle - 2017
    With stories set in fantastic, magical realms, gritty urban landscapes, and fairytale kingdoms, our heroes stand fast as defenders of good. Struggling against evil governments, wicked demi-gods, wrathful nature, supernatural con-men, and their own insecurities, each must find the strength to triumph and the will to persevere.  In the second anthology from the Fellowship of Fantasy, twenty-three authors explore the theme of heroes, covering genres ranging from steampunk and fairytale to urban and Arthurian. These are the heroes you've been waiting for.  Enjoy Heroes: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology and join the adventures!

A Lot Like Christmas


Connie Willis - 2017
    Christmas comes but once a year--which is too bad, because the stories in this dazzling collection are fun to read anytime. They put a speculative spin on the holiday, giving fans of acclaimed author Connie Willis a welcome gift and a dozen reasons to be of good cheer. Brimming with Willis's trademark insights and imagination, these heartwarming tales are full of humor, absurdity, human foibles, tragedy, joy, and hope. They both embrace and send up many of the best Christmas traditions, including the Christmas newsletter, Secret Santas, office parties, holiday pageants, and Christmas dinners (both elaborate and spare). There are Rockettes, the best and worst Christmas movies, modern-day Magi, Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come--and the triumph of generosity over greed. Like the timeless classics we return to year after year, these stories affirm our faith in love, magic, and the wonder of the season.Stories included:- Miracle- All About Emily- Inn- All Seated on the Ground- In Coppelius's Toyshop- Adaptation- deck.halls@bought/holly- Cat's Paw- Now Showing- Newsletter- Epiphany- Just Like the Ones We Used to Know

The Stay-Awake Men and Other Unstable Entities


Matthew M. Bartlett - 2017
    A fading magician encounters his former mentor performing a terrifying new act. A party-goer ducks out early and is pursued by a creature of bent on cruel malevolence. Winged creatures of unknown origin terrorize a small town. A disgruntled employee works his dark magic on a new breed of middle managers. A radio stunt shatters the sanity of a DJ. And a father talks his young daughter through a cataclysmic apocalypse. The Stay Awake Men and Other Unstable Entities. Seven new tales of terror by Matthew M. Bartlett.

Regrettable Things That Happened Yesterday


Jennani Durai - 2017
    Jennani Durai is an exciting new voice in literature, a writer to watch!” –Tayari Jones, multi-award-winning author of An American MarriageA teenager discovers his grandfather's secret identity only after his death. A young immigrant to 1940s Singapore is convinced the end-times are nigh. A man is tasked with bringing the corpse of his estranged brother home from Phuket. A reporter is torn between doing her a job and respecting her friend’s privacy.From obituaries and job ads to crime reports and horoscopes, Regrettable Things That Happened Yesterday is a collection of ten short stories connected by the motif of newspapers, and the unexpected ways they end up affecting our lives.

9 Tales of Raffalon


Matthew Hughes - 2017
    In other words, a thief. His skills allow him to scale walls, tickle locks, defeat magical wards. He lifts treasures and trinkets, and spends the proceeds on ale and sausages in taverns where a wise thief sits with his back to the wall. But somehow things often go the way they shouldn’t and then Raffalon has to rely upon his wits and a well calibrated sense of daring. Here are nine tales that take our enterprising thief into the Underworld and Overworld, and pit him against prideful thaumaturges, grasping magnates, crooked guild masters, ghosts, spies, ogres, and a talented amateur assassin. Includes “Inn of the Seven Blessings,” from the bestselling anthology, ROGUES, and “Sternutative Sortilege,” which appears only in this collection.

The Overneath


Peter S. Beagle - 2017
    A familiar youngster from the world of The Last Unicorn is gifted in magic but terrible at spell-casting. A seemingly incorruptible judge meets his match in a mysterious thief who steals his heart. Two old friends discover that the Overneath goes anywhere, including locations better left unvisited.Lyrical, witty, and insightful, The Overneath is Peter S. Beagle's much-anticipated return to the short form. In these uniquely beautiful and wholly original tales, with new and uncollected work, Beagle once again proves himself a master of the imagination.

Hellboy: An Assortment of Horrors


Christopher GoldenAngela Slatter - 2017
    

There's So Much They Haven't Told You: Short Stories


Michelle Ross - 2017
    The familiar curdles and begins to taste unfamiliar, sometimes over the course of a few deft pages: a lost baby tooth becomes a haunting presage of mortality; a teenage girl bonds with her troubled mother over their mutual love of slasher flicks; the doll of a miniature man comes strangely alive—or so two aging women believe—and has to be drowned. Ross is a compelling new voice, and we’re lucky she hasn’t told us everything yet.” — Eric Puchner, author of Last Day on Earth and Music Through the Floor“Oh my god, read this book. Michelle Ross taps in to deep cultural archetypes and gritty contemporary realism with equal shimmering, razor-edged aplomb. She simply owns the page, with a voice, vision, and urgency that stands out from the crowd. There’s So Much They Haven’t Told You is a literary and emotional event.” — Gina Frangello, author of Every Kind of Wanting and A Life in Men“In There’s So Much They Haven’t Told You, Michelle Ross balances the orderliness of the universe with the chaos of the natural world. Here, lessons on particles and black holes and light serve as a disguise for the collection’s greater lessons on what it means to be human. Over the course of twenty-three haunting stories, families face unfathomable violence, couples are brought together and quietly torn apart, and children learn, at last, to see their parents for who they really are. With a fearlessness and creepiness that put me in mind of the fiction of A.M. Homes, these stories astonish.” — David James Poissant, author of The Heaven of Animals“Whipsmart and lightning quick in their prose, these stories dance along the same razor’s edge as us all, balanced between everyday life and the outlandish, absurd, and sobering certainty of its end. Michelle Ross is an important new talent, a companionable, wise, and often funny voice for these troubled times. I will be eagerly assigning this book to students and pressing it into the hands of my most devoted reader friends.” –Robin Black, author of If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This and Life Drawing“Michelle Ross’ exceptional first collection of short stories, There’s So Much They Haven’t Told You, traffics in dark matter, the murky material that we sense but cannot see, the unconscious and peripheral parts of life that affect us as surely as the parts we recognize as real and concrete. In the uncomfortable spaces of a woman trapped (literally and metaphorically) in a soul-crushing job, another hiding from a shooter (real? imagined?) in a closet full of six year olds, a girl playing serial killer/victim with her mom, or a family fighting over the cremated remains of a loved one at the rattlesnake roundup, Ross digs down to find truth — never afraid of the dirt and grime that, ultimately, give way to moments of grace. Her scientific eye for detail, humor, and humanity blend in stories that are grotesque, compelling, and deeply affecting. An astonishing and accomplished debut.” –Alison Umminger, author of American Girls“Michelle Ross has written a gorgeous collection. These stories show us how deep and necessary our human connections are—even when we are struggling against each other. Ross delivers tour de force storytelling in every powerful story, transporting readers to places that are both intimately familiar and otherworldly. Brutal, beautiful and revelatory, There’s So Much I Haven’t Told You is a book that will grab hold of you and not let go.” –Dana Johnson, author of In the Not Quite Dark and Elsewhere, California“These stories bristle with hard-eyed awareness and cut to the bone. With imagery from horror movies, fairy tales, and aquariums, Ross evokes the comfort and squalor of family love.” — Kathleen Founds, author of When Mystical Creatures Attack!“Ross’ collection is packed with slim, powerful pieces of literature – and she specializes in the things we do to one another. These are bright, beautiful, difficult stories – the kind I want tattooed on my skin.” — Amber Sparks, author of The Unfinished World and May We Shed These Human Bodies“These are stories about universes, big and small. The universe of planets and black holes and the unknowable universe of another person’s heart. Ross’ characters are always learning. The information they come to sometimes enhances them and sometimes repels them, and often shakes them to the core. I learned some things as well in the time I spent with these pages. Not just about bus accidents and taxidermy, but about the sullen, tender, joyful chaos that connects us to one another.” — Aubrey Hirsch, author of Why We Never Talk About SugarMichelle Ross' debut short story collection serves as an encyclopedia of modern relationships, taking special interest in those formed on unequal footing, pitting daughters against mothers, wives against husbands, friends against friends. Legacy looms large, as behaviors are passed from one generation to the next, and those entrusted with caring for the young or keeping others employed are found derelict in their duties. Weaknesses are exploited, ignorance is exposed, and bonds are occasionally dissolved. Regarding the human condition as it is portrayed throughout this collection, one character s words echo prophetically: You're at the complete mercy of giants who don t understand you.In spite of all this, Ross' stories are ultimately tales of striving: to understand, to connect, to reclaim. Themes of discovery are woven tightly, as these individuals, rather than remain in the dark, are regularly drawn to the light that is missing from their lives. Optimism may not abound, but neither do these characters wallow. Time and time again, they evolve into agents of change within their own lives, even if they sometimes choose not to act.In the end, such thematic depth gives rise to an astoundingly diverse array of voices, styles, and structures. No two entries in Ross' collection are alike, and collectively they reveal the potential of the American short story, leaving little unsaid.

The Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told


Muhammad Umar Memon - 2017
    In his Introduction, Memon traces the evolution of the Urdu short story from its origins in the work of writers like Munshi Premchand the first professional short story writer in Urdu through the emergence of the Progressives in the late 1930s, whose writings were unabashedly political and underpinned their Marxist ideologies, to the post-Independence Modernist era, and today s generation of avant-garde, experimental writers of Urdu fiction. Every story in the anthology illustrates one or the other facet of the form in the Urdu literary tradition. But even more than for their formal technique and inventiveness, these stories have been included because of their power and impact on the reader. Death and poverty face off in Premchand's masterpiece The Shroud. In Khalida Asghar's The Wagon, a mysterious redness begins to cloak the sunset in a village by the Ravi. Behind closed doors and cracks in the windows lies desire but also a sense of queer foreboding in Naiyer Masud's Obscure Domains of Fear and Desire. The tragedy and horror of Partition are brought to life by Saadat Hasan Manto's lunatic (in Toba Tek Singh ) and the eponymous heroine of Rajinder Singh Bedi's Laajwanti. Despairing, violent, passionate, humorous, ironic and profound the fiction in The Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told will imprint itself indelibly on your mind. M. U. Memon is a translator without parallel and this book, which brings together the best of short fiction in the literary Urdu tradition, is sure to be classic. This collection spans the entire spectrum of the Urdu literary tradition from Premchand, who is considered the first Urdu short-story writer, to contemporary writers like S. M. Ashraf and Tassaduq Sohail. In The Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told, you will find much-loved gems like Premchand's Kafan , Rajinder Singh Bedi's Laajwanti , Saadat Hasan Manto's Toba Tek Singh as well as new classics like Sajid Rashid's Fable of a Severed Head and Anwer Khan's The Pose . This book is part of a continuing series that gave us the highly popular The Greatest Bengali Stories Ever Told.

The Best Small Fictions 2017


Tara Lynn MasihChristopher DeWan - 2017
    This acclaimed new annual series, hailed as a “milestone for the short story,” continues to honor contemporary masters and emerging writers of short-short and hybrid forms from across the globe. Guest editor Amy Hempel chose the winners from a pool of 105 finalists: “They conjure and seduce, they startle and haunt, they are funny and searing, short and shorter.” The 2017 volume includes Pamela Painter, Brian Doyle, Ian Seed, Frankie McMillan, Karen Brennan, Stuart Dybek, and W. Todd Kaneko, and spotlights Joy Williams and SmokeLong Quarterly.Featuring Small Fictions by: Nick Admussen ~ Nick Almeida ~ Lydia Armstrong ~ Matthew Baker ~ Amy Sayre Baptista ~ Karen Brennan ~ Larry Brown ~ Randall Brown ~ Erin Calabria ~ Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello ~ Carrie Cooperider ~ Emily Corwin ~ Christopher DeWan ~ Brian Doyle ~ Stuart Dybek ~ Kathy Fish ~ Sherrie Flick ~ Scott Garson ~ Jesse Goolsby ~ Michael Hammerle ~ Hannah Harlow ~ Allegra Hyde ~ W. Todd Kaneko ~ Joy Katz ~ Jen Knox ~ Len Kuntz ~ Tara Laskowski ~ Oscar Mancinas ~ Ras Mashramani ~ Frankie McMillan ~ Heather McQuillan ~ Cole Meyer ~ Eugenie Montague ~ Pamela Painter ~ Alvin Park ~ Kimberly King Parsons ~ Gen Del Raye ~ Mona Leigh Rose ~ Na’amen Gobert Tilahun ~ Cameron Quincy Todd ~ Matt Sailor ~ Rebecca Schiff ~ Robert Scotellaro ~ Ian Seed ~ Alex Simand ~ Julia Slavin ~ Michael C. Smith ~ Phillip Sterling ~ Anne Valente ~ Harriot West ~ Joy Williams ~ Keith Woodruff ~ William Woolfitt

Twelve Tales of Christmas


Cathleen Townsend - 2017
    A dryad works feverishly with a teenage boy to save her tree, now in a stand in his living room, and everyone begs Death to hold off for just one more day. And no one knows what to do with the fire-breathing dragon. He's not going on the Christmas card list anytime soon. Come enter worlds of beauty and dread. Join a house hob as he raises his cup of eggnog high, and enjoy yuletide yarns delicious enough to tempt even St. Nick.

Buckskin Cocaine


Erika T. Wurth - 2017
    Native American Studies. Erika T. Wurth's BUCKSKIN COCAINE is a wild, beautiful ride into the seedy underworld of Native American film. These are stories about men maddened by fame, actors desperate for their next buckskin gig, directors grown cynical and cruel, and dancers who leave everything behind in order to make it, only to realize at thirty that there is nothing left. Poetic and strange, Wurth's characters and vivid language will burn themselves into your mind, and linger. This is the raw stuff, the loud stuff, the hard stuff, the true stuff. It'll infect you in a way you won't realize at first, too. Not until days later, when you can't remember if you read this or you lived it. Trust me: you did both.-- Stephen Graham Jones BUCKSKIN COCAINE is a big voicey chorus of drugs, sex, booze, movies, and most of all the drumbeat of want, need, and desire.-- Kyle Minor

Different, Not Damaged


Andy Peloquin - 2017
    - A killer with a deadly message plagued by a burden of guilt. - A priestess divinely empowered to absorb others' pain. - A soldier fighting for courage in the face of fear. - A broken warrior-priest on a mission of vengeance. - A thief desperate to escape the burden of his memories. Betrayed by mind or body, these people struggle to survive in a grim world that takes no pity on the weak. Yet they will discover that they are simply different, not damaged.

Surviving Canada: Indigenous Peoples Celebrate 150 Years of Betrayal


Kiera L. Ladner - 2017
    Contributors include Mary Eberts, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Leroy Little Bear.

Hardened Hearts


Eddie GenerousJ.L. Knight - 2017
    Love brings pain, vulnerability, and demands of revenge. Hardened Hearts spills the sum of darkness and light concerning the measures of love; including works from Meg Elison, author of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award), Tom Deady, author of Haven (Winner of the Bram Stoker award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel), Gwendolyn Kiste, author of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe and Pretty Marys All in a Row, and many more.Hardened Hearts dips from speculative, horror, science fiction, fantasy, into literary and then out of the classifiable and into the waters of unpinned genres, but pure entertainment nonetheless.

Speaking to Skull Kings and Other Stories


Emily B. Cataneo - 2017
    Three sisters live by a strict etiquette book in an abandoned house, until one of them starts to question why. Two children venture into the treacherous forest to find their missing bird-guardian. A magician struggles to find a cure for the plague descending on her city before it's too late.Emily B. Cataneo's debut fiction collection is rife with the decayed grandeur of old Europe, girls who love and loathe ghosts, and magic that comes with a price. These stories, many of which have appeared on year's best longlists, span the gamut from soft science fiction to noir, to high fantasy and everything in between. They unfold in settings rendered both beautiful and sinister: a wintry post-Revolution Russia, a gossipy New England town, a lonely bathhouse where robots go to die.As the characters in these tales live out their lives, from childhood to death and beyond, they search for meaning, connection, and safety, struggling to transcend their circumstances and ultimately grappling with the question: how far will they go to escape?

Never Christmas Without You: Just for the Holidays / His Holiday Gift


Nana Malone - 2017
    Even if that means inventing a fake girlfriend to take home for the holidays. His best friend, Alex Winters, reluctantly agrees, but it's not easy to keep her long-buried feelings for Justin under wraps when they're sharing a room…a bed…a kiss. Christmas in Catalina is turning out to be hotter than anyone expected, but is theirs a love for all seasons? His Holiday Gift by Reese RyanPleasure Cove's prodigal son just got the ultimate Christmas surprise—Madison, his five-year-old daughter he knew nothing about. Maddie's aunt, Mikayla Mitchell, was once one of Dash Williams's best friends…and his secret admirer. Now, seeing the sexy, ambitious lawyer with his little girl, Mikayla's more smitten than ever. And Dash is starting to realize Mikayla's the only one who could make his days merry and bright, and fill his nights with bliss…

Sincerely Yours


Sentilong Ozukum - 2017
    Across nine tales, the authors pulls every string in the heart as he takes the readers on a timeless nostalgic journey of love, death and redemption that will linger long after the last page has been turned. Sincerely Yours Timeless tales that are extraordinarily commonplace in every household, every village and every neighbourhood of a people trapped in the unraveling of a history outside their control. While some try to salvage the remnants of the old world such as the morose, dying Grandfather by trying to beat Death at its own game, others such as the silver-haired, wisdom-incarnate and football-loving Grandmother espouses the best of both the worlds. A Fearful Symmetry takes one on a Magical Realism tour of the fantastical and the supernatural much like Marquez’s universe, Silent Screams that takes off as a psychological horror quickly spirals down to a comedy of errors. In one, a seemingly crazy old man throws an entire church service into a frenzy while in another a mother’s enduring love is put to test by a rebellious son. In yet another tale, Justice is put to test by a pair of well-meaning yet misguided parents. Unrequited Love and Unconfessed love are threatened by Death and Life alike but the eternal question of whether love would triumph remains. Each tale is a journey designed to awaken a myriad of emotions as it recounts the tales of lives shaped by forces not of their own. ***All the proceeds of this book will go for charity towards the education of underprivileged children of Eastern Nagaland bordering Myanmar***

Kissed by Literature: A Collection of Short Stories


Jordan Elizabeth - 2017
    Among the tales, you’ll encounter a serial killer stalking a country road and a vacation destination riddled with evil. This collection of short stories explores the different writing styles and genres of Amazon bestselling author Jordan Elizabeth.

Mail-Order Brides of Oak Grove: Surprise Bride for the Cowboy / Taming the Runaway Bride


Lauri Robinson - 2017
    Could he be the cowboy to tempt her down the aisle?TAMING THE RUNAWAY BRIDE by Kathryn AlbrightRunning from trouble, Maggie McCary signs up to be a mail-order bride. She doesn't intend to actually marry...until she shares one sensational kiss with Jackson Miller!

The Storyteller Speaks: Powerful Stories to Win Your Heart


Annika Perry - 2017
    What is that action, decision, occurrence? Whose life is affected? Changed forever? In this eclectic mix of 21 short stories, flash fiction and poetry the pendulum swings between first love and murder, from soul-destroying grief to reconciliation. The tales veer from the sweet satisfaction of revenge to new beginnings, from heart-breaking miscarriages of justice to heart-warming Christmas misadventure. One common thread binds them all; the belief that there is no such thing as an ordinary life; they're all extraordinary. Open your hearts and minds as The Storyteller Speaks.

A Treasury of Best-Loved Fairy Tales


Various - 2017
    These are the characters who bring fairy tales to life and who for centuries have made them some of the best-known and most-loved tales told around the world.A Treasure of Best-Loved Fairy tales brings together in one volume 101 of the most popular fairy and folk tales ever told. Drawn from the works of Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Peter Christen Asbjornsen, Jorgen Moe, and from such classic compilations as Tales of the Arabian Nights and the fairy books of Andrew Lang, these stories feature characters whose adventures are the most enchanting and entertaining to be immortalized in fairy tale form: the Little Mermaid, Sinbad the Sailor, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Aladdin, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Ugly Duckling, Rumpelstiltskin, and Ali Baba. For anyone who has ever wanted to fight a dragon, outsmart a band of cutthroat thieves, woo a handsome prince or beautiful princess, or rise by one's wits to become the ruler of a kingdom, these stories are your passport to a world where a simple exercise of imagination can make them all happen.

Is Winona Ryder Still with the Dude from Soul Asylum? and Other LURID Tales of TERROR and DOOM!!!


Douglas Hackle - 2017
    A famous pest control man is diagnosed with the “In the Air Tonight” disease, an incurable sickness that slowly turns its sufferers into the rapist referenced in Phil Collins’ hit song “In the Air Tonight.” Having just escaped TERROR TOWN, a man is opened up like a can of sardines by a can of sardines. The supposedly debunked but very real ghost caught on camera in the movie Three Men and a Baby exacts revenge on humanity for not believing in him. Though Courtney Cute is indeed the cutest child in the world, her evil doll and batshit-insane grandfather are anything but. A Ouija board grows bored of being a Ouija board. Two passengers (one human, one evil scarecrow) aboard the sinking RMS Titanic refuse to abandon ship because they’re too busy watching the blockbuster film Titanic on the actual Titanic…These and many more ABSURDITIES await in Is Winona Ryder Still with the Dude from Soul Asylum? and Other LURID Tales of TERROR and DOOM!!!, the second collection of bizarro-whacko-absurdo short fiction from Douglas Hackle. “Hackle may be the best absurdist story writer working today.” –Bradley Sands, author of Dodgeball High“Hackle combines an English major's love of literature and respect for the written word with a twelve year old's penchant for dark, dirty, demented imaginings and the crassest of crass, sick/twisted humor.” –Arthur Graham, author of Tanuki Tango Overdrive

Time and Circumstance


Theresa Milstein - 2017
    This reflective collection of real and imagined poetry and prose, speculates on an erratic childhood, the uncertainty of adolescence, and the reality of parenthood, through flashbacks of love lost and found. “This everyday, why again, sometimes / ignored tune has measured time in notes, / seconds, minutes, days, years, and so it goes. / It’s a measure of the man he will become.”

Deadman's Tome Final Contact


Eric S. Brown - 2017
    This volume of galactic terror features stories that warn of the consequences of bold space exploration, exploitative mining, venturing too far, and contact with foreign entities. You see, dear reader, we are not alone, and our first contact might just be our last!

A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing


Tim Weed - 2017
    A high altitude lake is the point of departure for these stories of dark adventure, in which fishing guides, amateur sportsmen, teenage misfits, scientists, mountaineers, and expatriates embark on disquieting journeys of self-discovery in far-flung places.

The 2017 Short Story Advent Calendar


Michael Hingston - 2017
    Plus, this year featuring more all-new material than ever before!Contributors to the 2017 calendar include:Kelly Link (Get in Trouble, Magic for Beginners)Jim Gavin (Middle Men, AMC's forthcoming Lodge 49)Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties)Ken Liu (The Paper Menagerie, The Grace of Kings)Maggie Shipstead (Astonish Me, Seating Arrangements)and [REDACTED x 19]!As always, each booklet is sealed, so you won't know what story you're getting until the morning you open it. Calendars are available in a one-time print run, which means that once they're gone, they're gone forever. The 2017 edition has also been reimagined, design-wise—did someone say translucent vellum sleeve? Yes. It was us.

Wicked Wonders


Ellen Klages - 2017
    Best friends Anna and Corry share one last morning on Earth. A solitary woman inherits a penny arcade haunted by a beautiful stranger. A prep-school student requires more than luck when playing dice with a faerie. Ladies who lunch—dividing one last bite of dessert—delve into new dimensions of quantum politeness. At summer camp, a young girl discovers the heartbreak of forbidden love.Whether on a habitat on Mars or in a boardinghouse in London, discover Ellen Klages’ wicked, wondrous adventures full of cheeky wit, empathy, and courage.

CWA Anthology of Short Stories: Mystery Tour


Martin Edwards - 2017
    Highlights of the trip include a treacherous cruise to French Polynesia, a horrifying trek in South Africa, a murderous train-ride across Ukraine and a vengeful killing in Mumbai. But back home in the UK, life isn’t so easy either. Dead bodies turn up on the backstreets of Glasgow, crime writers turn words into deeds at literary events, and Lady Luck seems to guide the fate of a Twickenham hood. Showcasing the range, breadth and vitality of contemporary crime-fiction genre, these 28 chilling and unputdownable stories will take you on a trip you’ll never forget. Contributions from: Ann Cleeves, C.L. Taylor, Susi Holliday, Martin Edwards, Anna Mazzola, Carol Anne Davis, Cath Staincliffe, Chris Simms, Christine Poulson, Ed James, Gordon Brown, J.M. Hewitt, Judith Cutler, Julia Crouch, Kate Ellis, Kate Rhodes, Martine Bailey, Michael Stanley, Maxim Jakubowski, Paul Charles, Paul Gitsham, Peter Lovesey, Ragnar Jónasson, Sarah Rayne, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Vaseem Khan, William Ryan and William Burton McCormick 'The diverse storytelling styles and takes on familiar genre tropes add up to an entertaining buffet for mystery fans’ Publishers Weekly ‘I loved the variety of writing styles, the skill that tops the list of evidence and the differing locations as we criss-crossed the globe from the streets of Glasgow to a trek in South Africa as these writers pooled their stories to produce one of the most satisfying collections of short stories I have had the pleasure of reading' Cleopatra Loves Books 'An absolutely cracking anthology which provides a wonderful introduction to the short story, with a mix of crimes to make you smile, cringe, gasp and nod' Jen Meds Book Reviews 'A mystery tour which takes you across the world and back again, across the boundaries of right and wrong, across the whole spectrum of human emotions, all wrapped up in a bloody red bow. Highly recommended. A brilliantly witty, dark and captivating collection’ The Book Trail 'This is a must-read book. Don’t miss out!' Damp Pebbles 'This is an excellent collection of stories that you can either read one after the other, or, as I did – dipping in and out and reading a mixture of authors both known and new to me’ My Reading Corner 'This is an excellent collection of high quality crime stories, ranging from psychological thrillers to crime scene investigations, providing something for everyone – and the chance to get out of your usual ‘crime reads’ comfort zone’ Off The Shelf Books

The Elder Scrolls Online - Volumes I & II: The Land & the Lore


Bethesda Softworks - 2017
    Now available as a complete set in a deluxe slipcase. For the first time in print, step into the fantasy world of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tales of Tamriel - Vol. I: The Land that takes readers on an adventure throughout the war-torn landscapes and battlefields of Tamriel, featuring a horde of in-game texts and exclusive artwork. For the first time in print, step into the fantasy world of The Elder Scrolls Online. Tales of Tamriel - Vol. II: The Lore which takes readers on adventures throughout the war-torn landscapes and battlefields of Tamriel, featuring a horde of in-game texts and exclusive artwork.

Demiurge: The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales of Michael Shea


Michael Shea - 2017
    P. Lovecraft—an entire universe of gods and monsters that hundreds of writers have imitated. But Shea has done a lot more than merely mimic Lovecraft’s prose or add a new god or “forbidden book” to the Mythos. In his Mythos tales, Shea has infused his own unique vision and perspective. The much-reprinted “Fat Face” takes us into the seedy underworld of prostitutes and drug dealers in San Francisco, while other tales such as “Dagoniad,” “Copping Squid,” and “Tsathoggua” vividly meld Lovecraftian cosmic horror with the contemporary world of California, with its swimming pools and beachcombers. Shea was also fascinated with Lovecraft’s novel of Antarctic horror, At the Mountains of Madness, and his stories “Under the Shelf” and “Beneath the Beardmore” take us to that frozen land of death and terror. The title story, “Demiurge,” is a previously unpublished novella that draws upon Lovecraft’s tales of psychic possession in its chilling portrayal of a nameless monster who may be the harbinger of the overthrow of the entire human race. Michael Shea (1946–2014) was the award-winning author of The Color out of Time, the Nifft the Lean series of fantasy novels, and the classic tales “Polyphemus” and “The Autopsy.” This volume of his complete Cthulhu Mythos tales has been assembled by S. T. Joshi, a leading authority on Lovecraft and the Mythos. This volume features wraparound cover artwork and five interior illustrations by renowned artist Aeron Alfrey (MADHOUSE).

Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths


Karen T. NewmanT. Gillmore - 2017
    Life seemingly brings joy, happiness, hope, and love. Death can end sadness, illness, suffering, and pain. We asked writers to "Let the title and quote take your imagination, your story, wherever it wants to go." Join them now as an international blend of authors, both fresh and seasoned, bring you an exceptional menu of speculative fiction, mystery, realism, horror, and the supernatural. If your palate varies from the macabre to the dramatic, Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths provides an assortment of tasty treasures that will chill, delight, and give you food for thought.

Edgar Allan Poe Collection : Anthology of Classic Tales


Edgar Allan Poe - 2017
    With his macabre twists of fate and fascination with science and invention his work led to the detective stories of Sherlock Holmes, the weird horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the grim, tortured tales of Stephen King.

Paw Patrol Me Reader 8 Book Library


Phoenix International Publications - 2017
    Books include Tools For Every Job, Pups At Play, and Pups On The Go. Press the book ID button followed by the colour coded page buttons to hear text read aloud on the stand-alone electronic pad which looks just like an eReader. Size H23.7, W20, D8cm. Batteries required: 3 x AAA (included) plus . Ages 18 Months+

Arkham Detective Agency: A Lovecraftian-Noir Tribute to C. J. Henderson


Brian M. SammonsPaula R. Stiles - 2017
    No fainting librarians here, these are tough, capable heroes. And while they may survive their encounters with cosmic evil to fight another day, a terrible price was always paid. Friends were lost, relationships were destroyed, minds were broken. With scars both mental and physical, these champions would get only the briefest of respites before having to rise again to face the next challenge. Knowing that only death or madness would bring their fighting to an end, they nevertheless continued to wage war against the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. What other choice did they have? This is the world created by author C.J. Henderson who gave readers such modern day pulp heroes as Jack Hagee, Teddy London, Piers Knight, and his most recent creation: Frank Nardi, former N.Y.C. detective, now head of the Arkham Detective Agency. Before C.J. Henderson’s untimely death, many weird fiction authors were invited to this book to play in his world of stoic P.I.s, beautiful dames, and horrible monsters. We are thrilled to bring you the four Frank Nardi stories C.J. finished before his death, and all new stories set in H.P. Lovecraft’s modern day witch-haunted town of Arkham.

An Angel Among Us


J.E. Spina - 2017
    This book is dedicated to a courageous friend who passed this year. The first story is specially created for her and is the inspiration for the title of this book.

Déjà You: Stories of Second Chances


Kelly Cain - 2017
    Schwarz transports us to 1760 in The Pearl with the story of Marcus Landover, who attends a card party and ends up with more than he bargained for in the beautiful Sophia Chelmsford.Amanda Linsmeier’s Joy and Sorrow reunites lovers separated by death in a Women’s Fiction tinged with the unusual.The Eyes of the Heart by Jamie McLachlan gives us Rosalina, who is forced to confront her attraction and the truth about her blindness when a new gardener is hired at the Greystone house.Finally, C.H. Armstrong brings us Mr. Midnight, where tragedy reunites two star-crossed lovers, but misunderstandings soon rip them apart. Now, six years later, the stars are realigning with the help of the smooth voice of a late night radio DJ.Some of the stories are sweet, some sad, some steamy, but all carry the same theme. Déjà You is a collection of stories for those who believe in love, but most of all, second chances.

Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories of the Paranormal


Donald Allen Kirch - 2017
    You are about to enter a dimension of the bizarre, where the strange and unusual will guide you down the path of imagination. True stories where the ordinary will be replaced with the fantastic! Explore legend, myth, and folklore. Follow the personal investigative cases of horror/fantasy author Donald Allen Kirch. These cases are based on theory and conjecture. The reader is invited to make their own conclusions on all the available information.Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories of the Paranormal.

The Library of Babel and Other Stories


Jorge Luis Borges - 2017
    This book contains English versions of 6 short stories and verses.“The Rejected Sorcerer” (aka El Brujo Postergado) (short story)“The Library of Babel” (short story)“The Babylonian Lottery” (short story)“The Circular Ruins” (short story)“The Card-Trick” (verse)“A Patio” (verse)First published“Fantastic Universe”, March 1960, “Encounter Magazine” 1962, 1963

Beginnings and Endings: A Selection of Short Stories


Jane Suen - 2017
     All come together in Beginnings and Endings, a trilogy of short stories that will bring a lump to the throat. Grits Girl explores the beginning of a lifetime of love over a favorite bowlful of breakfast. The Accident is an ironic story of how life can change in the blink of an eye. In The End of Summer, two men come to terms with their past through an unexpected detour and the innocent joy of a child. Each story is layered with unexpected twists and turns, and there’s a bonus flash fiction, Pick Me, to bring you a smile that will last the day.

Selected Stories


Saki - 2017
    Studded with Wildean epigrams and featuring well-contrived plots and surprise endings, his stories gleefully skewer the pompous hypocrisies of upper class Edwardian society. But they go beyond mere satire, raising dark humor to extremes of entertaining outrageousness that have rarely since been matched. Saki's elegantly mischievous young heroes sow chaos in their wake without breaking a sweat, and are occasionally joined by werewolves, tigers, eavesdropping house pets, and casually murderous children. This selection includes such famous stories as "Tobermory," "The Open Window," "Sredni Vashtar," "Mrs. Packletide's Tiger," "The Schartz-Metterklume Method," and many more.

Beautiful Machines: Tales Of The Uncanny


Seth Chambers - 2017
    You will meet robots that dwell in that uncanny valley wherein humans and machines share a common, existential crisis.

The Immanent World: Cluichi: A Horror Anthology Series


Clive Reznor - 2017
     Clive Reznor's newest horror anthology book will test your limits. Told in six short stories ranging from gothic horror to social commentary to dark comedy, The Immanent World: Cluichi - A Horror Anthology Series is a thrill ride through the darkest hidden corners of the human mind. Six Twisted Tales Of Terror! For readers who enjoy: The Books of Blood, Night Shift, Six Scary Stories, The New Weird Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Dean Koontz, Stephen King Short story collections / anthologies Supernatural tales occult unexplained mysteries dark comedy, societal horror, body horror paranormal, graphic tales, books for adults angels and demons horror novels This book will be a great addition to your nighttime reading collection.

Justice Is Served


Diane Capri - 2017
    Looking forward to a quiet week of stunning winter scenery, roaring fires, and warm companionship, Judge Willa Carson and her husband George head north to Pleasant Harbor, Michigan - and slam into murder. A car stranded in the road. A corpse slumped in the front seat. A gunshot wound to left temple. The scene is surreal, the execution ruthless, the victim far from innocent. Local authorities want this case put away fast because it’s bad for their tourism business. Willa sees what the cops don’t, and she is not about to play along to get along. False Justice - Judge Willa Carson’s friend Ursula Westfield is living the good life. Her career as a broadcast journalist is on fire, she finally found a good man to come home to, and her new Manhattan apartment is the stuff of dreams. When a stranger sends her a chilling but cryptic email about a newly nominated Judge in her hometown, she knows she should ignore it. Secret sources armed with conspiracy theories were nothing but trouble. Still, she can’t seem to shake the feeling that there’s something amiss about Judge Aaron Michaels. Driven by an insatiable quest for truth and a desire to do the right thing, she heads back to Tampa and comes face-to-face with a killer. Fair Justice - When a young reporter assigned to cover Judge Willa Carson’s courtroom for the local television station is sent on a fact-finding mission, he never expects to find a body. Residents of a small Florida town are suffering from a strange, debilitating illness. A whistleblower claims the local carpet mill is engaged in dumping toxic chemicals into the water supply. Uncovering the truth may cost the reporter his life, unless Willa Carson can save him. True Justice - Ginny Richards has a great new job working for wickedly smart Federal Judge Willa Carson, and she couldn’t be happier. After a rough patch and an ugly break up, she’s finally making new friends and her career in on the upswing. But when she invites her new workmates to see her moonlighting as a jazz singer at a local club, she never expects that a night of music and merriment will end in murder. Grab your copy now and start reading today!

Don't Wait to Be Called


Jacob R. Weber - 2017
    These stories range from migrants fleeing for their lives and hanging on to what is left from the dangerous journey to "bros" lifting weights together who just want to get ripped. Weber also covers the 2015 Baltimore Riots through the eyes of a student (Weber's wife was a Baltimore teacher at the time), a dying mathematician's son who tries to master high school math before his father dies, and a single mother just trying to hold it together on a Sunday at the park. Weber twice hits on themes of surveillance, once in a very short story told through the eyes of an eavesdropping translator (Weber himself is a translator for a living), and again through a haunting story of a man who built facilities for the National Security Agency and now wants to spend his retirement in a bath house he built. But the heart of the collection are the four stories of "Habesha" immigrants--those who have come from Ethiopia and Eritrea to the United States to become a new kind of American--"American as Berbere," as one story has it.

Gothic Tales


Arthur Conan Doyle - 2017
    Throughout a long writing career, he drew on his own medical background, his travels, and his increasing interest in spiritualism and the occult to produce a spectacular array of Gothic stories. Many of Doyle's writings are recognized as the very greatest tales of terror. They range from hauntings in the polar wasteland to evil surgeons and malevolent jungle landscapes.This collection brings together over thirty of Conan Doyle's best "Gothic Tales," in a scholarly edition for the first time. Darryl Jones's introduction discusses the contradictions in Conan Doyle's very public life - as a medical doctor who became obsessed with the spirit world, or a British imperialist drawn to support Irish Home Rule - and shows the ways in which these found articulation in that most anxious of all literary forms, the Gothic.

Queers Destroy Science Fiction!: Lightspeed Magazine Special Issue; The Stories


Seanan McGuire - 2017
    It is inclusive. Science fiction is about people, and queer people, no matter how they identify, are a big part of that. They always have been. They're just sometimes harder to see. So, in the interests of visibility, Queers Destroy Science Fiction! shows just how wide the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity can really be.This special issue features original science fiction short stories from John Chu, Kate M. Galey, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Chaz Brenchley, Felicia Davin, Rose Lemberg, Jessica Yang, K. M. Szpara, Amal El-Mohtar, Tim Susman, and Susan Jane Bigelow. Plus, it includes original flash fiction from E. Saxey, Charles Payseur, Claudine Griggs, Stephen Cox, Eliza Gauger, Erica L. Satifka, Gabrielle Friesen, Nicasio Andres Reed, Shannon Peavey, Sarah Pinsker, Bogi Takacs, and JY Yang, as well as reprints by RJ Edwards, AMJ Hudson, Raven Kaldera, Rand B. Lee, and Geoff Ryman.

The Lawrence Watt-Evans Fantasy Megapack


Lawrence Watt-Evans - 2017
    Lawrence Watt-Evans may be best known for his fantasy and science fiction novels, particularly the Ethshar series, but he has published a significant body of short fiction, too, including the Hugo Award-winning "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers." This MEGAPACK® collects his fantasy stories -- more than 400 pages of terrific reading! Included are:THE TEMPLE OF LIFEMEHITABEL GOODWINHEART OF STONETHE FINAL CHALLENGEBETH'S UNICORNTHE BRIDE OF BIGFOOTKEEPING UP APPEARANCESDROPPING HINTSTHE BOGLE IN THE BASEMENT2THE MAN FOR THE JOBCHAPERONEOUT OF THE WOODSGHOST STORIESTHE FROG WIZARDHORSING AROUNDSPIRIT DUMPARMS AND THE WOMANMITTENS AND HOTFOOTJUST PERFECTTRIXIEIN RE: NEPHELEGERETESIN FOR A POUNDSOMETHING TO GRIN ABOUTBEST PRESENT EVER!If you enjoy this ebook, don't forget to search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see more of the 300+ volumes in this series, covering adventure, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, science fiction -- and much, much more!

Paradigm


Killian C. Carter - 2017
    An old-timer willing to take any measure to remain completely human. A teacher on a school field trip with a twist. Meet these, and more, in this exciting sci-fi short story collection.EXHIBIT X: Join Mrs. Zilmore and her students on their field trip to the D.C. Natural History Museum, long after the war that changed the world. When they sneak off into a locked basement, they find a lot more than even Mrs. Zilmore bargained for.INTO INFINITY: Asra, a ranger stationed at Lake Infinity, is ordered with the hateful task of guiding an important journalist around one of the galaxy’s greatest, yet most dangerous, wonders. What was meant to be a routine journey turns into something else entirely. The question is: Will either of them make it back alive?HALF AND HALF: For all Johnny Taylor knows, he's the last untainted human being alive, he’ll do anything not to become one of "them". Or will he?

It's A Bird! It's A Plane!: A Superhero Anthology


Steve BeaulieuAndy Peloquin - 2017
     Which of us hasn't dreamed of feeling the wind whipping through our hair as we fly through the air at unimaginable speeds? Who hasn't fantasized about using supernatural strength to quell the tyranny of a cruel, selfish leader? Live vicariously through the Supers of today in all original, never before published stories from some of today's hottest authors. Help Carrie Conrad stop a school shooting in Chris Pourteau's Geek Gurl Rising. Experience the rise and fall of superhero great, The Roach in Rhett C. Bruno's The Roach Rising. Explore the Raptorverse in Christopher J. Valin's Photo Op. Read these and so many more exciting stories today for less than a quarter a story.

The Norton Anthology of American Literature


Robert S Levine - 2017
    General Editor Robert Levine and the four period editors--three of whom are new to the team--have reenergized the anthology. Fresh scholarship, NEW authors and topical clusters, a NEW ebook, and an enriched instructor site make the Norton Anthology an even better teaching tool for instructors and an unmatched value for students.

It, Watching


Elizabeth Massie - 2017
    But it is surely there. Watching…Enter a dark, terrifying world where it’s best to watch where you’re going, to keep a sharp look out, to be very careful. A world where a cheap, traveling circus keeps its darkest secret in the rear of a trailer. Where garden gnomes and ventriloquist dummies plan revenge. Where ignorance is hardly bliss. Where a visit to Grandmother’s house takes a horrifying turn. Where a doctor plays with the sanity of his underling. Where toothed creatures live and follow in the shadows. Where kids who ignore their mamas find trouble in an old oak tree. Where curiosity kills more than the cat.It, Watching is Bram Stoker Award-winning author Elizabeth Massie’s long-awaited seventh collection of horror short stories. It offers tales of dread, suspense, terror, mystery, and an occasional touch of humor. The stories span Massie’s thirty-three year writing career, with goodies her readers may have missed as well as some brand new tales.Cover art by Cortney Skinner“Elizabeth Massie is personally one of my favorite authors. Her writing is true, heartfelt, and wildly original. She is one of the greats.” – Bentley Little, author of The Haunted, The Collection, and The Consultant“Elizabeth Massie is a force to be reckoned with. She’s an accomplished writer who never fails to engage the heart and mind.” – Jack Ketchum, author of The Girl Next Door, The Secret Life of Souls, and The Lost“Elizabeth Massie seduces you with her smooth prose and rich characterization and leaves you gasping when it all comes together.” – F. Paul Wilson, author of The Keep, Fear City, and PanaceaIncluded in It, Watching:Wet BirdsTintypeDarla and Gina Try to Keep Out of DebtDon’t Look at MeSister, ShhhBreathe Me18P37-C, After Andrea Was ArrestedThe Darkton Circus MysteryThe TreeMy Treat (poem)Sickle MoonDust CoverPisspot BaySarah, In the AtticI Have a Little ShadowThe WellLandfillThe Replacement

Can I Pet Your Werewolf?


Kel McDonald - 2017
    Come gather to enjoy light-hearted tales featuring tales of friendship, family, and romance shared between those who get hairy under a full moon.

How to Pacify a Distraught Infant


Anna Felicia C. Sanchez - 2017
    Sanchez’s clear-eyed and crisp storytelling honors both her fictional women and their real-life counterparts, whose difficulties, though not unfamiliar, are far from obsolete. — CONCHITINA CRUZRICH TEXTURE of the stories in this collection owes much to the author’s keen eye for details; complex characters on the cusp of change— adulthood, marriage, loss, even a first airplane ride and first sex—that leads to a transformation, no matter how subtle; dialogues that ring true; consistent and well-handled points of view. In most of the stories, Sanchez uses a peripheral approach. There’s little exposition, no compulsion to explain. One who is unsuspecting and is reading only for pleasure will be jolted by “Inventories,” my personal favorite.— SUSAN S. LARAANNA FELICIA C. SANCHEZ has written the kind of book that will provoke reams of scholarly papers on gender identity and marital politics—in other words, it’s clearly important and insightful, the well-crafted product of a mature sensibility that has managed to capture her generation’s domestic tribulations. But the best reason to read it is to welcome the long- overdue emergence of a remarkable literary talent who can write about pain—about itinerant and impermanent affections—with uncommon poignancy. — JOSÉ Y. DALISAY JR.

Wait Till You See Me Dance


Deb Olin Unferth - 2017
    Her stories are revered by some of the best American writers of our day, but until now there has been no stand-alone collection of her short fiction.Wait Till You See Me Dance consists of several extraordinary longer stories as well as a selection of intoxicating very short stories. In the chilling “The First Full Thought of Her Life,” a shooter gets in position while a young girl climbs a sand dune. In “Voltaire Night,” students compete to tell a story about the worst thing that ever happened to them. In “Stay Where You Are,” two oblivious travelers in Central America are kidnapped by a gunman they assume to be an insurgent—but the gunman has his own problems.An Unferth story lures you in with a voice that seems amiable and lighthearted, but it swerves in sudden and surprising ways that reveal, in terrifying clarity, the rage, despair, and profound mournfulness that have taken up residence at the heart of the American dream. These stories often take place in an exaggerated or heightened reality, a quality that is reminiscent of the work of Donald Barthelme, Lorrie Moore, and George Saunders, but in Unferth’s unforgettable collection she carves out territory that is entirely her own.

Tripping the Tale Fantastic: Weird Fiction by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Writers


Christopher Jon HeuerJoanne Yee - 2017
    This collection has stories of people accessing new technologies, and people living in worlds where to hear is to be abnormal. There are stories that explore the imposition of language values on the Deaf community and the harm committed in the name of 'help.' And there are stories in which we get to experience how others communicate. A thought-provoking collection." --Farah Mendlesohn, author of Rhetorics of Fantasy"Even for someone like myself--a hearing person who has long been around the Deaf community--this anthology often gives insight into a series of deaf characters in a way perhaps no hearing writer ever could, from reading the innermost thoughts from a Deaf perspective in thriller/horror to science fiction and fantasy, and every genre in between, whether it's 'The Ear, ' which interestingly recalls the old radio drama Suspense or the more chilling 'In the Haunted Darkness, ' which puts into words the feelings of likely more than a few people, sadly. More importantly, those stories without a deaf character highlight the most crucial takeaway: a deaf writer can world-build and set scenes as well as anyone." --Dave Galanter, author of Troublesome MindsContributors include Kris Ashton, John Lee Clark, Michael R. Collings, Willy Conley, Bobby Cox, Daniel Crosby, Marsha Graham, Kristen Harmon, Lilah Katcher, David Langford, Raymond Luczak, A. M. Matte, Brighid Meredith, Kristen Ringman, Maverick Smith, Tonya Marie Stremlau, Jacob Waring, Joanne Yee, and Kelsey M. Young.Christopher Jon Heuer is the author of two books. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Supernatural Horror Short Stories


Roger LuckhurstMariah Southworth - 2017
    Contains a fabulous mix of classic and brand new writing, with authors from the US, Canada, and the UK.