An impoverished young mother whose husband is fighting overseas struggles to help her sick daughter on a home front where the people have given away the best parts of their characters. A half-robot, half-plant cyborg vows to save the mind of a young boy who is its only friend. A couple encounters a nightmare realm of ancient clothing, human and otherwise, and the creatures which lurk there. An out of luck drug addict has less than three hours to pay his oxygen tax and save his own life and that of his son.Rubble People and Other Stories is a collection of some of Matthew Sanborn Smith's short stories which have appeared at such venues as Apex Magazine, Aliterate, and See the Elephant. Stories include:Rubble PeopleThe WardrobeGiraffe Cyborg Cleans House!Three KingdomsStars so Sharp They Break the SkinAlso included is the author's previously unpublished story, "e;Out of Breath in a Sharp Red Suit,"e; as well as afterwords which discuss the making of each piece.