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Lighthouse
A grieving woman is drawn to a land-locked lighthouse where she meets a party of lost souls in need of a guide. She must face death in order to start a new life.
The temporary caretaker of a lighthouse finds the perfect hideaway for safeguarding her secret, never expecting to encounter a murder and an unlikely partner in crime.
While visiting a deep space navigational beacon to conduct routine maintenance, two space adventurers encounter a self-aware AI computer that has her own plans.
Queensland, 1887. A lighthouse keeper’s daughter is missing, presumed dead. Is she another victim of the Spectre or something even more terrifying?
A voice from one woman’s past echoes a secret up the lighthouse stairs. The only person who can give her the answers, is the last person she ever wants to see again.
The estranged daughter of a lightkeeper returns home to South Solitary Island as WWII looms and finds her world upended by her father’s dying request: marry his successor.
Lighthouses: beautiful, mysterious, dangerous, remote – the perfect setting for this genre fiction anthology – a collection of fantasy, sci-fi, romance, crime, historical fiction, dystopian and paranormal short stories from established and emerging Australian authors.
The temporary caretaker of a lighthouse finds the perfect hideaway for safeguarding her secret, never expecting to encounter a murder and an unlikely partner in crime.
While visiting a deep space navigational beacon to conduct routine maintenance, two space adventurers encounter a self-aware AI computer that has her own plans.
Queensland, 1887. A lighthouse keeper’s daughter is missing, presumed dead. Is she another victim of the Spectre or something even more terrifying?
A voice from one woman’s past echoes a secret up the lighthouse stairs. The only person who can give her the answers, is the last person she ever wants to see again.
The estranged daughter of a lightkeeper returns home to South Solitary Island as WWII looms and finds her world upended by her father’s dying request: marry his successor.
Lighthouses: beautiful, mysterious, dangerous, remote – the perfect setting for this genre fiction anthology – a collection of fantasy, sci-fi, romance, crime, historical fiction, dystopian and paranormal short stories from established and emerging Australian authors.
- GenresShort Stories
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2020
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 22, 2020
Disclaimer: I wrote this review based on an advance reading e-copy that the publisher, Lorikeet Ink, sent me.
Most of us as readers have one or a couple of preferred literary genres. Because there is never enough time to consume all the books on our TBR lists in our favourite genre(s), it is rare – or at least not often – that we will venture outside of our reading comfort zone and explore those authors and books unknown and unfamiliar to us. Sometimes I wonder what I have missed and am still missing.
Which is why Lighthouse – An Anthology is refreshing, as it offers a delightful glimpse of some of the reading routes that I have never before taken. The 15 stories collected here share the same theme but are from a diverse range of genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, crime, historical fiction, dystopian and paranormal. In the words of Chris Foley, the anthology’s organiser and contributing author: “Each contributing writer accepted the challenge of setting their story in a lighthouse, applying their own special brand of creativity to produce this collective work… The willingness by everyone to be involved, and additionally to offer other talents, is truly inspiring.”
Each of these stories leads down a unique path, with its author serving as a guide not only to that particular literary genre but also to his or her writing style and vision. Indeed, some of the stories make me want to know more about their authors and their previous publications, just to find out whether they can handle novel or novella-length projects as well as they do short stories. Other stories are intellectually intriguing, graceful yet tense, thoroughly challenging until the very end. Still others are light and fun, and surprisingly heart-warming. In general, these are stories that make me ask, Why are short stories so short? I want to read more!
I am hopelessly biased towards horror and sci-fi, so my favourite stories in this anthology are “Alice” by Carleton Chinner, “In the Dark” by Sophie Evans, “The Sound the Sea Makes” by Alyssa Mackay” and “Bereft of Morna” by Brooke Maggs. I also like “Jezebel” by Lane Thornton, a story that is both scary and infuriating. But, to me, the special treats are “A Gift to the Sentinel” by Kelly Lyonns and “Light the Way Home” by Sharyn Swanepoel. While I enjoy the former’s loving tenderness, the latter is smooth as silk and highly satisfying.
I am sure that you, too, will discover your own favourable stories in Lighthouse – An Anthology. While the book reveals how the same literary theme can be explored and enriched by writers of diverse backgrounds and genres, it is also an excellent and empowering demonstration of short story writing styles and skills.
Originally published in "Voices under the Sun" blog (https://christinesunflower.com/2020/1...)
Most of us as readers have one or a couple of preferred literary genres. Because there is never enough time to consume all the books on our TBR lists in our favourite genre(s), it is rare – or at least not often – that we will venture outside of our reading comfort zone and explore those authors and books unknown and unfamiliar to us. Sometimes I wonder what I have missed and am still missing.
Which is why Lighthouse – An Anthology is refreshing, as it offers a delightful glimpse of some of the reading routes that I have never before taken. The 15 stories collected here share the same theme but are from a diverse range of genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, crime, historical fiction, dystopian and paranormal. In the words of Chris Foley, the anthology’s organiser and contributing author: “Each contributing writer accepted the challenge of setting their story in a lighthouse, applying their own special brand of creativity to produce this collective work… The willingness by everyone to be involved, and additionally to offer other talents, is truly inspiring.”
Each of these stories leads down a unique path, with its author serving as a guide not only to that particular literary genre but also to his or her writing style and vision. Indeed, some of the stories make me want to know more about their authors and their previous publications, just to find out whether they can handle novel or novella-length projects as well as they do short stories. Other stories are intellectually intriguing, graceful yet tense, thoroughly challenging until the very end. Still others are light and fun, and surprisingly heart-warming. In general, these are stories that make me ask, Why are short stories so short? I want to read more!
I am hopelessly biased towards horror and sci-fi, so my favourite stories in this anthology are “Alice” by Carleton Chinner, “In the Dark” by Sophie Evans, “The Sound the Sea Makes” by Alyssa Mackay” and “Bereft of Morna” by Brooke Maggs. I also like “Jezebel” by Lane Thornton, a story that is both scary and infuriating. But, to me, the special treats are “A Gift to the Sentinel” by Kelly Lyonns and “Light the Way Home” by Sharyn Swanepoel. While I enjoy the former’s loving tenderness, the latter is smooth as silk and highly satisfying.
I am sure that you, too, will discover your own favourable stories in Lighthouse – An Anthology. While the book reveals how the same literary theme can be explored and enriched by writers of diverse backgrounds and genres, it is also an excellent and empowering demonstration of short story writing styles and skills.
Originally published in "Voices under the Sun" blog (https://christinesunflower.com/2020/1...)
December 6, 2020
How many writers does it take to screw in a huge lighthouse lamp? Apparently, it’s 15. After meeting randomly at a writers’ conference dress-up dinner, these 15 authors chatted about a vision of creating an anthology of writing with the common theme of lighthouses. Unlike most ideas conceived after a few drinks at a writers’ conference, this one actually came to fruition, and Lighthouse: An Anthology (Lorikeet Ink 2020) was born merely a year later.
Edited by Bianca Milroy and produced by several other contributors, Lighthouse is a multi-genre cornucopia of stories that all feature lighthouses, some in a tangential way but most using the lighthouse as the focus of the story, either as the setting or even as a character. There is something for everyone – fantasy, romance, historical fiction, paranormal, horror, sci-fi and dystopian stories that will delight, intrigue, frighten, bemuse, amuse, sadden and enlighten readers.
One of my favourites is Last Light by Anna McEvoy, an amusing ghost story. Lea Scott offers a crime story with a twist. Jo Edgar-Baker’s historical romance and Chris Foley’s tense sci-fi could not be more different. Lane Thornton writes a spooky tale with an unexpected ending. Once Perilous, Now Safe, by Jodie Woodward, is an appealing romantic ghost story, and Broken Things by Kylie Fennell is a haunting, amusing and poignant romance. Carelton Chinner writes an historical mystery with an eerie conclusion. Kat Carr gives us another intriguing romance. The Sound the Sea Makes, by Alyssa MacKay is another favourite – an historical tale that is especially unnerving because of the unexpected resolution. Sophia Evans writes convincingly and frighteningly about monsters (and sneaks in a feminist touch), and Kelly Lyons pens a beautiful historical romance. Sharyn Swanepoel gifts us a modern and humorous romance, a complete contrast to the futuristic story of spacecraft and AI by Brooke Maggs. The collection concludes with The Solitary Light, an excerpt from Bianca Milllroy’s forthcoming historical novel. Bianca’s famous love of lighthouses inspired this collection and her intimate knowledge of all things lighthouse-related no doubt informed the factual elements of some of the other stories. All of the stories coincidentally feature relationships, a sign perhaps of our need for connection in this strange year.
This fantastic collection is an example of writers getting together, talking through an idea, having a vision and then actually working hard to make it reality. Each of these emerging or established authors navigated the theme of the lighthouse in a unique and interesting way, and despite the many different genres and styles, by the end of the anthology, I felt I knew a lot more about lighthouses generally than I had before, partly due to some physical, visual, tactile descriptions of lighthouses, but also because of the cohesive mystery of lighthouses, their role and responsibility, their history, their strange, uncommon and yet essential reason for being. Lighthouses seem now to have personalities; this collection has made them characters themselves.
Edited by Bianca Milroy and produced by several other contributors, Lighthouse is a multi-genre cornucopia of stories that all feature lighthouses, some in a tangential way but most using the lighthouse as the focus of the story, either as the setting or even as a character. There is something for everyone – fantasy, romance, historical fiction, paranormal, horror, sci-fi and dystopian stories that will delight, intrigue, frighten, bemuse, amuse, sadden and enlighten readers.
One of my favourites is Last Light by Anna McEvoy, an amusing ghost story. Lea Scott offers a crime story with a twist. Jo Edgar-Baker’s historical romance and Chris Foley’s tense sci-fi could not be more different. Lane Thornton writes a spooky tale with an unexpected ending. Once Perilous, Now Safe, by Jodie Woodward, is an appealing romantic ghost story, and Broken Things by Kylie Fennell is a haunting, amusing and poignant romance. Carelton Chinner writes an historical mystery with an eerie conclusion. Kat Carr gives us another intriguing romance. The Sound the Sea Makes, by Alyssa MacKay is another favourite – an historical tale that is especially unnerving because of the unexpected resolution. Sophia Evans writes convincingly and frighteningly about monsters (and sneaks in a feminist touch), and Kelly Lyons pens a beautiful historical romance. Sharyn Swanepoel gifts us a modern and humorous romance, a complete contrast to the futuristic story of spacecraft and AI by Brooke Maggs. The collection concludes with The Solitary Light, an excerpt from Bianca Milllroy’s forthcoming historical novel. Bianca’s famous love of lighthouses inspired this collection and her intimate knowledge of all things lighthouse-related no doubt informed the factual elements of some of the other stories. All of the stories coincidentally feature relationships, a sign perhaps of our need for connection in this strange year.
This fantastic collection is an example of writers getting together, talking through an idea, having a vision and then actually working hard to make it reality. Each of these emerging or established authors navigated the theme of the lighthouse in a unique and interesting way, and despite the many different genres and styles, by the end of the anthology, I felt I knew a lot more about lighthouses generally than I had before, partly due to some physical, visual, tactile descriptions of lighthouses, but also because of the cohesive mystery of lighthouses, their role and responsibility, their history, their strange, uncommon and yet essential reason for being. Lighthouses seem now to have personalities; this collection has made them characters themselves.
October 5, 2020
From shape-shifters to future tech, families to fortunes lost and gained, a tiny Bass Strait Island to the vastness of space - there is more than something for everyone here. Each writer makes their mark and takes the reader on a journey to parts unknown yet familiar.
I thoroughly enjoyed this glorious collection of genres and styles with the common theme of 'Lighthouse' and highly recommend it to all curious souls.
I thoroughly enjoyed this glorious collection of genres and styles with the common theme of 'Lighthouse' and highly recommend it to all curious souls.
October 8, 2020
A charming mix of engaging, immersive stories, many of them whimsical and otherworldly. This book took me on an adventure through time and place. I felt instantly connected with the characters and the worlds they inhabited. This is a wonderful theme for an anthology. There was a lovely rhythm about the sequencing as the stories transitioned from one to the next: reminiscent of waves lapping at a shore. Highly recommend!
October 21, 2020
From page one this collection of short stories offers the reader a wealth of absorbing tales encompassing historical fables, futuristic escapades, and stories from a variety of genres and styles. Each author brings their own unique flair to the compilation and yet the ubiquitous lighthouse effectively links them all.
I highly recommend Lighthouse – An Anthology.
I highly recommend Lighthouse – An Anthology.
November 26, 2020
A wonderful collection of stories about lighthouses. The perfect Sumer holiday read. With stories ranging from romance to horror, sci-fi, magic realism and more literary pieces. Wonderfully produced and edited, this book makes a great gift and is a fascinating read.
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November 9, 2020I received a copy of this book via the publisher to voluntarily review. I’d recommend this collection of 15 short stories to anyone who is time poor but looking for a transporting, immersing read for spooky season (or any rainy afternoon!).
October 31, 2020
This book is like a lovely surprise package: each story is themed around lighthouses, but the genre and setting change each time. Each story is a self-contained nugget of interest and entertainment.
December 4, 2020
The Lighthouse is a collection of short stories collated by the, evidently, multifarious concept of the lighthouse. Each story finds a different way to use this idea, giving the excellent anthology yet another source of light – something other than a theme to link them together. At first, I was a bit worried that such a diverse range of writing styles might not gel to a whole, but it does. And what a great idea to give authors an idea and ask them to write around this, rather than authors dragging and dusting off things from the vault. It leant a certain verve to the anthology. Well worth the read.
November 4, 2020
Disclaimer: I wrote this review based on an advance reading e-copy that the publisher, Lorikeet Ink, sent me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the eclectic stories in this anthology titled Lighthouse. The publisher Lorikeet Ink has brought together a group of talented artists writing in different genres. The result is an interesting, quirky collection of horror, romance, mystery and speculative fiction tales. I would have liked to see more of a connection between the works other than just the theme 'lighthouse'. What draws me to anthologies is the conversational opportunities that can arise from the spaces between the stories. That aside, the individual stories are engaging and pulled me in. My favourite one is Kelly Lyons 'A Gift to the Sentinel' a very sweet story, between the lighthouse keeper, a shipwrecked survivor and ... the lighthouse.
I thoroughly enjoyed the eclectic stories in this anthology titled Lighthouse. The publisher Lorikeet Ink has brought together a group of talented artists writing in different genres. The result is an interesting, quirky collection of horror, romance, mystery and speculative fiction tales. I would have liked to see more of a connection between the works other than just the theme 'lighthouse'. What draws me to anthologies is the conversational opportunities that can arise from the spaces between the stories. That aside, the individual stories are engaging and pulled me in. My favourite one is Kelly Lyons 'A Gift to the Sentinel' a very sweet story, between the lighthouse keeper, a shipwrecked survivor and ... the lighthouse.
February 2, 2021
A good mixture of genres here but tbh I have to say at least three of the stories were not up to par. Did they need to fill up some room?:).
March 19, 2021
A really fantastic read - each of the 15 stories deliver something incredible and unique, and all are well worth your time. Full review available on the Terry Talks Fiction Podcast.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews