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Calvaria Fell is a stunning collaborative collection of weird tales from two acclaimed authors, Kaaron Warren and Cat Sparks. It features previously published stories from both authors, along with a new novella by Kaaron Warren and four new stories by Cat Sparks. The collection offers a glimpse into a chilling future world that is similar to our own. Readers will be drawn into experiences at once familiar and bizarre, where our choices have far-reaching consequences and the environment is a force to be reckoned with. The title of the collection tethers these stories to a shared space. The calvaria is the top part of the skull, comprising five plates that fuse together in the first few years of life. Story collections work like this; disparate parts melding together to make a robust and sturdy whole. The calvaria tree, also known as the dodo tree, adapted to being eaten by the now-extinct dodo bird; its seeds need to pass through the bird’ s digestive tract in order to germinate. In a similar way, the stories in Calvaria Fell reflect the idea of adaptation and the consequences of our actions in a changing world.
Praise for Calvaria Fell
“Thoughtful takes on futures wracked with environmental challenges … consistently original … the stories evoke recognizably human responses to adverse conditions. Even with the duo of authors, this collection achieves remarkable coherence.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Every story collection holds promise of enchantments, and Calvaria Fell is no exception. With thirteen tales from renowned Australian authors Cat Sparks and Kaaron Warren, this weird fiction will glue you to the page. … the starkness threats of the future transmute through the lens of potential, courage and invention. A richly rewarding, unique blend of writerly duet.”
—Clare Rhoden, Aurealis Magazine
“A powerful artistic impact … Warren’s storytelling often leans towards the psychological and the hauntingly emotional, whereas Sparks’s narratives tend to be more expansive, exploring societal and environmental dynamics in speculative settings. This distinction in their narrative approach offers a diverse reading experience within the shared thematic framework.”
—Austin Beeman, Science Fiction Short Story Reviews
“A highly recommended collection for fans of ecohorror, climate fiction, dystopian, science-fiction, cyberpunk and dark fantasy. An exciting new dark fiction collection focused on sociopolitical issues, climate destruction, questioning humanity and the future we create now for ourselves. A beautifully written and engaging series of stories that is as quick-paced as it is a thought-provoking read. Put this on your to-read list!”
—Leanbh Pearson, author of The Ghost Warrior
“An interesting collection of speculative fiction tales from the world of weird. As with most collections of shorter stories this has it’s gems nestled among the better than average line up.”
—Kevin Cannon, Monty’s Book Reviews
“Presents a deliciously dark future, filled with invasive plastic, faux paradises, abandoned malls, spy networks tucked amongst citizen enclaves, and manipulative experimentation, all wrapped up in the kindness and cruelty humanity has to offer to itself. Swinging from tender to horrifying, there’s a story here for anyone whose reading tastes lean towards the dark, the dystopian, and the weird, with a healthy serving of contemplative speculation that will leave you thinking long after you leave the pages.”
—Maggie Slater, author of “The Showerlier” and other stories
“All of the stories give glimpses of strange, post-apocalyptic places where everything’s gone topsy-turvy, and throughout it all, the thought that this isn’t really that far from reality is it? Yet despite the horrors, the resiliency of the characters gives hope that maybe, just maybe they (we) will find a way through. I highly recommend this collection for its top-notch writing, well-told stories, and dark, disturbing themes. Perfect for fans of weird and dark speculative fiction.”
—TKentWrites.com
Praise for Kaaron Warren
“One of Australia’s most imaginative writers.”
—The Canberra Times
“Into Bones Like Oil is sinewy, disorientating, and devastating in the way all the best ghost stories are.”
—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World (Praise for Into Bones Like Oil)
“Warren delivers a tale of creeping dread. . . . The horrific encroaches inexorably on the familiar. Recommended.”
—Tade Thompson, author of Rosewater (Praise for Into Bones Like Oil)
“Kaaron Warren is a fresh, amazingly talented voice out of Australia. You *must* read her work.”
—Ellen Datlow (Praise for Walking the Tree)
Praise for Cat Sparks
“To compare Lotus Blue to the Mad Max films would be a disservice despite the obvious parallels: vehicle caravans roaming deserts, warlords and lawless violence everywhere, a few strongholds of near-civilization battened down against the encroachment of barbarism. Yet Sparks’s post-apocalyptic wasteland is far more imaginative and richly rendered.”
—N.K. Jemisin, New York Times (Praise for Lotus Blue)
“Forget the Mad Max comparisons: Sparks is far more ambitious than that. . . . A Canticle for Leibowitz by way of Neuromancer.”
—Peter Watts, author of Blindsight (Praise for Lotus Blue)
