Books

What keeps you from falling apart? A rock-solid support system, a favourite pet, or devouring the flesh of those unlucky enough to cross your path? If the taste of brains is what keeps you going, then this book is for you.

Zombies come in all different forms, and each of these stories presents the undead and dying in a different way, whether they’re the main character or not. Some of these walking corpses are freshly risen from the grave and hungry for vengeance (among other things). Others are coming to terms with what it means to live in a post-apocalyptic hellscape.

This fourth collection from former zombie hater Stephanie Anne promises trauma, drama, and miscellaneous body parts. Can you keep it together as you make your way through these stories?

Funerals are never easy, and this one is particularly difficult. These community events are the reason why the narrator left home, escaping to the city in the hopes he could forget his fears and past traumas. But now that he’s returned to the secretive small town, where neighbours help one another with even the most difficult tasks, he’s struggling to fit in and to connect with those around him. Worst of all, he’s struggling to make it through the day as he can’t help but think of what is being done to prepare for the gruesome burial to come.

Change is difficult for everyone. Especially when your traumas are awakened from deep within. The mundane becomes sinister. The everyday holds no hope. Your mother hates you. Your co-workers don’t respect you. Your children won’t stop screaming. How can you possibly silence the voices in your head when everything is going horribly wrong?

This third short story collection from Stephanie Anne is the darkest of the bunch, filled with twisted tales of monsters, meal times, and murder. So go ahead, read them if you’re brave enough. But as you face your fears head on, checking light fixtures out of the corner of your eye to see if anything is out of place, ask yourself this very important question: How will you cope?

It may be scary to see a ghost or a monster, but it really isn’t all that bad. The only thing worse than seeing what goes bump in the night is being seen by it. Worse than that is when there is no help or salvation in sight. But things couldn’t possibly get worse than that, could they? Of course not. That is, as long as you can stay off the menu. A chilling collection of short stories filled with ghosts, monsters, humans with bad intentions, and even more ghosts. Take a look and see what catches your eye. And just remember: there’s no need to be afraid until they see you.

Lost and confused, Michael wanders into a strange, dark land filled with even stranger characters. He and his newfound friends have nothing to do but wait in the darkness until an unseen force carries them to The Outside for indeterminate periods of time. Theodore and Maggie, the elders of the group, have come to terms with this strange existence, but not everyone is so lucky. The eccentric Jack and an enchanting woman by the name of Vanessa have been pushed to the brink of insanity by their tumultuous experiences with The Outside. As Michael settles in to this new life, a question looms overhead: What exactly is a Sorting and why does it threaten to change Michael’s life forever? This play was performed in 2010 at the Ottawa Youth Infringement Festival and is now available in print for the very first time; complete with an introduction from Stephanie Anne that looks back at the serendipitous events that occurred before and after the performance of this short play.

Have you ever wondered about the benefits of staring directly into the sun? Have you ever wondered if your boss was replaced by an alien? And have you ever wondered why should you never give sharp objects to robots? Wonder no more! Please Rate Your Satisfaction is the sci-fi short story collection that will satisfy your cravings for aliens, robots, and mad scientists. Written by a literary mad scientist whose work has affectionately been described as “disturbing”, this collection strives to make you uncomfortable. But don’t worry – if you need a break, there’s a couple of robotic Shakespearean sonnets to cleanse your palette before your next journey into the darkest parts of outer space and the human mind. And remember, when you’ve finished reading, please rate your satisfaction.