Published: July 30, 2011
Words: 51,802 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781465779885

Short description

Science fiction, fantasy, horror and the occasional zombie can be found in these twenty-eight wickedly clever speculative fiction stories written by both Australian and international authors. Chosen by Ruth Ellison, Russell Schneider and David Vernon, these are the best of the entries in the Stringybark Speculative Fiction Awards.

Extended description

“Do you know who I am?” rasps the man.
“Indeed, Mr Dakamos. Everyone up here has followed your career with interest.”
“Then you know what I have achieved. I have united the six continents with blood and fire! I have torn down the idols of the old kingdoms, and raised the standard of Gothog atop every hill.”
“Marvellous,” you murmur, subtly moving your ice-cherry mug a safe distance from his agitated hands. (from The Historian by Jack Nicholls).

Science fiction, fantasy, horror and the occasional zombie can be found in these twenty-eight wickedly clever speculative fiction stories written by both Australian and international authors. Chosen by Ruth Ellison, Russell Schneider and David Vernon, these are the best of the entries in the Stringybark Speculative Fiction Awards.

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

horror, fantasy, zombies, short stories, speculative fiction, science fiction

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Reviews

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Review by: Jane Doilly on Sep. 19, 2012 :
Very clever and at times disturbing. I felt that all the stories had considerable merit and very well illustrate the depth and breadth of modern speculative fiction. Great value for money.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Gabion on Sep. 13, 2012 :
I've bought the paperback version of this book and wanted an e-book copy for sometime. There are some haunting and clever stories that provide much food for thought. The title story, "A Visit from the Duchess" by Janeen Samuel is well crafted and unsettling. Jack Nichols' "The Historian" is amusing and explores a unique idea and Mike Berlin's story, "Tiffany" really is speculative. A wonderful collection. Thank you!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: V.S. Daley on April 15, 2012 :
There are some very quirky and intriguing stories in this anthology of speculative fiction stories. All of them made me think. This is a great collection which is well laid out and cleverly put together to provide a good selection of contemporary speculative fiction writing. Well done.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Batsy on April 09, 2012 :
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of first-class stories. As with the best of speculative fiction the stories keep coming back to haunt my thoughts.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Bronnie Wu on March 27, 2012 :
A delicious collection of clever, unsettling and provocative stories. Well written, well laid out - a quality production which seems to be something rather rare on Smashwords.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Jack A Benson on Dec. 11, 2011 :
This is an edgy science fiction/fantasy collection. Some awesome stories here. Well written, gritty plots. Some good sexy stuff too without losing realism. I'm very pleased with this purchase.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Clarissa White on Nov. 10, 2011 :
Finding quality writing amongst e-books seems to be a bit of a gamble. However, I might have stumbled on a decent publisher. This is the second Stringybark anthology I have purchased and its a beaut one. The stories a clever and get one thinking. Cool stuff.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Peter Thompson on Oct. 10, 2011 :
I second Daniel Vane's review, although I don't mind a bit of Zombie and horror. There wasn't much of the latter (or former for that matter). Rather there was a bunch of really excellent short stories that explored some really very interesting ideas. Good value for money.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Daniel Vane on Sep. 29, 2011 :
While I have enjoyed the other David Vernon edited anthologies of short stories, it was with trepidation that I purchased an anthology of speculative fiction. Horror and zombies leave me cold, However I have been pleasantly surprised. This is a top collection of speculative fiction short stories. Many of the stories contain wonderful twists and turns and despite the zombies, I loved it. Another good book to read on the bus. The winning story, "A Visit from the Duchess" is just masterful.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Sandra Black on Sep. 20, 2011 :
There is some wonderful writing in this book. Despite their short nature (2000 words or less) there are some powerful plots and excellent descriptions. This is speculative fiction at its best. Crisp, thought-provoking (some a little horrifying) and entertaining. Great work and good value for money.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Susan Randazzo on Sep. 02, 2011 :
As a speculative fiction fan, I was eager to read this anthology. There are some thought provoking ideas here & some cheeky & fun twists too. A couple had me back for a second read. At $3.99 you will have yourself a bargain & take a trip to many different worlds courtesy of some talented authors.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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