Parker: Strange Tales V

Tartarus Press

publishers

Strange Tales V is a sewn hardback book of 267 pages with silk ribbon marker, decorated boards, head and tailbands, and d/w.

The hardback limited edition is now out of print, but the ebook remains available.

Ebook: £7.99

(Please note that the ebook will be sent manually, so there may be a short delay in receiving it.)

alternatively, buy ebook direct from Amazon UK and Amazon.com

Strange Tales, Volume V

edited by

Rosalie Parker

Stories by

Charles Wilkinson, L.S. Johnson, Steve Rasnic Tem, Andrew Hook, Jacurutu:23,

John Howard, Elise Forier Edie, Douglas Penick, Paul Bradley, David Rix,

Mark Valentine, Yarrow Paisley, Tara Isabella Burton, Andrew Apter,

Nathan Alling Long, Tom Johnstone and David McGroarty

Speculative fiction is by definition in the vanguard of contemporary writing and particularly suited to the short story form. This fifth volume of Strange Tales from Tartarus includes seventeen new stories by eight British and nine North American authors, some well-known and others up-and-coming in the field. As in previous volumes in this series, a wide range of literary strange fiction is represented here, from the science fiction of Charles Wilkinson’s ‘The Investigation of Innocence’, to the historical fantasy-horror of Elise Forier Edie’s ‘You Go Back’, to the stream-of-consciousness, psychological weirdness of Andrew Apter’s ‘The Man Who Loved Flies’ to the evocative sleight of hand that is Mark Valentine’s ‘Yes, I Knew the Venusian Commodore’.

These are, by any measure, superb short stories, and it is hoped that Strange Tales V will further the cause of contemporary speculative fiction and help introduce it to a wider audience.

Containing: 'The Investigation of Innocence' by Charles Wilkinson, 'Julie' by L.S. Johnson, 'The Grave House' by Steve Rasnic Tem, 'A Life in Plastic' by Andrew Hook, 'Bardo Thodol Backup File' by Jacurutu:23, 'More Than India' by John Howard, 'You-Go-Back' by Elise Forier Edie, 'Stranger Must Go' by Douglas Penick, 'Beatrice Faraway’s Christmas Tale' by Paul Bradley, 'Henge' by David Rix, 'Yes, I Knew the Venusian Commodore' by Mark Valentine, 'Mary Alice in the Mirror' by Yarrow Paisley, 'The Taxidermist’s Tale' by Tara Isabella Burton, 'The Man Who Loved Flies' by Andrew Apter, 'Purses' by Nathan Alling Long, 'Look for the Place Where the Ivy Rises' by Tom Johnstone, 'McBirdy' by David McGroarty.

See also:

Strange Tales: Tartarus Press at 30

Cover artwork by Stephen J Clark of The Singing Garden

Reviews

'This is one of the best, and certainly best-written, story anthologies I have readin a few past years of often superb collections.' Paul St.John Mackintosh, Telereads

'17 new stories that celebrate the diversity of the fantastic spectrum and attest to Parker's exceptional taste.' Publishers Weekly

'If you love bizarre and disturbing stories, this anthology will charm you and you'll want to re-read it as soon as possible. All of these stories deserve to be read and praised by readers and critics alike, because they're of exceptionally high quality.' Risingshadow

'...top-notch contributions.' Mario Guslandi, SFBookReviews

Recommended at KQED Arts

" ‘The Investigation of Innocence’ by Charles Wilkinson "an extremely clever story, one that hints at much more than is conveyed..." ... "...‘McBirdy’ by David McGroarty "in which two young boys fall under the influence of teachers with an interest in the occult, with disturbing consequences in later life. It is a story in which the outré elements barely impinge and yet are central to the story, one in which nothing supernatural takes place and yet the whole is imbued with a sense of the weird." Peter Tennant, Black Static