Cirrus@Austlit

'We finally arrive at Nikky Lee’s ‘The Violet Hour’, in which those who are the right kind of desperate can play a game of chess with a deadly wager. A win will grant them their greatest wish, a loss will cost them years from their lives. All the while, an eternal spirit hopes for relief and a better outcome.'

Source: https://clarerhoden.com/from-the-wasteland-the-writers/from-the-waste-land-meet-the-stories/

'An orphan bent on revenge. A monster searching for freedom. A forbidden pact that binds their fates.

'Lyss had heard her father’s screams, smelled the iron-tang of his blood. She witnessed his execution.

'And plotted her revenge.

'Then, a violent encounter traps Lyss in a blood-pact with a rarkyn from the otherworld, imbuing her with the monster’s forbidden magic—a magic that will erode her sanity.

'To break the pact, she and the rarkyn must journey to the heart of the Empire. All that stands in their way are the mountains, the Empire’s soldiers, and Lyss’ uneasy alliance with the rarkyn.

'But horrors await them on the road—horrors even rarkyns fear.

'The most terrifying monster isn’t the one Lyss travels with.

'It’s the one that’s awoken inside her.

'Monsters of a feather flock together.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An unexpected family reunion ends in disaster. Alice finds more she bargained for when crawling through the sewers looking for her twin brother. A detective on the hunt for a serial killer makes a terrifying discovery.

'GEMINI is a collection of twisted poems and dark stories inspired by this fascinating Zodiac sign, as well as retellings of the myths behind the sign. The tales span multiple genres, including science fiction, horror, and fantasy, and are told by award-winning authors and new stars of the Australian and New Zealand speculative fiction scene.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A vendetta between a teenager and her dad's stubborn ram continues into the afterlife. The Persephone's crew find trouble in a seedy bar in the Arietis sector. Audrey finds herself the guest of a coven of goat-worshipping witches.

'ARIES is a collection of twisted poems and dark stories inspired by this fascinating Zodiac sign, as well as retellings of the myths behind the sign. The tales span multiple genres, including science fiction, horror, and fantasy, and are told by award-winning authors and new stars of the Australian and New Zealand speculative fiction scene.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A geologist seeks her missing sister on the moons of Jupiter. The crew of the Valentine dredge up something awful from the ocean's depths. An ancient God is called upon during a bloody war.

'PISCES is a collection of twisted poems and dark stories inspired by this fascinating Zodiac sign, as well as retellings of the myths behind the sign. The tales span multiple genres, including science fiction, horror, fantasy, dystopian and urban fantasy, told by some award-winning authors and new stars of the Australian and New Zealand speculative fiction scene.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.