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A Visit from the Duchess and other award-winning stories from the Stringybark Speculative Fiction Award
“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.
“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.
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First published July 1, 2011
8 people want to read
About the author
Zena Shapter
31 books51 followersZena Shapter is a multi-award winning author of science fiction, fantasy, speculative and contemporary fiction, conjuring journeys into the beyond and unusual. Author of ‘When Dark Roots Hunt’, ‘When Dark Waters Burn’, 'Towards White', and co-author of 'Into Tordon', among others, she’s a ‘writer with a need for adventure’ (Midnight Echo magazine), “a specialist in the weird, wacky, wonderful” (Writing NSW), creating “the kind of excitement and suspense and pure pleasure that made me want to become a writer” (Lillian Csernica, Tangent Online), “dark fantasy at its blood-soaked finest” (Australasian Horror Writers’ Association), “cold and brutal” (Tor.com) and “beautifully crafted and well told stories that deserve to be read many times” (Glen Miles Short Story Prize). She loves movies, frogs, chocolate, potatoes, and living with her family on Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches, where she’s also an inclusive creativity advocate, writing mentor and editor. Find her online via @ZenaShapter and zenashapter.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 18, 2011
What strikes me most about this anthology is its inventiveness.
Soul-eating monsters, e-coli declaring war, and wish-granting devils are just some of the entities you’ll meet if you dive into this exciting new collection of 28 speculative fiction stories.
Twenty-eight? Yes, 28. They’re only short, about 1,500 words in length, but that’s more than enough to pop inside and enjoy a world. And, if one particular world doesn’t appeal to your taste, it’s only a few pages until you enter the next one.
Of the 28 stories, I counted eleven favourites that blew me away, and another five I really enjoyed. The rest I could take or leave, but you might love them and hate my favourites! You'll only find out by reading it yourself.
Included in my top four is the story that titles the collection, "A Visit from the Duchess" by Janeen Samuel, featuring a planet of cloned women. Only once you read the story does the front cover of the anthology make sense, and then you won’t be able to stop smirking every time you see it! Also in my top four is Susan May’s "To Be or Not To Be", where carbon-breathing aliens force a mother into making a difficult decision. Zombies get a look in with Frances Warren’s "End Days", though the focus is more on sacrifice and survival than the horror. Finally, "Later Than You Think" by Pat Davies takes you into a world where bio-regeneration extends your life… for centuries!
Of course, then there’s the fast-paced thrilling tale of one visiting creature’s struggle to save her loved one in "Breakthrough" by Zena Shapter – oh, wait, that one’s by me!
But having a story in this anthology isn't the only reason I can recommend it to others. I can think of twenty-eight other reasons altogether!
Which will be your favourites?
Soul-eating monsters, e-coli declaring war, and wish-granting devils are just some of the entities you’ll meet if you dive into this exciting new collection of 28 speculative fiction stories.
Twenty-eight? Yes, 28. They’re only short, about 1,500 words in length, but that’s more than enough to pop inside and enjoy a world. And, if one particular world doesn’t appeal to your taste, it’s only a few pages until you enter the next one.
Of the 28 stories, I counted eleven favourites that blew me away, and another five I really enjoyed. The rest I could take or leave, but you might love them and hate my favourites! You'll only find out by reading it yourself.
Included in my top four is the story that titles the collection, "A Visit from the Duchess" by Janeen Samuel, featuring a planet of cloned women. Only once you read the story does the front cover of the anthology make sense, and then you won’t be able to stop smirking every time you see it! Also in my top four is Susan May’s "To Be or Not To Be", where carbon-breathing aliens force a mother into making a difficult decision. Zombies get a look in with Frances Warren’s "End Days", though the focus is more on sacrifice and survival than the horror. Finally, "Later Than You Think" by Pat Davies takes you into a world where bio-regeneration extends your life… for centuries!
Of course, then there’s the fast-paced thrilling tale of one visiting creature’s struggle to save her loved one in "Breakthrough" by Zena Shapter – oh, wait, that one’s by me!
But having a story in this anthology isn't the only reason I can recommend it to others. I can think of twenty-eight other reasons altogether!
Which will be your favourites?
April 22, 2012
These stories are awesome!
November 20, 2017
Really creative visions of alternative worlds.
September 28, 2011
A splendid collection of short stories — but I might be a little biased as I helped select them all!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews