These stories from four-time World Fantasy Award winner Margo Lanagan are all set in Australia, a myth-soaked landscape both stubbornly inscrutable and crisscrossed by interlopers' dreamings. Explore four littoral and liminal worlds, a-crackle with fears and possibilities.

RED SPIKES - ten stabs to the heart.Ten tales to jab and poke - at your darkest fears, your secret desires. Margo Lanagan's short stories take place in worlds not quite our own, and yet each one illuminates what it is to be human. They are stories of yearning for more, and learning to live with what you have. Stories that show the imprint love leaves on us all.For anyone who likes to be surprised, touched, unsettled, intrigued, or scared, prepare to be dazzled by what a master storyteller can do in a few short pages.

Liga endures unspeakable cruelties at the hands of her father, before being magically granted her own personal heaven, a safe haven from the real world. She raises her two daughters in this alternate reality, and they grow up protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever . . . Magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga's refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?

Time out of time, people call it, but they're wrong. It's all time, like white light is all colours, or white noise is all pitches of noise coming at you together.In this transcendent collection of short stories, Lanagan deftly navigates a new set of worlds in which the boundaries between reality and possibility are paper-thin . . . and sometimes disappear altogether. Prepare to be unsettled, intrigued and dazzled by what a master storyteller can do in a few short pages.

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer''s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti for this explosive trilogy filled with '';cinematic nonstop action,'' (Booklist) about six teens with unique abilities.Dont call them heroes. But these six California teens have powers that set them apart. Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. Hes got a voice inside him thatll say whatever you want to hear, whether its true or not. Which is handy, except when it isntlike when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who arent exactly best friends these days. Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the groups glorious leader. After Scams SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases. Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.

Yellow Cake brings together another ten short stories from this extraordinarily talented writer - each of them fiercely original and quietly heartbreaking.Ranging from fantasy and fairy tale to horror and stark reality, what pervades these stories is the sense of humanity. The people of Lanagan's worlds face trials, temptations and degradations. They swoon and suffer and even kill for love. In a dangerous world, they seek the solace and strength that comes from family and belonging. These are stories to be savoured slowly and pondered deeply because they cut to the very heart of who we are.

Rollrock is an isolated, windswept island; a wild and salty landscape where fishermen and their families must wring a living from the stormy seas. But Rollrock is also a place of eerie magic, and of powerful desire. Down on the beach, the outcast witch of Rollrock casts her spells, and draws mysterious girls from the sea. These are girls with long, pale limbs and faces of haunting innocence - the most enchantingly beautiful creatures the fishermen of Rollrock have ever seen. The island is envied, and many a man is lured to Rollrock with the promise of a sea wife. But the arrival of these women is the ruin of countless families - and to the despair of the men of Rollrock, magic always has its price. The brides do not belong on land. One day, the sea will claim them back.

A gripping sci-fi adventure from the New York Times bestselling author, Scott Westerfeld, and award-winning co-authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti about a group of teens with amazing abilities. 'Zeroes is expansive and evocative'  -- NPR Who are the Zeroes? Six teens with powers that set them apart from the ordinary, and definitely not heroes. When a bank robber goes wrong, the scattered Zeroes must agree to come back together to save one of their own. But what if there was someone else that could help too? Perhaps there's a new Zero on the block? Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling series.

Praise for Zeroes: 'A really gripping read...It’s the Famous Five on steroids with a sprinkling of superpowers’ welovethisbook.com 'With action, romance, and thorny ethical questions, it’s a book with a little something for everyone' Publishers Weekly 'Fresh and original' School Libraries Journal starred review 'Cinematic, non-stop action' Booklist 'I absolutely loved this book. Fast paced, full of action and fun, this is one not to be missed' Heather Reviews 'Action-packed, full of adventure and will keep you entertained for hours' nerdprobs.comAn unputdownable, action-packed read from internationally bestselling author of the Uglies series, Scott Westerfeld. Every power has a dark side. It's the holiday season, but the celebration at the Zeroes' underground nightclub is blown apart when a pair of strangers with new powers take to the dance floor. The Zeroes pursue and confront the two, only to learn that they're fleeing an even more sinister power, the Swarm, who uses a crowd's rage to kill – and who loves killing Zeroes.  The Zeroes defend themselves the best they can, learning more about their enemies through a series of crowd disasters – a wrecked celebrity wedding, a bloodbath at a shopping mall, and a funeral for one of the Swarm's victims that goes very, very wrong. In the meantime, each of the Zeroes has their own fish to fry. Bellwether's confidence is challenged by the Swarm, while Mob finds herself drawn to the killing crowd. Crash's conscience – and her heart – get a workout, and Anon and Scam face harsh truths about fmaily and belonging. Flicker must pick up the groups fallen reins and lead the Zeroes into a final showdown with Swarm's army.

The third and final book in this explosive trilogy by the bestselling author of the UGLIES series, Scott Westerfeld, and award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti The Zeroes are in disarray. One of them has vanished into thin air. One of them is in prison. The rest of them are on the most-wanted list. And something big is brewing.   After defeating Swarm in a breath-taking stand-off, Nate has been arrested for his murder. In prison and isolated, he can't use his powers of influence at all. Flicker, Chizara, Kelsie and Ethan are on the run and in hiding from the FBI who believe the Cambria Five are domestic terrorists. And Agent Phan and the FBI have a secret weapon up their sleeve - a teenager with a superpower that the Zeroes haven't encountered yet.   Meanwhile, Sonia Sonic and her growing band of weird-hunters are tracking inexplicable events across the country - and their investigations lead them to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where the celebrating crowds promise enormous power to anyone who can channel it. Time is running out for the Zeroes, but they must learn to trust each other again and combine their powers for good - to avert the looming disaster...  X-Men meets Heroes in this gripping series about a group of teens with amazing abilities. Praise for Zeroes: 'With action, romance, and thorny ethical questions, it’s a book with a little something for everyone' Publishers Weekly 'Fresh and original' School Libraries Journal starred review 'I absolutely loved this book. Fast paced, full of action and fun, this is one not to be missed' Heather Reviews

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti for this explosive trilogy filled with “cinematic nonstop action,” (Booklist) about six teens with unique abilities.Don’t call them heroes. But these six California teens have powers that set them apart. Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days. Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the group’s “glorious leader.” After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases. Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the second book of an explosive new trilogy about six teens with unique abilities.They thought they’d already faced their toughest fight. But there’s no relaxing for the reunited Zeroes. These six teens with unique abilities have taken on bank robbers, drug dealers, and mobsters. Now they’re trying to lay low so they can get their new illegal nightclub off the ground. But the quiet doesn’t last long when two strangers come to town, bringing with them a whole different kind of crowd-based chaos. And hot on their tails is a crowd-power even more dangerous and sinister. Up against these new enemies, every Zero is under threat. Mob is crippled by the killing-crowd buzz—is she really evil at her core? Flicker is forced to watch the worst things a crowd can do. Crash’s conscience—and her heart—get a workout. Anon and Scam must both put family loyalties on the line for the sake of survival. And Bellwether’s glorious-leader mojo deserts him. Who’s left to lead the Zeroes into battle against a new, murderous army?

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the final book of an explosive trilogy about six teens with unique abilities.The Zeroes are in disarray. One of them has vanished. One of them is in prison. The rest are on the most-wanted list. And something big is brewing. Accused of murdering Swarm, Bellwether is in a high-security prison, isolated and unable to use his powers of influence. Flicker, Crash, Mob, and Scam are on the run as suspected domestic terrorists. And Agent Phan of the FBI has a secret weapon up his sleeve—a teenager with a superpower that the Zeroes haven’t encountered yet. After a daring breakout, the group is drawn to New Orleans, where celebrating Mardi Gras crowds promise enormous power to anyone who can channel it. There, an army of Zeroes is gathering around a charismatic leader—whose plans are nothing short of cataclysmic. Time is running out for the Zeroes, but they must learn to trust one another again if they want to avert the looming disaster.

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the second book of an explosive new trilogy about six teens with unique abilities.They thought they’d already faced their toughest fight. But there’s no relaxing for the reunited Zeroes. These six teens with unique abilities have taken on bank robbers, drug dealers, and mobsters. Now they’re trying to lay low so they can get their new illegal nightclub off the ground. But the quiet doesn’t last long when two strangers come to town, bringing with them a whole different kind of crowd-based chaos. And hot on their tails is a crowd-power even more dangerous and sinister. Up against these new enemies, every Zero is under threat. Mob is crippled by the killing-crowd buzz—is she really evil at her core? Flicker is forced to watch the worst things a crowd can do. Crash’s conscience—and her heart—get a workout. Anon and Scam must both put family loyalties on the line for the sake of survival. And Bellwether’s glorious-leader mojo deserts him. Who’s left to lead the Zeroes into battle against a new, murderous army?

Dachshund droids, mad crones, shapeshifting children, a plethora of witches, dragonstalkers, familiars, slithering eels and, of course, bats, flit and fly through these pages, aided and abetted by Kathleen Jennings’s deft and inspired pencil drawings. Stray Bats is a glorious miscellany of vignettes based on poems by Australian women. While some of the pieces hie close to the originals in form and theme, some stray far, far from them even as Lanagan delights in playing with language, rhyme, and rhythm.This could be the perfect gift for that slightly otherworldly person in your life—or for yourself, when you need a moment of magic, a dip into darkness, a spark of light.For the reader who would like to explore further, there are a list of poems that inspired the author and notes on where those poems might be found.

These stories from four-time World Fantasy Award winner Margo Lanagan are all set in Australia, a myth-soaked landscape both stubbornly inscrutable and crisscrossed by interlopers' dreamings. Explore four littoral and liminal worlds, a-crackle with fears and possibilities.

RED SPIKES - ten stabs to the heart.Ten tales to jab and poke - at your darkest fears, your secret desires. Margo Lanagan's short stories take place in worlds not quite our own, and yet each one illuminates what it is to be human. They are stories of yearning for more, and learning to live with what you have. Stories that show the imprint love leaves on us all.For anyone who likes to be surprised, touched, unsettled, intrigued, or scared, prepare to be dazzled by what a master storyteller can do in a few short pages.

Liga endures unspeakable cruelties at the hands of her father, before being magically granted her own personal heaven, a safe haven from the real world. She raises her two daughters in this alternate reality, and they grow up protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever . . . Magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga's refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?

Time out of time, people call it, but they're wrong. It's all time, like white light is all colours, or white noise is all pitches of noise coming at you together.In this transcendent collection of short stories, Lanagan deftly navigates a new set of worlds in which the boundaries between reality and possibility are paper-thin . . . and sometimes disappear altogether. Prepare to be unsettled, intrigued and dazzled by what a master storyteller can do in a few short pages.

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer''s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti for this explosive trilogy filled with '';cinematic nonstop action,'' (Booklist) about six teens with unique abilities.Dont call them heroes. But these six California teens have powers that set them apart. Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. Hes got a voice inside him thatll say whatever you want to hear, whether its true or not. Which is handy, except when it isntlike when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who arent exactly best friends these days. Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the groups glorious leader. After Scams SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases. Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.

Yellow Cake brings together another ten short stories from this extraordinarily talented writer - each of them fiercely original and quietly heartbreaking.Ranging from fantasy and fairy tale to horror and stark reality, what pervades these stories is the sense of humanity. The people of Lanagan's worlds face trials, temptations and degradations. They swoon and suffer and even kill for love. In a dangerous world, they seek the solace and strength that comes from family and belonging. These are stories to be savoured slowly and pondered deeply because they cut to the very heart of who we are.

Rollrock is an isolated, windswept island; a wild and salty landscape where fishermen and their families must wring a living from the stormy seas. But Rollrock is also a place of eerie magic, and of powerful desire. Down on the beach, the outcast witch of Rollrock casts her spells, and draws mysterious girls from the sea. These are girls with long, pale limbs and faces of haunting innocence - the most enchantingly beautiful creatures the fishermen of Rollrock have ever seen. The island is envied, and many a man is lured to Rollrock with the promise of a sea wife. But the arrival of these women is the ruin of countless families - and to the despair of the men of Rollrock, magic always has its price. The brides do not belong on land. One day, the sea will claim them back.

A gripping sci-fi adventure from the New York Times bestselling author, Scott Westerfeld, and award-winning co-authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti about a group of teens with amazing abilities. 'Zeroes is expansive and evocative'  -- NPR Who are the Zeroes? Six teens with powers that set them apart from the ordinary, and definitely not heroes. When a bank robber goes wrong, the scattered Zeroes must agree to come back together to save one of their own. But what if there was someone else that could help too? Perhaps there's a new Zero on the block? Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling series.

Praise for Zeroes: 'A really gripping read...It’s the Famous Five on steroids with a sprinkling of superpowers’ welovethisbook.com 'With action, romance, and thorny ethical questions, it’s a book with a little something for everyone' Publishers Weekly 'Fresh and original' School Libraries Journal starred review 'Cinematic, non-stop action' Booklist 'I absolutely loved this book. Fast paced, full of action and fun, this is one not to be missed' Heather Reviews 'Action-packed, full of adventure and will keep you entertained for hours' nerdprobs.comAn unputdownable, action-packed read from internationally bestselling author of the Uglies series, Scott Westerfeld. Every power has a dark side. It's the holiday season, but the celebration at the Zeroes' underground nightclub is blown apart when a pair of strangers with new powers take to the dance floor. The Zeroes pursue and confront the two, only to learn that they're fleeing an even more sinister power, the Swarm, who uses a crowd's rage to kill – and who loves killing Zeroes.  The Zeroes defend themselves the best they can, learning more about their enemies through a series of crowd disasters – a wrecked celebrity wedding, a bloodbath at a shopping mall, and a funeral for one of the Swarm's victims that goes very, very wrong. In the meantime, each of the Zeroes has their own fish to fry. Bellwether's confidence is challenged by the Swarm, while Mob finds herself drawn to the killing crowd. Crash's conscience – and her heart – get a workout, and Anon and Scam face harsh truths about fmaily and belonging. Flicker must pick up the groups fallen reins and lead the Zeroes into a final showdown with Swarm's army.

The third and final book in this explosive trilogy by the bestselling author of the UGLIES series, Scott Westerfeld, and award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti The Zeroes are in disarray. One of them has vanished into thin air. One of them is in prison. The rest of them are on the most-wanted list. And something big is brewing.   After defeating Swarm in a breath-taking stand-off, Nate has been arrested for his murder. In prison and isolated, he can't use his powers of influence at all. Flicker, Chizara, Kelsie and Ethan are on the run and in hiding from the FBI who believe the Cambria Five are domestic terrorists. And Agent Phan and the FBI have a secret weapon up their sleeve - a teenager with a superpower that the Zeroes haven't encountered yet.   Meanwhile, Sonia Sonic and her growing band of weird-hunters are tracking inexplicable events across the country - and their investigations lead them to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where the celebrating crowds promise enormous power to anyone who can channel it. Time is running out for the Zeroes, but they must learn to trust each other again and combine their powers for good - to avert the looming disaster...  X-Men meets Heroes in this gripping series about a group of teens with amazing abilities. Praise for Zeroes: 'With action, romance, and thorny ethical questions, it’s a book with a little something for everyone' Publishers Weekly 'Fresh and original' School Libraries Journal starred review 'I absolutely loved this book. Fast paced, full of action and fun, this is one not to be missed' Heather Reviews

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti for this explosive trilogy filled with “cinematic nonstop action,” (Booklist) about six teens with unique abilities.Don’t call them heroes. But these six California teens have powers that set them apart. Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days. Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the group’s “glorious leader.” After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases. Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the second book of an explosive new trilogy about six teens with unique abilities.They thought they’d already faced their toughest fight. But there’s no relaxing for the reunited Zeroes. These six teens with unique abilities have taken on bank robbers, drug dealers, and mobsters. Now they’re trying to lay low so they can get their new illegal nightclub off the ground. But the quiet doesn’t last long when two strangers come to town, bringing with them a whole different kind of crowd-based chaos. And hot on their tails is a crowd-power even more dangerous and sinister. Up against these new enemies, every Zero is under threat. Mob is crippled by the killing-crowd buzz—is she really evil at her core? Flicker is forced to watch the worst things a crowd can do. Crash’s conscience—and her heart—get a workout. Anon and Scam must both put family loyalties on the line for the sake of survival. And Bellwether’s glorious-leader mojo deserts him. Who’s left to lead the Zeroes into battle against a new, murderous army?

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the final book of an explosive trilogy about six teens with unique abilities.The Zeroes are in disarray. One of them has vanished. One of them is in prison. The rest are on the most-wanted list. And something big is brewing. Accused of murdering Swarm, Bellwether is in a high-security prison, isolated and unable to use his powers of influence. Flicker, Crash, Mob, and Scam are on the run as suspected domestic terrorists. And Agent Phan of the FBI has a secret weapon up his sleeve—a teenager with a superpower that the Zeroes haven’t encountered yet. After a daring breakout, the group is drawn to New Orleans, where celebrating Mardi Gras crowds promise enormous power to anyone who can channel it. There, an army of Zeroes is gathering around a charismatic leader—whose plans are nothing short of cataclysmic. Time is running out for the Zeroes, but they must learn to trust one another again if they want to avert the looming disaster.

X-Men meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades when New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series Scott Westerfeld teams up with award-winning authors Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the second book of an explosive new trilogy about six teens with unique abilities.They thought they’d already faced their toughest fight. But there’s no relaxing for the reunited Zeroes. These six teens with unique abilities have taken on bank robbers, drug dealers, and mobsters. Now they’re trying to lay low so they can get their new illegal nightclub off the ground. But the quiet doesn’t last long when two strangers come to town, bringing with them a whole different kind of crowd-based chaos. And hot on their tails is a crowd-power even more dangerous and sinister. Up against these new enemies, every Zero is under threat. Mob is crippled by the killing-crowd buzz—is she really evil at her core? Flicker is forced to watch the worst things a crowd can do. Crash’s conscience—and her heart—get a workout. Anon and Scam must both put family loyalties on the line for the sake of survival. And Bellwether’s glorious-leader mojo deserts him. Who’s left to lead the Zeroes into battle against a new, murderous army?

Dachshund droids, mad crones, shapeshifting children, a plethora of witches, dragonstalkers, familiars, slithering eels and, of course, bats, flit and fly through these pages, aided and abetted by Kathleen Jennings’s deft and inspired pencil drawings. Stray Bats is a glorious miscellany of vignettes based on poems by Australian women. While some of the pieces hie close to the originals in form and theme, some stray far, far from them even as Lanagan delights in playing with language, rhyme, and rhythm.This could be the perfect gift for that slightly otherworldly person in your life—or for yourself, when you need a moment of magic, a dip into darkness, a spark of light.For the reader who would like to explore further, there are a list of poems that inspired the author and notes on where those poems might be found.