Cirrus@Austlit

'A driver picks up a hitchhiker from the side of a road; a restorer develops an unusual bond with a cursed doll; a visit to the cabin in the woods goes terribly wrong...

'We all know how these stories end - or do we?

'In This Fresh Hell, every story begins with a well-known horror trope but ends with a twist, bringing new life and unexpected resolutions to old ideas. Fears are interrogated, ghosts re-examined, and monsters reconfigured.

'From chilling to quirky, these stories will appeal to dedicated horror fans and those dipping into the genre for the first time.

'A Slender Man offers help to a boy in trouble; a haunted house is reluctant to terrify its new residents; a heartbroken influencer is challenged on a luxury cruise from hell.

'Writers from Australia and around the world reignite and subvert horror tropes in 19 genre-bending stories:

'Eugen Bacon, Elle Beaumont, Katya de Becerra, Jason Franks, Raymond Gates, Narrelle M. Harris, Sarah Glenn Marsh, Greg Herren, Claire Low, Annie McCann, Chuck McKenzie, L.J.M. Owen, Gillian Polack, Tansy Rayner-Roberts, Clare E. Rhoden, Candace Robinson, Sarah Robinson-Hatch, Claire L. Smith, C. Vonzale Lewis, and A.J. Vrana.' (Publication summary)

'All the corvids – the rooks and ravens, jays and jackdaws, crows and magpies – have the best collective nouns. A parliament and a party. Tidings and titterings, bands and trains. An unkindness.

'Clamour and Mischief brings a veritable storytelling to these corvidae, this bird family known for intelligence, cunning and connection with folklore and urban legends. Our storytellers come from around the world and include award-winning and shortlisted writers, as well as fledgling authors in their professional debut.

'This anthology’s sixteen striking stories, edited by Narrelle M Harris, are imbued with the humour, darkness, wisdom and magic of the birds which inspired them. Take them as a jest, a guide, or a warning – but don't, whatever you do, ignore them!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'It's all about scars and what they mean.

'Old myths made new.

'Poems for those who've passed.

'Tales of the lost and found.

'Rarely seen stories, reprinted.

'Brand new stories - in new places and familiar worlds.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.