What do you think?
Rate this book
Order and Chaos: A Short Story Anthology
Ancient gods in conflict and a zombie on welfare, a disappearing boyfriend and AI with daddy issues, a balloon bound for icy danger and a mysterious theft at the museum, a sinister woodland cabin and a pleasure house that’ll cost much more than you can afford.
Raiding parties in dystopia, art classes in the city, opposites attracting and love catching fire. Separations and siblings, life and death decisions, flying into trouble and traveling to self-discovery…
Which comes first, chaos or order? The cycles between may seem inevitable, and change may be the only constant, but what does that mean for the human experience?
Sixteen authors from the Breakthrough Books collective explore our relationships with nature and technology, science and the sacred, each other and ourselves, offering an array of stories as individual as every reader.
Eli Allison, Mark Bowsher, Stephanie Bretherton, Jamie Chipperfield, Jason Cobley, Stevyn Colgan, Sue Clark, Samuel Dodson, Miles Hudson, A.B. Kyazze, Pete Langman, Virginia Moffatt, Eamon Somers, Nicole Swengley, Damon L. Wakes, PJ Whiteley.
Also from the Breakthrough Books collective, Taking Liberties , a short story anthology on the theme of freedom.
Raiding parties in dystopia, art classes in the city, opposites attracting and love catching fire. Separations and siblings, life and death decisions, flying into trouble and traveling to self-discovery…
Which comes first, chaos or order? The cycles between may seem inevitable, and change may be the only constant, but what does that mean for the human experience?
Sixteen authors from the Breakthrough Books collective explore our relationships with nature and technology, science and the sacred, each other and ourselves, offering an array of stories as individual as every reader.
Eli Allison, Mark Bowsher, Stephanie Bretherton, Jamie Chipperfield, Jason Cobley, Stevyn Colgan, Sue Clark, Samuel Dodson, Miles Hudson, A.B. Kyazze, Pete Langman, Virginia Moffatt, Eamon Somers, Nicole Swengley, Damon L. Wakes, PJ Whiteley.
Also from the Breakthrough Books collective, Taking Liberties , a short story anthology on the theme of freedom.
172 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2023
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Bretherton
6 books25 followersBorn in Hong Kong to a pair of Liverpudlians (and something of a nomad ever since), Stephanie is based in London but manages her sanity by escaping to any kind of coast. Before returning to her first love of writing fiction, Stephanie spent many years pursuing alternative forms of storytelling, from stage to screen and media to marketing. Meanwhile, an enduring love affair with words has led her down many a wormhole on the written page. Drawn to what connects rather than separates, Stephanie has channeled a lifelong curiosity for science, history and spirituality into her debut novel, Bone Lines, and into short stories, poems and various works in progress. This includes ideas for the continuation of the Children of Sarah series, of which Bone Lines is the first story.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 6, 2023
A thought-provoking and insightful collection pushing the boundaries. I really enjoyed the short stories in this collection. I have read them more than once. If you like literary stories with a whimsical, sometimes funny and paranormal theme, you would love Order and Chaos. Highly recommended.
November 12, 2023
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. There's a brilliant selection to suit all readers.
I always find collections of short stories to be perfect bedtime reading. If you're feeling a bit sleepy, read a story before you nod off. That being said, I read it in one sitting one rainy afternoon, so it's great reading for any time really.
This is my first read from Breakthrough Books and it certainly did not disappoint. Brilliant stories from cover to cover.
Thought-provoking, insightful, funny, paranormal, amusing and shocking, Order and Chaos has everything.
It's full to the brim with freat writing, it's entertaining, moving, chilling and interesting.
The stories are all quite different, which for me is great, and are all of a very high quality.
A big five 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
I always find collections of short stories to be perfect bedtime reading. If you're feeling a bit sleepy, read a story before you nod off. That being said, I read it in one sitting one rainy afternoon, so it's great reading for any time really.
This is my first read from Breakthrough Books and it certainly did not disappoint. Brilliant stories from cover to cover.
Thought-provoking, insightful, funny, paranormal, amusing and shocking, Order and Chaos has everything.
It's full to the brim with freat writing, it's entertaining, moving, chilling and interesting.
The stories are all quite different, which for me is great, and are all of a very high quality.
A big five 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
December 28, 2023
Much like Taking Liberties, Order and Chaos is an anthology of stories that loosely fit around the titular themes. Otherwise, they are very varied! In the grand scheme of things, the themes of the book can be interpreted very broadly… and they are by the authors who have contributed to the book. From stories with science and/or futuristic settings, to modern day encounters, it’s all here!
Order and Chaos is a quick and engaging read. I found it easy to pick up and put down around my busy schedule this month. In truth, I read the book in three sittings, but could easily have read it sooner if I’d read for longer sessions.
The beauty about short stories though is that you don’t have to do that. You can read stories one at a time, or maybe a couple in one go. With none being that long in length, they can fit into a bite-size break as and when time is available. For readers who are on the go, or need to make the most of small window opportunities, this would be a great book to do that with!
Even though Order and Chaos doesn’t require much in the way of commitment to read, the stories are still immersive and emotive. Quality isn’t compromised as a result of the quantity. I enjoyed each of the stories within for different reasons. What they all have in common are characters that I cared about.
If as a reader you are unsure of what to read next, need a spice of variety and/or a palate cleanser between books, look again at anthologies. They are a great way to sample new authors or settings to you decide if you want to explore them further. At least one of the stories in this book references additional material should you want to expand on the story just read if you liked it.
Summary
Order and Chaos is a fun anthology that brings together the diverse works of multiple authors around these common themes. Easy to pick up and even easier to read, I enjoyed the flexibility of shorter narratives and being able to try the works of different authors. The change of pace has been enjoyable in the busy days over Christmas; as a result, I recommend this to anybody who wants to try and make the most of even short breaks to pick up a book and read!
If you’re setting yourself a New Year’s resolution to try and read a little more, wouldn’t this would be a perfect start?
Order and Chaos is a quick and engaging read. I found it easy to pick up and put down around my busy schedule this month. In truth, I read the book in three sittings, but could easily have read it sooner if I’d read for longer sessions.
The beauty about short stories though is that you don’t have to do that. You can read stories one at a time, or maybe a couple in one go. With none being that long in length, they can fit into a bite-size break as and when time is available. For readers who are on the go, or need to make the most of small window opportunities, this would be a great book to do that with!
Even though Order and Chaos doesn’t require much in the way of commitment to read, the stories are still immersive and emotive. Quality isn’t compromised as a result of the quantity. I enjoyed each of the stories within for different reasons. What they all have in common are characters that I cared about.
If as a reader you are unsure of what to read next, need a spice of variety and/or a palate cleanser between books, look again at anthologies. They are a great way to sample new authors or settings to you decide if you want to explore them further. At least one of the stories in this book references additional material should you want to expand on the story just read if you liked it.
Summary
Order and Chaos is a fun anthology that brings together the diverse works of multiple authors around these common themes. Easy to pick up and even easier to read, I enjoyed the flexibility of shorter narratives and being able to try the works of different authors. The change of pace has been enjoyable in the busy days over Christmas; as a result, I recommend this to anybody who wants to try and make the most of even short breaks to pick up a book and read!
If you’re setting yourself a New Year’s resolution to try and read a little more, wouldn’t this would be a perfect start?
November 12, 2023
What an eclectic mix of short stories by a wide variety of authors who all had the dream to have their work published.
This brilliant collection by sixteen authors is a must read for any short story fan who wants to experience something different and give themselves something to think about.
I love short stories and their capacity to give you a few minutes of escapism knowing that you'll reach the end , and some of these are four or five pages, without having to break off part way through, each filling that space when you just need something different and the chance to contemplate a different thought process.
I enjoyed all the stories for different reasons and I cannot single out any one of them for extra praise as you need to read them all and look at them individually in their own right. Then you need to decide which does come first, chaos or order ?.........
This brilliant collection by sixteen authors is a must read for any short story fan who wants to experience something different and give themselves something to think about.
I love short stories and their capacity to give you a few minutes of escapism knowing that you'll reach the end , and some of these are four or five pages, without having to break off part way through, each filling that space when you just need something different and the chance to contemplate a different thought process.
I enjoyed all the stories for different reasons and I cannot single out any one of them for extra praise as you need to read them all and look at them individually in their own right. Then you need to decide which does come first, chaos or order ?.........
January 1, 2024
Ask 16 talented if little-known authors to put together a short story collection based on the theme of Order and Chaos and what do you get? An imaginative, diverse, thought-provoking and often brilliant anthology is the answer. Excellent reading. Wow, there's some good writing in these pages. Well done
February 21, 2025
I chose it for the title and it did not disappoint!
Each story had to be savoured, as they were all entertaining and thought provoking.
Some topics of science, mythology and history went over my head, but I trusted the writers and let the stories unfold.
Each story had to be savoured, as they were all entertaining and thought provoking.
Some topics of science, mythology and history went over my head, but I trusted the writers and let the stories unfold.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews