Cirrus@Austlit

'40 short stories of Christmas and ghosts. Published by the Australian Horror Writers Association. The brief for the writers was "Make it 500 words or less, make it about Christmas and make sure there's a ghost... of some kind. And we want them in two weeks!"'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A surfer who becomes horrifyingly one with the sea. A new mother’s devastating search for belonging. A stone gargoyle with a violent history. A fisher boy who discovers the real cost of forbidden love. A farmer whose delight at drought-breaking rain quickly turns to terror. A hedonistic rock star who manifests double trouble. A young girl’s chilling sacrifice for justice. A dirty ex-cop with a dirtier secret. An unscrupulous mayor’s solution to rid her city of the homeless…

'These are just some of the characters you’ll meet in this collection of dark offerings.

'From the harsh terrain of the Outback, to the depths of the Pacific Ocean, the wilds of Tasmania, dystopian futures, enchanted lands, and the familiarity of suburbia, Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract takes readers on a journey into unsettling, unforgiving, and unforgettable territory.' (Publication summary)