Alias Space and Other Stories

Alias Space and Other Stories, from Subterranean Press, is a signed, limited edition luxury hardcover of more than 400 pages, with notes on each story, and a spectacular cover by Lauren Saint Onge.

Cover of Alias Space and Other Stories shows a glam burlesque dancer on stage in a transparent wrap, leaning on an astronaut helmet

Image Description: The cover of Alias Space and Other Stories shows a glam burlesque dancer on stage in a transparent wrap, wearing makeup referencing Ziggy Stardust, and leaning on an astronaut helmet.

Critical praise from Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
“Across 14 short pieces, Robson demonstrates a dizzying versatility, dipping into both science fiction and fantasy—and sometimes blurring the line between the two…. This is a superb showcase of Robson’s talents.” (full review)

Critical praise from Locus
“[E]ach of Robson’s tales are hand-carved from different materials, and while we can see links and themes emerging, none of the stories are easy appendages to other stories, or to a would-be franchise…That impressive tonal and thematic range may be the simplest thing we can take away from this impressive first collection, except possibly for this: as eclectic as her settings and narrative modes might be, Robson consistently writes about characters who, within their limitations, simply want to do better.” (full review)

From legendary SF writer Michael Bishop

“I admire both the short fiction of Kelly Robson and the author herself, inordinately. She never takes the easy way to tell a story and yet never makes any story seem the result of grueling struggle, even if she must sweat in solitude (or with keen editorial help) to get each story dead-on-the-dollar right.

“Further, these stories span wide ranges of space, time, history, social culture, and technological advance, as if Kelly has not only visited but lived in all the eras and milieus serving as her settings, past, present, or future. And because every tale radiates authenticity, Alias Space shines as a collection: a truly singular achievement.”

From the publisher, Subterranean Press

“We consider it one of the best—and most important—science fiction collections of recent years.”

Alias Space and Other Stories is the first fiction collection from Nebula Award-winning writer Kelly Robson, who vaulted onto the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror stage in 2015, earning spots in multiple Year’s Best anthologies. This volume collects Robson’s best stories to date, along with exciting new work, and notes to accompany each piece.

Robson’s stories are noted for their compassion, humanity, humor, rigor, and joy. This volume includes the chilling gothic horror “A Human Stain,” winner of the 2018 Nebula Award; the madcap historical fantasy “Waters of Versailles,” which was a finalist for both the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards; and science fiction stories such as the touching “Intervention,” chilling “The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill,” obscene “What Gentle Women Dare,” heartbreaking “Two-Year Man,” and many others.

These fourteen stories showcase Robson’s whip-smart richness of invention, brilliant storytelling, deep worldbuilding, and devilish sense of humor.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Two-Year Man
A Study in Oils
Intervention
La Vitesse
So You Want to be a Honeypot
Two Watersheds
The Desperate Flesh
Alias Space
Skin City
Waters of Versailles
What Gentle Women Dare
The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill
We Who Live in The Heart
A Human Stain
Acknowledgements

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