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Famished
'By turns stomach-churning, tantalising and opulent – these stories confirm Vaught's baroque talents..'
– Heidi James, author of The Sound Mirror.
In this dark and toothsome collection, Anna Vaught enters a strange world of apocryphal feasts and disturbing banquets. Famished explores the perils of selfish sensuality and trifle while child rearing, phantom sweetshop owners, the revolting use of sherbet in occult rituals, homicide by seaside rock, and the perversion of Thai Tapas. Once, that is, you've been bled dry from fluted cups by pretty incorporeals and learned about consuming pride in the hungriest of stately homes.
seventeen stories to whet your appetite and ruin your dinner.
– Heidi James, author of The Sound Mirror.
In this dark and toothsome collection, Anna Vaught enters a strange world of apocryphal feasts and disturbing banquets. Famished explores the perils of selfish sensuality and trifle while child rearing, phantom sweetshop owners, the revolting use of sherbet in occult rituals, homicide by seaside rock, and the perversion of Thai Tapas. Once, that is, you've been bled dry from fluted cups by pretty incorporeals and learned about consuming pride in the hungriest of stately homes.
seventeen stories to whet your appetite and ruin your dinner.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2020
11 people are currently reading
1168 people want to read
About the author
Anna Vaught
19 books42 followersSeptember the 10th, Famished is out with Influx Press - but you can subscribe and read it a little early. xxxx
https://www.influxpress.com/subscript...
What's coming? In April, you can read my new novel, Saving Lucia. Here she is above. The book that started with a chance sighting of that photo above - the one where the elderly lady is feeding the birds, so very tenderly. She was the Honourable Violet Gibson and, in April 1926, she went to Rome and tried to kill Mussolini, She shot him in the nose. She got closer than anyone else. Lady Gibson was knocked to the ground, put in prison and, eventually, deported; thereafter, she was certified insane and spent the rest of her life in St Andrew's Hospital, Northampton. Later, a fellow patient was Lucia Joyce, daughter of James Joyce. What if...and do you see the other women above? That's Blanche, Queen of the Hysterics at the Salpetriere and that's Monsieur Charcot demonstrating what happens under hypnosis. She is most remarkably responsive. To her right is Bertha Pappenheim, a prominent Jewish social worker, whose institute was razed by the Nazis. It was not until twenty years after her death that she was also revealed to be 'Anna O', in Freud and Breuer's On Hysteria. These women have an extraordinary story to tell you, so stick around. The book is published on April the 24th, but Bluemoose Books is starting a subscription service, where it will be available to subscribers from (I gather) late February. Follow all news here: https://bluemoosebooks.com/ Saving Lucia is part of Bluemoose's all women catalogue for 2020.
Also in 2020, Famished, my first short story collection, with Influx press, assorted short fiction, two further books being read, one being written and the novel I have just done for my literary agency is about to go out of submission. OOOOH.
https://www.influxpress.com/subscript...
What's coming? In April, you can read my new novel, Saving Lucia. Here she is above. The book that started with a chance sighting of that photo above - the one where the elderly lady is feeding the birds, so very tenderly. She was the Honourable Violet Gibson and, in April 1926, she went to Rome and tried to kill Mussolini, She shot him in the nose. She got closer than anyone else. Lady Gibson was knocked to the ground, put in prison and, eventually, deported; thereafter, she was certified insane and spent the rest of her life in St Andrew's Hospital, Northampton. Later, a fellow patient was Lucia Joyce, daughter of James Joyce. What if...and do you see the other women above? That's Blanche, Queen of the Hysterics at the Salpetriere and that's Monsieur Charcot demonstrating what happens under hypnosis. She is most remarkably responsive. To her right is Bertha Pappenheim, a prominent Jewish social worker, whose institute was razed by the Nazis. It was not until twenty years after her death that she was also revealed to be 'Anna O', in Freud and Breuer's On Hysteria. These women have an extraordinary story to tell you, so stick around. The book is published on April the 24th, but Bluemoose Books is starting a subscription service, where it will be available to subscribers from (I gather) late February. Follow all news here: https://bluemoosebooks.com/ Saving Lucia is part of Bluemoose's all women catalogue for 2020.
Also in 2020, Famished, my first short story collection, with Influx press, assorted short fiction, two further books being read, one being written and the novel I have just done for my literary agency is about to go out of submission. OOOOH.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 12, 2021
A short book consisting of 17 very short stories, and a very enjoyable read, if rather lighter than her novel Saving Lucia. The themes often start fairly commonplace and some of them move into more macabre territory, without ever straying very far into fantasy. There is also plenty of food, and a dash of Welsh folklore.
Vaught does like a but of arcane vocabulary, so you may need a dictionary or web search to catch all of the nuances. I won't attempt a story by story description, as many of them have little twists that it would be a shame to spoil for new readers.
Vaught does like a but of arcane vocabulary, so you may need a dictionary or web search to catch all of the nuances. I won't attempt a story by story description, as many of them have little twists that it would be a shame to spoil for new readers.
March 13, 2023
'this is a house of shadowy presences, a place where melancholy hangs thick in the air'
This has been on the shelf for a while. Finally picked it up and very glad I did.
A brilliant collection of seventeen succint, weird and wonderful short tales. It's also my first proper jaunt into literature with food as its thematic focus, weaving evocative descriptions of taste, flavour and texture with strange and often sinister everyday situations.
In 'cave venus et stellas', a tale of a seemingly cordial lady turns grisly.
'feasting; fasting' deftly describes an ivy-ridden, unnerving house.
'seaside rock and other homicides' is a hysterical and warming tale of compassion.
'nanny lovett and pop todd', describes mystical pies filled with bad thoughts and words caught at dusk in calico bags.
'shame' is possibly my favourite. A hysterical story of a 'common' lady ridiculed and insulted by her posh husband for her eating habits and general manner: 'I sat on the sofa, in my tiger onsie, and ate cold baked beans from the can, dipping carrots in'. Vaught then relatably declares: 'much depends on dinner, but also on your company'.
The collection ends with the superbly nostalgic 'sweetie', a tale of innocence and what once was, weighing merits of humbugs against liquorice allsorts.
Throughly enjoyed it, definitely recommend.
This has been on the shelf for a while. Finally picked it up and very glad I did.
A brilliant collection of seventeen succint, weird and wonderful short tales. It's also my first proper jaunt into literature with food as its thematic focus, weaving evocative descriptions of taste, flavour and texture with strange and often sinister everyday situations.
In 'cave venus et stellas', a tale of a seemingly cordial lady turns grisly.
'feasting; fasting' deftly describes an ivy-ridden, unnerving house.
'seaside rock and other homicides' is a hysterical and warming tale of compassion.
'nanny lovett and pop todd', describes mystical pies filled with bad thoughts and words caught at dusk in calico bags.
'shame' is possibly my favourite. A hysterical story of a 'common' lady ridiculed and insulted by her posh husband for her eating habits and general manner: 'I sat on the sofa, in my tiger onsie, and ate cold baked beans from the can, dipping carrots in'. Vaught then relatably declares: 'much depends on dinner, but also on your company'.
The collection ends with the superbly nostalgic 'sweetie', a tale of innocence and what once was, weighing merits of humbugs against liquorice allsorts.
Throughly enjoyed it, definitely recommend.
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September 10, 2020I reviewed this for Sublime Horror. Read the full review here: Famished by Anna Vaught review – vivid horror and black humour
April 17, 2022
Beautifully written, on the whole—I should be intrigued by one of Vaught's novels—but this collection of stories on a gastronomic theme, some of them vanishingly short, become laboriously samey after a while, and to call them stories doesn't quite describe the fable-like aspects of what are at best vignettes, at worst introductions, lacking any real narrative drive or content.
November 18, 2023
Eat or be eaten. Some weird stories centered on food and a bit of the strange and creepy.
My favorite story is Shame. I had a good laugh reading its ending.
My favorite story is Shame. I had a good laugh reading its ending.
April 7, 2021
No review on the blog as I find it a bit difficult to do full reviews of short stories.
All I can say is that this collection is good, but like small portions, I wanted more after.
September 1, 2020
This is certainly a book you can get your teeth into - or does it get its teeth into you? Intrigued? You should be!
I first came across the work of Anna Vaught in her recent book Saving Lucia (Bluemoose 2020), which I can highly recommend, so I was really looking forward to savouring the delights of her new short story collection, Famished.
Famished is a collection of glorious fables by Anna Vaught, ostensibly on the theme of food, but delving into these surreal and often sensuous stories will take you on a voyage into some pretty terrifying depths of the ilk of the darkest of adult fairy tales.
Be prepared to meet spectral beings, ghosts and ghouls; feasts of huge proportions in which dishes both delicious and distinctly unpalatable are served, with macabre consequences; gluttonous gourmands and austere abstainers; controllers, conjurers and confectioners galore....
I guarantee you will be unable to think the same way about all manner of food stuffs after reading this book - tripe, sherbet, seaside rock, and baked goods all spring to mind - and nightmares about dreadful dolls and loathsome lampreys will surely ensue.
These tales are all completely wonderful - immersive, dreamy, nightmarish, and eerily enchanting in turn - exploring many facets of the meaning of appetite, and our author uses her choice of words to perfection throughout.
I adored the entire collection, but my absolute favourite is Shame with its compelling celebration of "chef's perks", dark theme of coercive control, and the acknowledgement that true bliss comes from the simplest of pleasures, such as being able to slob on the sofa with the one you truly love, a pack of twiglets and a jar of Hellman's.
Do yourself a favour and indulge your literary appetite by ordering a copy of this fabulous collection right now.
I first came across the work of Anna Vaught in her recent book Saving Lucia (Bluemoose 2020), which I can highly recommend, so I was really looking forward to savouring the delights of her new short story collection, Famished.
Famished is a collection of glorious fables by Anna Vaught, ostensibly on the theme of food, but delving into these surreal and often sensuous stories will take you on a voyage into some pretty terrifying depths of the ilk of the darkest of adult fairy tales.
Be prepared to meet spectral beings, ghosts and ghouls; feasts of huge proportions in which dishes both delicious and distinctly unpalatable are served, with macabre consequences; gluttonous gourmands and austere abstainers; controllers, conjurers and confectioners galore....
I guarantee you will be unable to think the same way about all manner of food stuffs after reading this book - tripe, sherbet, seaside rock, and baked goods all spring to mind - and nightmares about dreadful dolls and loathsome lampreys will surely ensue.
These tales are all completely wonderful - immersive, dreamy, nightmarish, and eerily enchanting in turn - exploring many facets of the meaning of appetite, and our author uses her choice of words to perfection throughout.
I adored the entire collection, but my absolute favourite is Shame with its compelling celebration of "chef's perks", dark theme of coercive control, and the acknowledgement that true bliss comes from the simplest of pleasures, such as being able to slob on the sofa with the one you truly love, a pack of twiglets and a jar of Hellman's.
Do yourself a favour and indulge your literary appetite by ordering a copy of this fabulous collection right now.
November 14, 2020
3.5 stars
Famished is an unsettling little collection of short stories centring around food, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's weird, it's dark, a little spooky at times, and very reminiscent of both gothic literature and classic fairytales. There's nothing very nice to be found in the pages of this book and that's what makes it enjoyable.
As with all short story collections, some of the pieces are better than others. My personal favourites included henry and his surfeit of lampreys, what he choked on, and shame. All were particularly unsettling for me to read: from the imagery to the emotions described they weren't easy to get through. But they (like all the stories in this book) were thought-provoking and left me - dare I say it - hungry for more weird fiction.
Because there really is no other way to describe this other than weird. Each story has a strange concept, each different to the last but still maintaining similar themes and tones. The big ones being anxiety, uncertainty, and the macabre. And, of course, food. But while food is so integral to this collection, it also really isn't. Yes, it's the overarching theme of the book, but in some stories it took a backseat and merely served as a way to convey difficult emotions.
It's very cleverly done as I simultaneously want to read more and get answers for some of the more obscure stories. Admittedly, a few of them did go over my head a bit as I'm not a particularly analytical reader, but nevertheless I enjoyed this strange little collection of short stories.
Famished is an unsettling little collection of short stories centring around food, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's weird, it's dark, a little spooky at times, and very reminiscent of both gothic literature and classic fairytales. There's nothing very nice to be found in the pages of this book and that's what makes it enjoyable.
As with all short story collections, some of the pieces are better than others. My personal favourites included henry and his surfeit of lampreys, what he choked on, and shame. All were particularly unsettling for me to read: from the imagery to the emotions described they weren't easy to get through. But they (like all the stories in this book) were thought-provoking and left me - dare I say it - hungry for more weird fiction.
Because there really is no other way to describe this other than weird. Each story has a strange concept, each different to the last but still maintaining similar themes and tones. The big ones being anxiety, uncertainty, and the macabre. And, of course, food. But while food is so integral to this collection, it also really isn't. Yes, it's the overarching theme of the book, but in some stories it took a backseat and merely served as a way to convey difficult emotions.
It's very cleverly done as I simultaneously want to read more and get answers for some of the more obscure stories. Admittedly, a few of them did go over my head a bit as I'm not a particularly analytical reader, but nevertheless I enjoyed this strange little collection of short stories.
October 23, 2020
This is a sharp and cutting collection of devious short stories... the modern vampiric middle class person luring a person into their den (home) has left me with a chilling impression that will not go.... and there are many fabulous gems within this short collection. Just really want more..... feels a bit like Oliver Twist asking for more food.... just marvellous.
November 27, 2020
Like the Curate's egg - good in parts... A solid 3.5 for me.
January 8, 2021
Macabre, Uncanny, Fabulist. Delectable, if somewhat insubstantial, offering of food related foibles. RTC.
August 19, 2022
A wonderful series of strange courses and weird side dishes.
March 28, 2024
ahhh!! det här var så fin läsning. stundvis mycket obehaglig MEN det var rätt tröstande på något vis.
September 14, 2020
Pretty grim, a bit stomach-churning, highly entertaining! Loved these short stories, the first one being my favourite!
January 4, 2026
2.5
Not the greatest first book of the year, none of the stories particularly stuck out for me
Not the greatest first book of the year, none of the stories particularly stuck out for me
September 8, 2020
Oh don’t be fooled by the opening pages, where you may be lulled into thinking these are a set of ordinary short stories...for what lies beneath is anything but ordinary. Delectable, dark and a real lesson in language, Vaught has created something so unique, and so eerie that it must be ingested in snack like bites to avoid breaking out in a fever. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely for the strong of stomach...
August 31, 2025
I really wanted to like this more as a whole collection, I was hoping for more NBC Hannibal.
BUT do not get me wrong, some of these stories are soo good. Shame was so good and relatable and Sherbet gave me chills.
I also felt like the tone and style was trying to emulate Angela Carter’s work and by extension fairytales. Made the collection feel less fresh/original.
Still good though and the length of the stories is very short which I loved and was to great benefit.
BUT do not get me wrong, some of these stories are soo good. Shame was so good and relatable and Sherbet gave me chills.
I also felt like the tone and style was trying to emulate Angela Carter’s work and by extension fairytales. Made the collection feel less fresh/original.
Still good though and the length of the stories is very short which I loved and was to great benefit.
September 10, 2020
‘Famished: eighteen stories to whet your appetite and ruin your dinner.’
Centred around the topics of food and appetite, this collection of short stories will either make you ravenously hungry or put you off food for life. In picking up this glorious collection of stories, you are opening yourself up to a world of gruesome tales in which cannibals masquerade as elderly neighbours, tea parties and cucumber sandwiches become the scene of a murder, and an entire belief system is formed around sherbet and its use in occult cult practices. Prepare yourself to meet demonic dolls, ghouls and ghosts, and lacerating lampreys in this eerily enchanting literary feast.
Vaught’s stories delve into the darkest depths of the imagination and are reminiscent of adult re-tellings of fables of fairy tales. The collection strongly reminded me of The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, both thematically and in Vaught’s visceral and rich descriptions. She has an incredible skill for being able to transition from the mundane to the macabre with absolute ease, and each and every one of her stories had an immersive dream-like quality to it which often tipped into the realms of terrifying nightmares.
Each story is wickedly wonderful in its own right, but one of my favourites has to be ‘A Tale of Tripe’ in which our narrator is haunted by the spectres of her mother and grandmother who taunt her with childhood memories of being force-fed tripe. I also loved ‘Nanny Lovett and Pop Todd’ which is narrated by the grandson of the infamous demon barber and his abominable accomplice, and ‘Shame’ which talks about the simplistic joys of eating Nutella straight out of the jar.
If you’re looking for a short story collection to sink your teeth into ahead of spooky season, look no further!
(4.5 stars)
Centred around the topics of food and appetite, this collection of short stories will either make you ravenously hungry or put you off food for life. In picking up this glorious collection of stories, you are opening yourself up to a world of gruesome tales in which cannibals masquerade as elderly neighbours, tea parties and cucumber sandwiches become the scene of a murder, and an entire belief system is formed around sherbet and its use in occult cult practices. Prepare yourself to meet demonic dolls, ghouls and ghosts, and lacerating lampreys in this eerily enchanting literary feast.
Vaught’s stories delve into the darkest depths of the imagination and are reminiscent of adult re-tellings of fables of fairy tales. The collection strongly reminded me of The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, both thematically and in Vaught’s visceral and rich descriptions. She has an incredible skill for being able to transition from the mundane to the macabre with absolute ease, and each and every one of her stories had an immersive dream-like quality to it which often tipped into the realms of terrifying nightmares.
Each story is wickedly wonderful in its own right, but one of my favourites has to be ‘A Tale of Tripe’ in which our narrator is haunted by the spectres of her mother and grandmother who taunt her with childhood memories of being force-fed tripe. I also loved ‘Nanny Lovett and Pop Todd’ which is narrated by the grandson of the infamous demon barber and his abominable accomplice, and ‘Shame’ which talks about the simplistic joys of eating Nutella straight out of the jar.
If you’re looking for a short story collection to sink your teeth into ahead of spooky season, look no further!
(4.5 stars)
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October 23, 2020"...The influence of Angela Carter looms large, in the mixture of the sacred and the profane, as well as a fondness for unusual adjectives and lavish descriptions. But whether you prefer the dregs of a packet of Doritos, a lavish banquet, or human blood drunk from tiny cups, Famished serves up a rich and highly seasoned smorgasbord of foodie treats and terrors, with something to suit every palate."
Read Kate Tyte's full review at: https://theshortstory.co.uk/short-sto...
Read Kate Tyte's full review at: https://theshortstory.co.uk/short-sto...
February 27, 2021
A collection of unusual short stories that left me wanting to read something more substantial from the author.
Each sentence rolls about your mind like a deep and complex vintage wine. Baroque vocabulary gives a solid grounding to the stories contained within the slim volume, and it was this confident use of every syllable available within the English language that made the collection especially memorable.
Favourite story - Henry and His Surfeit of Lampreys
Will certainly seek out Saving Lucia to read more from Anna Vaught.
Each sentence rolls about your mind like a deep and complex vintage wine. Baroque vocabulary gives a solid grounding to the stories contained within the slim volume, and it was this confident use of every syllable available within the English language that made the collection especially memorable.
Favourite story - Henry and His Surfeit of Lampreys
Will certainly seek out Saving Lucia to read more from Anna Vaught.
September 10, 2020
Anna Vaught has written 18 short stories that are dark and moreish like that extra slice of cake that ruins your dinner. Atmospheric and indulgent these stories were written to be ravaged. My top 3 were Cave Venus et Stellas, What He Choked On and Shame. This book is not for the faint hearted it will change your opinion on all food stuffs alike such as tripe, sherbert, seaside rock, tapas and trifle.
October 24, 2023
A very mixed collection of stories. The theme was what intrigued me about this book. Not every story reached my expectations. But 4 stories stood out to me in particular. I liked 'a tale of tripe', 'henry and his surfeit of lampreys', 'shame', and 'sherbet'. They all hit a special note for me. A lot of the others I didn't quite get.
January 28, 2021
This is, in the passion of the reading moment, the most supreme coda to the book’s symphony of tasty words.
The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of my observations at the time of the review.
The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of my observations at the time of the review.
September 15, 2022
2.5 stars
lots of stories felt repetitive in their structures which bored me. there were some good stories, no outstanding or extraordinary ones. most lacked substance. anna vaught is good with words though, i think prose poetry or even poetry might suit her better.
lots of stories felt repetitive in their structures which bored me. there were some good stories, no outstanding or extraordinary ones. most lacked substance. anna vaught is good with words though, i think prose poetry or even poetry might suit her better.
July 7, 2025
I know the prose was nice but the stories were just kind of… boring? sorry! I went in expecting creepier and darker, as opposed to just kind of vaguely mysterious. not the fault of the author obviously, but still.
September 27, 2020
Excellent short story collection of weird, smart and sometimes unsettling stories based around the idea of food. Excellently delivered
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
November 25, 2020
Brilliantly decadent. Truly different and refreshing.
January 7, 2022
Short, bite-size stories that are quite dark and devious both in their content and their delivery.
A good coffee table book to dip in and out of.
A good coffee table book to dip in and out of.
July 18, 2022
maybe i just don't like short stories...
December 3, 2022
A great reminder that hunger is the desire to devour
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews