Old Man Evil
Old Man Evil is a collection of 12 stories, six of which take place in contemporary America while the other five transpire abroad. The flagship story, in which a suburban refugee finds himself in a New Mexican shantytown among derelicts and eccentrics, examines the quiet damage inflicted by social conventions. Backlighting the action is the millennia-distant afterglow of Sodom and Gomorrah. Set to Rebetika music, " Pub Blues" is an exploration of marriage and middle age that takes place in urban New Jersey. " Chele Kula" dramatizes the struggle against imperialism during the Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1809. " Straightsville" tests the depth of a suburban heterosexual's acceptance of gay men. " Hamlet's Ghost Sighted in Frontenac, KS," in which a mixed-blood Hopi wonders whether his uncle killed his father, takes place in a single hallucinogenic night fueled by cocaine. " Tolstoy's Kunak" revolves around the friendship that formed between the Russian author and a young Chechen during the Russo-Caucasian Wars. " Mengele's Gypsy," is based on the documented relationship between Josef Mengele and a four-year-old Gypsy boy imprisoned in Auschwitz.
Buffalo Plot Holes - Short Stories Thrown Out of Alignment
Welcome to Buffalo Plot Holes: Short Stories Thrown Out of Alignment-a wildly original collection of short fiction where the ordinary takes a coffee break and the bizarre clocks in. From a cautionary tale about a sleep-deprived author, to an awkward Metro bus romance, these stories zig when you expect them to zag-and then pirouette for good measure.Blending humor, heart, and just the right amount of "What the heck did I just read?"-these stories move seamlessly between the absurd and the really absurd. So go ahead. Crack the spine. Take the plunge. Just don't blame me if you start seeing our great city a little differently afterward.
Sarah the Purple Cowboy Princess
Sarah was feeling frazzled. Between her corporate meetings and traffic, she's missing out on family fun nights! That won't do! Sarah decides to move her family to the country and a ranch that she has bought. Here, they will work together as a family doing chores and teaching city folks how to relax and have fun.
Riffing Through the Eighties
Ten unforgettable stories. One legendary decade. From Smoky bars to midnight highways, from jukebox confessions to arena lights - Riffing Through the Eighties is a gritty, heartfelt, and electrifying collection of short stories inspired by the era's most iconic rock anthems. Whether it's a runaway bride at a desert dive, a bounty hunter haunted by a friend, or a father's last dance with his daughter - these ten tales channel the soul of the 1980's in all its heartbreak, hope, and headbanging glory.
Small Worlds
Expansive Stories On Small CanvasesIn Small Worlds, Gail Vida Hamburg delivers a collection of flash fiction and microfiction that captures the messy, often absurd architecture of human lives-compressed into moments of sharp beauty, sly humor, and unsettling truth.

From slow dances that never end, to customer service calls that turn into romances, to rebellious seniors plotting a great escape, these stories chronicle the intimate and the epic in miniature. Here, love is both a balm and a weapon. Loneliness births imaginary friends. Deviants justify cruelty with high-minded philosophy. And in the end, everyone is seeking-connection, redemption, or simply a way out.

With razor-sharp wit and unsparing insight, Small Worlds invites readers to peer into the condensed universes we each inhabit-worlds where longing, compulsion, invention, and self-rationale collide.

What's the sum of a life? A moment. A sentence. A breath.

This collection of flash fiction and microfiction is a meditation on the art of compression and the expansive truths that reside in the smallest spaces.Stories as Mughal Miniature Art and Rice Grain Paintings
The Scrolls of Bishop Eubulus, and Other Stories
What would you sacrifice to uncover the truth? What price would you pay to survive its revelation?In The Scrolls of Bishop Eubulus, and Other Stories, Rebecca Bradley invites you to explore thirteen chilling realms where the extraordinary lurks just beneath the surface. From the harrowing depths of zombie apocalypses to cryptids hiding in plain sight, and the restless dead who refuse to stay silent, each tale promises a unique journey into the unknown.Join an inspector as he unravels mysteries among the ruins of a shattered humanity, and encounter a cursed Egyptian relic that twists fate in unimaginable ways. Each story masterfully weaves together dark fantasy, archaeology, and the complexities of human frailty, challenging your perceptions and igniting your imagination.Will you find yourself laughing defiantly in the face of danger, or trembling with fear at the turn of each page?Fans of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected and H.P. Lovecraft will delight in this unsettling collection, where every ending is merely a new beginning - if you dare to turn the page.Dare to uncover what lies beneath.
The Hidden Light of Objects
A young girl, renamed Amerika in honour of the US role in the liberation of Kuwait, finds her name has become a barometer of her country's growing hostility towards the West. A self-conscious Palestinian teenager is drawn into a botched suicide bombing by two belligerent classmates. A middle-aged man dying from cancer looks back on his extramarital affairs and the abiding forgiveness of his wife. A Kuwaiti woman returns to her family after being held captive in Iraq for a decade. The headlines tell of war, unrest and religious clashes. But if you look beyond them you will see life in the Middle East as it is really lived - adolescent love, the fragility of marriage, pain of the most quotidian kind. Mai Al-Nakib's luminous stories unveil the lives of ordinary people - and the power of objects to hold extraordinary memories.
Miniature Novels II
In this chilling second volume of miniature novels, silence speaks louder than words, and every gesture hides a wound. Miniature Novels II unearths the quiet horrors that fester beneath routine, memory, and desire - where love is a ritual, pain a habit, and endings no longer wait until the final page.Each story unfolds like a whisper not meant to be heard, confessions stained with guilt, tenderness twisted by time, and truths too fragile to survive daylight. Through uncanny encounters and emotional ruins, Montse traces the bruised outlines of lives barely held together by hope, lust, or resignation.With her signature lyrical detachment and razor-sharp insight, Montse continues her exploration of emotional decay and existential dread through twenty-six stories. In Miniature Novels II, she strips away the illusion of permanence and asks: What if the worst has already happened - and we're still here?Miniature Novels: 1. Silent Betrayal: A young woman must accept losing the illusion of a destructive love that's already slipping through her fingers.2. ill-fitted armor: Pretending to be stronger than she is, a young woman navigates emotional repression, a complicated relationship, and the quiet violence of finally feeling understood.3. In the Absence of Sound: After years of emotional numbness, a young woman begins to learn, for the first time, how to accept tenderness and what it really means to be loved.4. Pearls & Lingerie vol. II: Through a sensual and psychological exploration of womanhood, Jane Willards grapples with power, seduction, and the weight of being desired but never understood.5. Where Do Pumpkins Go?: A fragmented, raw reflection on faith, grief, and power, told through the eyes of a woman broken by the men who claimed to protect her - and the god who stayed silent.6. Afraid of Roses: In a spiral of self-destruction, a woman clings to beauty, pain, and memory as coping mechanisms - until the emotional wreckage of unhealed trauma becomes impossible to ignore.7. Black Pearl: Ilana lures men into her world of lust and death, feeding a secret hunger she doesn't fully understand - until her mind and body begin to betray her, and the true cost of her desires emerges. Short Stories: 8. Ceiling Man9. One Temptation10. Honeymoon11. Warp12. Blue and Green13. Main Character14. Bajo la mirada del anta簽o15. The Buzz Diaries16. Draconians17. 60 Years18. De sus paraderos Feelings out Loud: 19. To Harlow20. Whispers of Chance21. Unhinged22. Your Power23. Why Do You Feel So Down?24. My Head's on Your Chest25. Imaginary Seat26. La estrellaContent Warnings: abandonment, asphyxiation, blood, body horror, cannibalism, child abuse, child endangerment, coercion, cruelty to animals, death, death threats, drug use, emotional abuse, emotional pain, escalating violence, family trauma, graphic violence, gun violence, hallucinations, intrusion, isolation, kidnapping, manipulation, mental health struggles, murder, neglect, obsessive behavior, paranoia, parental dysfunction, physical and emotional exhaustion, physical and emotional violence, psychological distress, rape insinuation, sadism, self-doubt, self-harm, self-harm ideation, separation, sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual objectification, sexual violence, spiders, substance use, suicide, trespassing, unhealthy power dynamicsFor more information, visit: www.mbnovels.com
Randhi
'What are the consequences of uncontrolled power and of unhindered desire? How do the arrogance of upper caste power in Nancharaiah and the awakening of the rights of the underprivileged from the Madiga community play out in the village of Vejendla? How do the political intrigues and contours of love clash in the lives of Ramudu, Suvvi and Chandiri? Does the desire to educate herself empower a Madiga woman to free herself from the clutches of patriarchy and remain unconquered? These are but a few questions that Kolakaluri Enoch's novel, Randhi: Of Power and Desire, unfurls in a translation by Kaki Madhava Rao that seeks to match the power of the original.ALLADI UMA and M. SRIDHAR
Vasudeva...The Wanderer Prince
Vasudeva...The Wanderer Prince discusses mainly the anecdotes/stories related to Vasudeva, the father of Balaram and Krishna, who were in relation and contemporary of the 21st Tirthankara Neminatha or Arishtanemi. As lucidly pointed out by the author herself, the book concentrates on the journey of Vasudeva involving his wandering from Magadha to the entire North India and even beyond. The stories include his lust for worldly possessions, authority and beautiful women for sensuous pleasure, but all such stories (not so well connected) conclude with spiritual or moral experience and suggestions, which reveal some important aspects of Jaina philosophy and moral values.However, the objective of the present book is altogether different, which presents Vasudeva as a wanderer and in course of his wandering enormous knowledge of geography and different aspects of regional cultural features are provided, which are a tremendous source of cultural history. It is a book dealing with a text of Jaina stories centring around the wandering character of Vasudeva and his interaction both with the mortal human beings and semi-divine Vidhyadharas/ Vidyadharis to make the stories interesting as well as meaningful.The translation is flawless and the language is chaste making the reading of the book interesting. It is indeed a new approach for the study of ancient Indian texts, which the readers will find absorbing with relevant messages of moving from worldly to spiritual attainment, the ultimate goal of human life. I congratulate the author for brilliant retelling of the stories based on the text Vasudevahindi.Professor MARUTI NANDAN Pd. TIWARIFormer National Tagore Fellow, Former Emeritus Professor and Former Head, Department of History of Art, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
The Masked Face and two other stories
'What is right? What is wrong?' asks Rohini in The Masked Face. 'We are creatures of circumstances.' Malini, her elder sister, rages at her insensitivity to the feelings of those she hurts by her action. It is the sense of values that differ from person to person whether it is among the urban, educated women in Delhi who imagine that they are truly modern or among the God-fearing, rural women, in Shadow Play, who have assembled at a temple village, Gunaseelam to cure their mentally affected daughters, believing the Lord would cure them, and reluctant to ask the question 'what is right?' It is a question that troubles Malathi, daughter of a gentle Gandhian, in The Womb, who knows nothing but to love - never considers the wealth of her husband as something of value and unable to wear a mask. It is a world that Malini, Paatti at the choultry of Gunaseelam, and Malathi - who is shocked at the one unforgivable question her husband asks - are unable to comprehend. All the characters, young and old in the three stories try to navigate their lives amidst the backdrop of generational trauma, relationships, sense of values and betrayals and tragedies, the masks everyone wears in a changing society that is still governed by patriarchy. It is a realization that comes at last, 'We are creators of circumstances.'
Tales Before Supper, From Th?(c)ophile Gautier and Prosper M?(c)rim?(c)e;
Minor Illusions
A rejected manuscript forces a writer to confront the possibility that a doppelganger has stolen his identity. Achilles contemplates his immortal life, edging ever closer to cruelty. Three strangers gathered at an apartment block in Singapore trade personal ghost stories. Swirling on the edge of madness, a resurrection ritual takes place on a story night. Traversing the fantastical, absurd, and grotesque, the stories of Minor Illusions explore themes of grief, memory, and human relationships as they test the limits of our tropes, archetypes, and codes of narration.
Don't Believe In Ghosts and Goblins - Then Read On?
Between the covers of this book, you'll meet some interesting folk - some from this world, and some from the next; some up to only good alone, but some up to things not so good. There's Meet Molly McGibbon, a dirt-poor young girl - innocent and kind, who struggled through many rough patches, but survived them all; she was neither ghost nor goblin, but she knew many who were Then, there's the Christmas Brides, both lovely, but both very dead; born 200 years apart, they suffered identical fates - see how they lived in another world - a world from which they couldn't possibly escape, until......................Finally, the Christmas Star, sometimes known as The Star of Bethlehem; it shone brightly one Christmas night, a sure omen something wonderful was about to happen. It may have been some time later, but happen it did.
Oracle Orbits of the Life
"Step into the tender yet resilient world of 'Oracle Orbits of Life, ' a poignant collection of short stories that weave together the intricate threads of human experience. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the human condition, Savita S. Dharan masterfully crafts narratives that transport readers to the vibrant landscapes of childhood, the complexities of marriage, and the rich tapestries of Indian culture. Through the lens of hope, struggles, failures, and triumphs, these stories illuminate the universal emotions that bind us all. From the innocence of youth to the wisdom of age, each tale is a testament to the power of resilience and the indomitable human spirit. Join Savita S. Dharan on a journey that will leave you reflecting on your own life's orbits, cherishing the memories, and finding solace in the shared experiences that make us human. 'Oracle Orbits of Life' is a heartwarming and thought-provoking read that will resonate with anyone who has ever searched for meaning, connection, and hope in the complexities of life."
Extinction Capital of the World
Named a Most Anticipated Summer Read by: Vulture * Oprah Daily * Our CultureMagnetic, haunting, and tender, Extinction Capital of the World is a stunning portrait of Hawai'i--and a powerful meditation on family, queer love, and community amid imperialism and environmental collapse.In ten vibrant, affecting stories, Mariah Rigg immerses readers in contemporary Hawai'i. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, these stories of love, longing, and grief are fierce dispatches from a state haunted by the specter of colonization, a precious biome under constant threat.An older man grapples with the American-weapons research conducted on a neighboring island that reverberates through his entire life. A pregnant woman seeks belonging while poaching flowers in the rainforest with her partner's mother. Two teenage girls find love during a summer spent on Midway Atoll. A young woman returns home to O'ahu following a breakup and reconnects with her estranged father and the island itself.Linked by both place and character, Rigg's stories illuminate the exotification and commodification of Hawai'i in the American mythos. Extinction Capital of the World is an environmental love letter to the Hawaiian Islands and an indelible portrayal of the people who inhabit them--marking the arrival of an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction.
The Dynasts
Step into the tumultuous world of "The Dynasts: An Epic-Drama of the War with Napoleon," a masterful work by Thomas Hardy that has captivated readers for generations. This epic historical drama unfolds against the backdrop of one of history's most significant military conflicts, exploring the intricate tapestry of human emotions and the relentless march of fate during the Napoleonic Wars. In this remarkable narrative, Hardy delves deep into the lives of historical figures and ordinary individuals alike, weaving a rich tapestry of love, ambition, and sacrifice. The play's unique structure blends dramatic poetry with compelling storytelling, establishing it as a cornerstone of 19th-century literature that resonates with modern audiences. With its profound themes and vivid character studies, "The Dynasts" offers an unparalleled exploration of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity. Now republished by Alpha Editions, this edition has been meticulously restored for today s and future generations, making it not just a reprint but a collector s item and a cultural treasure. Rediscover this literary masterpiece that was out of print for decades and immerse yourself in the epic narratives that define classic war novels. Perfect for casual readers and dedicated collectors of English literature classics alike, "The Dynasts" invites you to experience the timeless struggles and triumphs of humanity. Don t miss your chance to own this extraordinary piece of literary history!
Plain Tales From The Hills, 1886-1887. Soldiers Three And Other Stories
Invitation
Winner of the Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction In Invitation, men and women try and fail to connect to the people they want to be with. As they remember the first people who dominated their lives--parents, best friends, cousins, crushes--they find themselves repeating old patterns. A boy shares seemingly disturbing details about his mother's disappearance with an aloof tutor. A man stalks an ex-girlfriend but finds her missing. A woman wakes up in an empty apartment--and to every mother's worst nightmare. When a callous young man penetrates the bell jar of an elderly couple's quiet life, their live-in assistant learns a cruel lesson about loyalty. Why are we the way we are with one another? And what do our relationships ask us to become? In these stories, set mostly in South Korea, all must contend with the uncertainty and danger that comes with connection, real or imagined. These stories by Mi Jin Kim ask us to consider what it is we really want from the people we think we need.
Daddy Issues
Winner of the Barbara DiBernard Prize in Fiction Daddy Issues is a collection of moving and complex--yet simply and directly told--stories of queer Asian American experiences in Los Angeles. In many of these stories, the protagonists are artists and writers and other creative thinkers living on the fringe of survival, attempting to align a life of the imagination with the practical considerations of career, income, and family: a gay father who hasn't come out to his young son; a social worker, numbed by the destitution of his clients, who finds himself lost in self-destruction; a trans man who returns home to a father with dementia to help his family pack as they are pushed out by gentrification; a husband who can only stand aside as his wife heals from a miscarriage; and a broke writer who learns to love his stories again. The stories in Daddy Issues offer different contemplations on solitude--the good and the bad of it. Ultimately, this collection by Eric C. Wat is full of hope, and it shows how we can find the connections we need once we allow ourselves to become vulnerable.
