Publisher: Dunsany Books
The Book of Wonder features fourteen short stories by Lord Dunsany, all of them whimsical, imaginative, and deeply strange. Dunsany writes stories that don't always have a happy ending, and these are no exception—though they're written in an almost fairytale or allegorical style, they each have a melancholy, vengeful, or even mad edge to them.
One of the most prosecuted and banned books in history. The classic novel of a young girl's exploration of physical pleasures. Young Fanny Hill is tricked into a life of prostitution, but she quickly learns the power of her own body as she learns the ways of physical passion. She soon escapes her fate for the loving arms of a wealthy young man, but misadventure and fate conspire to keep her from domestic bliss. Instead, Fanny discovers that sex need not be just for love; that it can be had for pleasure. She then sets out to explore those pleasures in as wide a variety as she can. With old men and young, and women as well; in positions of power, and situations where she has none; either watching or participating, Fanny's journey through the realms of sexual pleasure is a literary tour-de-force.Show book
From White Review Short Story Prize winner Julia Armfield, a brilliant, provocative debut story collection for fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Kelly Link. In her electrifying debut, Julia Armfield explores women's experiences in contemporary society, mapped through their bodies. As urban dwellers' sleeps become disassociated from them, like Peter Pan's shadow, a city turns insomniac. A teenager entering puberty finds her body transforming in ways very different than her classmates'. As a popular band gathers momentum, the fangirls following their tour turn into something monstrous. After their parents remarry, two step-sisters, one a girl and one a wolf, develop a dangerously close bond. And in an apocalyptic landscape, a pregnant woman begins to realize that the creature in her belly is not what she expected. Blending elements of horror, science fiction, mythology, and feminism, salt slow is an utterly original collection of short stories that are sure to dazzle and shock, heralding the arrival of a daring new voice.Show book
Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist, and short story writer, best known for his evocative and beautifully narrated ghost stories.Bagnell Terrace is the tale of a very strange but highly desirable house. The narrator who lives on the same street, has always coveted it because of its fine square front room, and when the property is unexpectedly offered for sale, he jumps at the chance to buy it. Oddly enough, nobody has ever observed the previous enigmatic owner leave. The house has an odd dusty aromatic smell. But much more sinister still are the strange footsteps which appear on the wet pavement and lead straight to the front door. The events which follow are both fascinating and terrifying.Show book
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) is called sometimes “the father of American literature”. He was a journalist, lecturer, boat pilot, inventor and, of course, writer. His wide life experience allowed him to depict different aspects of life very realistically. The most famous writings are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This book became a national treasure. But there are also many worthwhile tales by Twain. One of them is "My Watch". The plot is very witty and amusing - the hero speaks at length about his precious watch. It had been working for months without gaining or losing, but one day something went wrong and he had to bring it to the watchmaker. Then it happened many times. Eventually the hero killed the next watchmaker. Everything is described in such a funny way you can’t help laughing. This story makes you smile even when you read it for the tenth time. All the experiences of the poor guy with almost broken watch are depicted very expressively and caustically. The ending is tricky in its best Twain’s style. Spend some minutes to get to know with this fascinating tale and you won’t regret it.A SmartTouch Media production.Show book
16 speculative fiction adventures, ranging from fantasy to science fiction to magical realism. No horror. Each Single Page Story is about a 2 minute listen. The titles are based on anagrams of "social distancing" and were used as writing prompts - none of the stories are specifically about the coronavirus (COVID-19) or the pandemic. Here are the first seven titles and the first sentence of their related story. Some titles remained connected to the final version of the story. Others, not so much.ACING TIDAL SCIONS – Laura flexed her hands, watching through her VR goggles how the gloves of her spacesuit did the same.CALICO DATING SINS – After two attempts to upload his profile picture, Snowball finished his listing on the CatNip app.CASINO ACTS IDLING – Ellis and Cavney stood in the street, taking in the destruction.CLASSIC INDIGO ANT – I thought he was a mannequin dressed in a gas mask and suit of dusk orange with a windowpane pattern.CLINIC GOADS SAINT – Penrose's monitors caught on fire, freaking out the intern.COLD GIN IS IN A CAST – When my desdeer Gin lost one of her hind legs fighting a sand snake, we augmented her other leg instead of putting her down.DANCING TO SILICAS – BreakRod entered the 200th Annual Ten-World Rally in his trusty, rusty minivan.Show book
This festive charity anthology has short stories from a variety of authors, including international bestsellers and award-winning writers. There’s something for everyone, with tales that will make you laugh, make you cry, or make you sleep with the light on. It’s the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter’s night. The authors included in this collection are A.A. Abbott, Angela Marsons, Beverley Harvey, Caron McKinlay, Diane Saxon, D.S. Butler, Emma Tallon, Eva Jordan, Gina Kirkham, Helen Walters, Jen Faulkner, John Harkin, Joy Ellis, Keri Beevis, Laura Stewart, Louise Beech Marrisse Whittaker, Mike Walters, Natasha Boydell, Patricia Dixon, Rob Sinclair (writing as CJ Stone), Stephen Edger, and Valerie Keogh.Show book
