Surface Tension

by Sarah Gray

Surface Tension is a unique collection of dark tales which delve deep into the undercurrents of human psychology. Ghosts, heavenly creatures, and magic beings haunt the characters, bringing messages of warning or redemption. They're delightful stories that charm and scare in equal measure.

Audible Audio

Published February 6, 2017

About the author

Sarah Gray has been storytelling all of her professional life. As a writer and filmmaker she is delighted by what she fears and loves to explore the darkly comic side of the human psyche. In a scary and illogical world there is plenty to allow her imagination free reign.

Master of the short story, her three collections - Surface Tension, Half Life and Urban Creatures - are a resplendent trilogy with curious stories that cause disquiet and heartache with a chilling sting of pleasure.

Stories enable us to face the worst that can happen and then get back to everyday life pretending the terrible stuff only happens to other people. Most of the time…

"Half Life is quite something. I just loved Sarah's idea of what it means to be a ghost." - Tracy Chevalier

"Sarah writes beautifully and the sense of foreboding or unease is brilliantly conveyed. I've never read anything quite like it, although I'd suggest echoes of Mary Shelley or Edgar Allan Poe." - Clare Balding

Reviews

[Char (lunarchar_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this. It was my first ever reading of a collection of short stories and one of only a handful of paranomal/ghost/suspensful stories I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sarah Gray is clearly an incredible writer and not only that is inspirational too! My favourites were Switch, Cherry & Surface Tension and I STRONGLY recommend you go grab yourself a copy. Review here: https://lunarchar.com/2017/02/02/book...

[Steve Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six beautifully crafted, thought-provoking stories from short to novella length exploring the human mind’s relationship with the supernatural. Ghosts and relationships. They make the extra-normal seem normal. I don’t normally read short stories but these are so clever and intense, that I’m glad I did this time

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting collection of short stories all of which have some form of paranormal activity happening within them. Each story was fresh and I didn't feel like there was any one story that was weaker than the others. They varied in length with a couple being very short and the others being much longer, and the length of each story felt about right. While they didn't all provide a nicely tied up ending I enjoyed that I could form my own opinions and have my own thoughts on the ending to the stories. Especially with the paranormal elements as it allows me to interpret these elements however I wanted to.

Each character that appeared in the stories felt thought out and a rounded character, and like they had a purpose, there was no room for extra characters in these stories and it meant that the stories moved along at a good pace.

There are twists in most of these stories, some that I saw coming and others that I did not. Once I'd seen that there were twists in the first two stories I did begin to look for the twists in the rest of them and try to guess what it was. This didn't detract from my enjoyment though.

A haunting collection of short stories that will follow you around. I thoroughly enjoyed Surface Tension and I would recommend it to everyone.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

As you can probably tell this book is different from the usual ones I read and review. This book is a collection of short stories wherein each narrative is both intriguing and haunting. Definitely a collection worth reading in between full length books.

I’m not sure how to review an anthology or a short story collection but I’ll try my best. Basically, this book contains 6 stories in total and if you want an idea of what each story is all about just read them in the synopsis above. Each story varies In length and of course plot but all stories revolve a central theme which I guess is human psychology.

This book has an overall eerie and mysterious feel to it, like a not-so full-blown horror movie. You know, it’s kind of creepy and it can give you mild goosebumps but it’s totally tolerable. The stories involve ghosts and other heavenly creatures, plus main characters that let’s just say have gone through or is currently going through a hard time. It’s full of twists and surprises that will make the reader wanting to know more.

Just like every anthology I’ve read, I have my favorites and those I didn’t quite like. By far the last story was my favorite one, I just like how the overall plot flowed. But really, all the six stories were sort of delightful to read.

I only read this every night when I had the free time, which makes it a perfect book to read in between heavy reads or if you just want to take a break from the book you’re currently reading.

The writing style is truly commendable, the author managed to balance the right amount of descriptive details and emotion that made a well-written narrative.

Surface Tension is definitely a great collection of dark and mysterious short stories. If you like reading something short but memorable, you should definitely read this one. Haunting, eerie, and enigmatic are just some of the words to describe it!

A huge thank you to the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book.

[Josh Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Gray writes beautifully, and has managed to create stories that emote and engage. I very much like how she plays with the paranormal genre- some stories are traditionally ghostly, others are more modern twists, but all share the same qualities of emotional grip and commendably atmospheric writing.
It’s also impressive how she manages to move in and out of fantasy- she had me fully invested in the mundane elements of several of the stories, so much so that I was almost shocked when it moved in a paranormal direction. This was particularly the case with the story entitled Surface Tension- she really has the chops to write romance drama. My particular favourites were that and Last Post: very original ideas, and I didn’t see either of the twists coming. A couple of the others were a little more conventional, and if you’re a fan of a ghost story then there’s much to recommend it!

[Sanne Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection contains six stunning short stories. The mysterious and slightly ominous narratives are full of unexpected twists that will leave you wanting to know more. Sarah Gary has constructed each story's narrative so beautifully that they all have a personal and familiar feel. Eery yet entertaining, this collection proves that length does not indicate a book's impact. I am not an expert on short story collections, but if you have never picked one up I highly recommend this one. The beautiful cover art will draw you in, but the thought-provoking ghost stories will keep you captivated.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly compelling, powerful book. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Sarah Gray's collection of short stories captivated me until the very last page. The gorgeous cover art drew me in, but the eery ghost stories kept me engaged until I had finished all six. Last Post is my personal favourite, but they are all extremely well written. All stories are also accompanied by stunning illustrations. Gray got herself a new fan; I have already ordered Gray's newest collection of short stories, Half Life!

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Switch - a ghost story told in a very dull manner

The Pier - I liked the little details in this but the end was so pat that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes

Cherry: attempting to emulate particular speech patterns just comes off as too mannered here. Also a very obvious twist. Again.

Surface Tension: the story the collection takes its name from but another eye roller, I'm afraid.

Bruised - the best of the bunch but still beats you over the head with the metaphor.


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All in, a group of clumsy short stories that always stomped when some light footwork was needed.

[Asseyah Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope noone gets mad but the story was barely readable for my interests.

The author has made the background story behind it all in a very enticing and genuine way, although as the author tried too much to hide the truth... I, the reader, just ended up getting more confused with the details and story plot and eventually got bored of the story.

I understand that it's not supposed to be the typical 'ghost stories' and I was ecstatic to know that. But it did not meet my expectations.

I'm sorry

[Hilary Greenleaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this collection of short stories, they were quirky and heart wrenching and best of all you couldn't see the end that was coming, which is a fault of many concise works. Sarah Grey has a talent to evoke the supernatural within the everyday world and it would be interesting to see a full length work by this author. I received my copy in a Twitter giveaway from Claret Press and it was a really pleasant surprise.

[Giulia Alayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surface Tension is a collection of short stories that are not actually all that paranormal. Each one has got some kind of ghost or mermaid in it, but actually these are stories about human beings coming to terms with who they are, what they are, where they are and who everybody else is too. In that regard they act as a mirror for ourselves, and it's a great way of opening up a discussion about what it really means to be human.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read many short stories, but this book completely swept me away. Enchanting is the word. The stories feel familiar in a deeply personal way yet these are all experiences I've never had. This leads me to conclude that it's really well written. Perfect for this time of year, when it's cold and dark and you need a charming book to read.

[Imani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book incredibly thought provoking because the ghost stories were more than just ghost stories; they were meditations on human nature itself.

[Charley Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is a beautiful writer. Her short stories are engaging, there’s something there for everyone.

[Sylvia Vetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fabulous cover doesn't deceive. There is an underlying sense of menace in these brilliant stories but you have to wait to the end to know if the threat is well founded. Short stories have an advantage : they are the perfect length to be read from beginning to end on a tube or train commute.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book by the author of Half Life. Full of stories which use the supernatural to discuss and investigate very human and very real conditions. My particular favourite was Surface Tension. I also loved the illustrations, the cover illustration in particular is very beautiful. Would highly recommend!

[Emily Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a unique tale of stunningly brilliant short stories, I found myself hooked to the page reading each and every one. Within each tale Sarah Gray has presented such a diverse group of characters, each with heart warming stories that leave you wanting more. I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t read a lot of short story collections, this book has defiantly ignited a spark within me to go and explore this genre more. An aspect of this novel I loved was when I was reading them I really connected with all of the characters. I found myself not wanting their stories to end, I still want to know more. That’s the beautiful thing about short stories, that the writer can always leave it up to the reader as to what happens when the narrative is finished. I’d love to read a full length novel of each of the stories, they where all flawless.

- full review can be found at: wanderingthroughbooksandwords.wordpre...

Give this book a try you will not be disappointed :)

[Dide · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story collection is perfect for dark, wintry days. The ghosts and other supernatural creatures that occur in these stories are both delightful and scary. Sarah Gray’s ability to make the reader long for more over and over again is incredible and makes it clear how talented she is as a writer. This collection shows how powerful short stories can be and how long they can stay with the reader. Like ghosts, these stories will keep on lurking around in the corners of your mind.

[Mamoon Khpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Gray writes six dark tales inside Surface Tension, a short paperback published by Claret Press into the undercurrents of human psychology. After a short flick over the first tale, I found the language was both rich and intimate. The writing carries the reader away very quickly into the past life of a widow, named Carol. I recommend readers keep the switch left on with the first tale and see what they find in the darkness.

[Claire Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything to do with ghosts and the paranormal, and so this was an obvious choice - one that did not disappoint. Brilliantly spooky and beautifully written, these are haunting tales that you won't forget for a while. Sarah Gray is a master of suspense and intrigue, and sure to provide an engrossing read.

[Asseyah Briones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The paranormal stories in this collection were both chilling and heart warming. Every story opened a new portal to a story from long ago. It has a way of conveying our nature as humans with the psychological struggles of accepting what reality really is, and how difficult it is to part ways with what we have considered to be the truth of our lives.

[R.B. Watkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric stories, ghostly and twisty, and each one of them quite different from any other. To be read in quite moments when the wind moans around the house.
Sarah Gray has a deft touch, able to evoke quite different tones for each of her stories. Her story-telling skills are manifest as she draws the reader into the lives of her characters and makes them want those characters to succeed, to survive, but worry that they might not. My particular favourite was Switch - a clever story - I shall say no more.

[Nicholas Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity, more often than not, takes a backseat in the realm of horror fiction. Most tales focus on the ‘super’ part of the term supernatural. The natural part is seldom seen. That’s why It comes as a pleasant surprise to read Sarah Gray’s Surface Tension and find that it’s the people who take centre stage. Each and every short story is driven by its characters and the story reflects this. Inner turmoil becomes outer as each narrative reflects the darker sides of the human experience.

Collected in Surface Tension are six short stories, all accompanied by hauntingly beautiful illustrations by Alodie Fielding. Stories of varying length deal the tropes the genre is famous for, but masterfully subverting them in how they’re told. From a haunted house filled with secrets to magical beings meddling in human affairs and exorcisms, they’re all here. What makes it unique is that these settings are used as platforms to tackle grisly subjects in a way that also keeps the reader equally entertained and horrified.

Sarah’s take on such difficult topics is at times liberating, dissecting ugly truths in only a way genre fiction can. Repressed homosexuality, domestic abuse and incest are among some of the themes that Sarah handles with a potent sense of delicacy. Her approach to the genre is a sobering and somber exploration of the darker sides of our beings that makes for such a rewarding and powerful read.

Amidst the melancholic prose, Sarah strategically adds moments of comedic catharsis. A tactic that pays off beautifully for the book’s pacing. One moment you’ll be smiling, the next you’ll be staring into the distance with a thousand mile stare. The humour is grave but at the same time feels authentic. Hope, too, remains ever present throughout the stories. A realistic kind of hope that subtly permeates throughout, leaving the reader cautiously optimistic about the world they find themselves in.

[Sarah Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14772253