POLESTARS 5
A series of single author collections by outstanding writers. The Polestar, or North Star, is defined as the brightest star in Ursa Minor; since every author chosen for this series is a star in their own right, Polestars provides the ideal banner under which to unite such exceptional works.
Debut collection from a French author who has been making a name for herself with regular contributions to Interzone and elsewhere (Clarkesworld, ParSec, etc). Providing a fresh perspective on the world, humanity, and its potential (both good and bad), Cécile’s fiction reflects her love of the natural world and concern for its future. Elephants in Bloom contains her finest previously published stories, as selected by the author, alongside eight brand new tales that appear here for the first time.
Contents Introduction All We Ever Look For The Fishery A Kingdom of Seagrass and Silk A Stray Cat in the Mountain of The Dead Que la Grenade Est Touchante When You Meet the Wild Hunt The Hangman’s Legacy Ice Cream from Pluto Soaring, the World on Their Shoulders Schrödinger’s Children A Diary from the End of the World The Third Time I Saw a Fox Kings of Snow The Owl Woman The Goddess’s Spear Nine Lives, One to Spare Wind, River, Angel Song Elephants in Bloom About the Author
Each story is followed by a note from the author, providing further insight and context.
Excerpt from Schrödinger’s Children “One thing that string theory doesn’t teach you is that the strings in question are devilishly hard to pick apart with nail-bitten fingers. So if you need to make a discreet hole between parallel universes, you’d better have tweezers and a sewing needle at the ready.”
“A delight of speculative fiction, embracing notions of climate change and probing possible futures. Ranging from the almost ethereal to the downright horrific, Cristofari’s stories are entirely captivating.” – Aurealis
“Writers who came to mind as I was reading these stories include Nina Allan, Holly Phillips, and Carol Emshwiller: good company... In darkening times, a search for new truths takes Cristofari’s gaze in interesting directions.” – Locus
“The regular use of nature in stories adds depth and reality that is really effective and often thought-provoking. I am hugely impressed by this collection and strongly recommend it to short fiction fans.” – Runalong the Shelves
“They tended to have a haunting feeling and focused on exploring humanity. Each tale had a note from the author at the end, and I appreciated seeing how her identity and experiences shaped each story… an enjoyable collection to read.” – LibraryThing reviewer
“This was a beautifully written story with just a perfect ending.” – SFRevue of “The Third Time I Saw a Fox”
“This was a quiet character-centric story with a strange appeal that belied any attempt to analyze it.” – Tangent of “The Third Time I Saw a Fox”
“The piece is beautifully rendered, careful and kind, and yearning for a world more full of compassion than the one the characters encounter. A great read!” – Goodreads reviewer of “Que la Grenade est Touchante”
“A bittersweet tale, beautifully told.” – SFRevue of “Wind, River, Angel Song”
Elephants in Bloom is available as a paperback, a limited edition hardback signed by the author, and as an eBook |