Aaah the 80s. The decade we loved to hate and hated to love, with its fluoro, spandex, and shoulder pads, until it was brought back to coolness by the likes of Stranger Things, The Goldbergs or The Americans. Different times. Times of carefree materialism, decent airlines, groundbreaking bands and seasonal weather, a complete disregard for
She’s flicking through one of those animal encyclopaedias, the kind you get heavily discounted in the run up to Christmas, and then even cheaper before New Year, the kind nobody is ever going to pay full price for. ‘Do you think I should keep this one, Mum?’ she asks. ‘I mean, it was a present.
In the darkness, your hands outstretched before you, you are falling through eternity. Focus. Deep breath and hold. Release. Focus. You are perfectly alone and alone is perfect. The comforting veil of darkness becomes scratched with pinpricks of light. Soon the images will come. Focus. A shrill cry of surprise. He drowsily unfurled his hands
It is early evening when a dishevelled and terrified twelve year old girl bangs on the door of a middle aged Irish priest. Her father has disappeared and we immediately find ourselves sharing the narrator’s intense anxiety. Conor O’ Callaghan’s first novel, Nothing on Earth, is a Gothic tale set in a barren half built
Peggy longs to be elsewhere. Today, even Charmaine, her WorkSolutions adviser, seems bored. Or if not bored then fatalistic: she’s picking at her earlobes and examining the flakes of skin on the tip of her finger. They are meeting not at Charmaine’s offices, but at the neutral territory of West Herts College, because the WorkSolutions
The latest fight started over bananas. I like to keep brown bananas in the freezer for the banana bread I never get around to baking. Who knew the yellow fruit would be controversial? In the beginning of romance nuances are regarded as “no big deal” when you are enamoured with his perfection. This is the
In the Introduction to Europa28, writer Laura Bates states that ‘women see things differently […] it comes as a shock, because our default setting is to see things through men’s eyes without ever realising we are doing so.’ I am more than inclined to agree. It’s along this premise that we find Europa28, an anthology
Well if you’ve found your way to this review you’re either a fan of Planet of the Apes, Folio Society or a consumer of fiction – well if that’s the case you are in for a mighty fine time. If you’re a space travelling lost soul and discovered this (a message in a bottle if
Dear Laura is one of the finest novella’s that I have read, the stylistic qualities on show are sublime, the prose is taut as if at any moment it’ll snap and whip the reader – maiming them at any given moment. The uniqueness of the story is another masterstroke with Amor dropping us right into
A librarian – Irena and Prince Kai – a dragon, are sent on a mysterious dangerous mission to acquire an old book from Mr Nemo, a well-known collector. Irene and her companion are told they must succeed to realign and stop probable chaos in their world. Irene and Kai are sent on this adventure to
