Panic Stations

by Judith Clarke

Collection of seven "black comedy" stories. Judith Clarke recreates moments of panic in situations that have as many twists as her characters. Christopher, brooding in the bath, becomes convinced he's going bald; eighteen-year-old Andy, behind the wheel of his first car, turns down a side street .. and makes a detour into his past life; it's Sunday morning and Evan has not returned home from the Black Pearl Discotheque ... in the title story, Josh receives a mysterious phone call at 3a.m. ... "The phone was ringing. It sounded louder than usual, shriller, more urgent in the dark and motherless house. Josh swam slowly upwards from the tangled dream that held him; reaching the surface he didn't know where he was ... whether he was a little kid or a big one or maybe even grown up ..." It is the fusion of imagination, memory and teenage (and adult) uncertainty that is the hallmark of this fascinating collection.

156 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

About the author

Judith Clarke was born in Sydney and educated at the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University in Canberra. She has worked as a teacher and librarian, and in Adult Education in Victoria and New South Wales.

A major force in YA fiction both in Australia and internationally, Judith Clarke's novels include the multi-award-winning Wolf on the Fold, as well as Friend of my Heart, Night Train, Starry Nights, One Whole and Perfect Day, and the very popular and funny Al Capsella series. She is unsurpassed in her ability to convey complex emotional states with acute understanding and compassion.