AustLit

'A marriage dissolves in the middle of a spacewalk…

'A lonely robot searches for the remains of a long-lost child…

'An empty nester is haunted by victims of the bushfires that surround her home…

'These are tales of breaking and rebuilding, falling apart and being put back together.

'The stories in The Art of Broken Things blur the line between genres to explore some of our deepest, most fundamentally human concerns: what does it mean to build a family? And what are we willing to sacrifice, to keep that family together?

'From multiple award-winning author Joanne Anderton comes a new collection of dark science fiction, horror and weird.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Following on from her Aurealis and Australian Shadow Award-winning debut collection, Joanne Anderton’s Inanimates finds the terrifying in the everyday, bringing together seven stories where ordinary objects become the source of nightmares and extraordinary threat. 

'In “Thread Embrace,” a well-dressed killer finds himself at the mercy of an unexpectedly sartorial threat. “Simulation Theory” sees a wounded soldier bonds with the bomb disposal robot he worked with in the field. In the heartbreaking last story, “High Density”, the comfortable suburban ideal of a retired couple becomes a war against a dark and dangerous form of urban renewal.

'In turns wicked, delightful, horrifying, and fantastic, Inanimates: Tales of Everyday Fear showcases a hidden gem of the Australian genre scene, and highlights Anderton’s ability to see the dark, supernatural threats inherent in ordinary things.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Flying Optometrist travels in his little red aeroplane from his practice in the city to a remote outback town. Lots of people are waiting for him! Aunty can't see well enough to carve her emu eggs and Bill the plumber has a splinter in his eye. Young Stephanie can't wait for him to arrive as she has broken her glasses and can't join in games of cricket and have fun with her friends - she can't see the ball! Hurry up Flying Optometrist! Where is he? Is he lost? 

'The townsfolk wait with bated breath until finally the Flying Optmetrist's little red plane appears, having only just missed a bad storm. A big meal waits for him in the local hotel. Then starts work checking eyesight. The Flying Optometrist doesn't have long, but he helps as many people as he can. He returns to the city but Stephanie has to wait a little longer for an exciting package to come - her new glasses!' (Publication summary)

'"A pain that must be suffered" is about young people, self-harm and suicide in a highly connected world, about entrenched bullying you just can’t escape from, and the difference class makes to all of this.'

Source: Author's blog (http://joanneanderton.com/wordpress/2016/01/14/in-your-face/). (Sighted: 19/2/2016)