Ripping Reads contains stories from authors who at the time were well-known names (such as Margo Lanagan and Simon Brown), were rapidly becoming well known names (such as Ben Peek and Deborah Biancotti), or were just emerging (David Conyers and David Kane).
An absurd take on an alternate sixteenth century England.
A supernatural horror story featuring an Elvis impersonator.
A clash between two cultures in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
A fantasy story in which the protagonists visual handicap is construed as mystical virtue.
A science fiction story set on a highway and featuring a poverty-stricken drifter and sentient roadware.
A creepy horror tale of two children lost in the woods.
A fantasy story centred around a father and daughter and their travels between worlds, and their quest to return to their preferred reality. Their method of travel, though, is reliant upon spider venom (Ben Payne, Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus)
'Very Like a Whale' concerns a bar-room meeting between two characters, and their ensuing story-telling episode.
A horror tale of plastic surgery and obsession in a futuristic setting.
Set in China in the near future the story sees the country descend into chaos following some form of genetically engineered plague.
'An almost pseudo-mythological story of a salamander seeking to find freedom from its bargain with a terrible queen' (Ben Payne, Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus)
'Tells of a young man’s return to his old neighbourhood, and his discoveries regarding the psychological experiment which led to his escape' (Ben Payne, Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus)
A harrowing military story set in near future Africa.
The story tells of Saucy Jack and Bagfood, trapped in the bilge of a ship.
'An original horror tale based in Brisbane. The protagonist encounters a young man who is even more of an outcast than he seems' (Ben Payne, Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus).
