Cirrus@Austlit

'Sometimes, the ties that bind are sharp enough to cut. In these eleven stories, set in contemporary Australian suburbia, Deborah Sheldon examines the darker side of family relationships. Unsettling and incisively written, each story of betrayal, envy, loss or bad blood resonates for a long time after reading.' (Publication summary)

'Can you really trust a mohawk? Why are the police baffled by a violent vehicle vendetta? Why are people drawn to that annoying singer? He's not even attractive! Eight stories. Eight tales of terror. Punk's not dead!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A full decade after Jello Biafra declared Brisbane a heavy junta police state, Dante Halloran navigates its streets aided only by his wits and a debilitating mental illness that he has nicknamed The Inferno. Australia has just ushered in a change of Government, and is still reeling from the recession that it "had to have," but for Dante these are hardly events that concern him: his is the pursuit of love, of somewhere to lay his head at night, of friendships that won't wane with the passing of the seasons. 

'With him on this journey are his so-called friends, equally lost: Twix, whose jealousies threaten to undermine their brotherhood; Alex, slowly spiralling out of control with the onset of her own condition; and Pixie, determined to find her individual, potentially fatal, way in life. 

'EUCALYPTUS GOTH explores a city now lost to time, where skinheads and punks clashed on the streets and a night at the Normanby Hotel was considered a rite of passage for the babybat goths.'   (Publication summary)

'Plagued by the horrors of her past, medical student Lydia leaves for the Bien Hoa Provincial Hospital, determined to make a difference. Soon, she is plunged from one savagery to another, cocooned within the damp walls, rotting window screenings, bloodied bodies, and the gruesomeness of her distressing dreams. Back in Australia, Cassie heads a large-scale protest. However, beneath her colorful façade lies a dark and dangerous addiction. When Lydia returns home, her dreams intensify, and she finds solace within the confinement of her apartment, safe from the terrors of the outside world. But how long can she last before her disturbing dreams become reality?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The monsters we have come to know and love take a backseat as we delve into the darkest, most hideous depths of a monster that has taken centre stage as of late–HUMANS. The collected tales herein will take you on a wild ride into the monstrous aspects of humankind, revealing some of the scariest atrocities humans are capable of doing, the ‘demons’ lurking in their heads, the ugliness of the pure human soul. You’ll meet artists, handymen, grieving parents, desperate alcoholics, and the delightful Sally Burns. This debut anthology features the work of a variety of talented writers, including a few of the award-winning and darkly imaginative authors writing today. When you are ready, settle down, lock the window, and remember…the only monsters to fear are ourselves.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.