A Nice Boy

"Thick red Northern Territory mud coated Barry's shins and arms up to his elbows. Every time he slapped a mosquito he left another muddy handprint. Mud — streaking his face, coating his clothes — had swallowed one of his sneakers; sand itched in his underpants and his bare back burned with insect bites. His beloved Cruiser was resting her axles on the shoulder of the dirt road, the left-hand wheels bogged to the wheel-arches. And Sharon had filmed it all."
— from 'The Weekend Warrior' by Kym Iliff-Reynolds

"Every day I watch her and pray she'll jump. Always the same time, late afternoon. When light softens and the wind dies down. She stands at the edge, with nothing in front of her but the ocean's expanse and the rocks below. Knees flex forward and straighten back again in a measured cadence. A rhythm stolen, perhaps, from a favourite song. Today, as in others past, she stops, steps back and slowly walks away."
— from 'Prelude to Carrion' by George Lancaster

Thirty-two award-winning short stories fill these entertaining pages. Written by Australian and international authors these stories explore Australian culture — sometimes funny, often poignant, occasionally unsettling, this anthology showcases the best of Australian contemporary short story writing.