Worlds next door edited by Tehani Wessely
Fablecroft, 2010, ISBN 9780980777017.
(Age 9-13) Recommended. Short stories. An engaging collection of
speculative fiction, Worlds next door encompasses short stories
ranging
from horror to science fiction. Written by twenty five of Australia's
top writers in the genre, including Pamela Freeman, Michael Pryor, Dave
Luckett, Sue Bursztynski and Paul Collins, this is an excellent
collection for both the library and the English faculty.
The first story, The best dog in the world by Dirk Flinthart,
is
science fiction at its best. Scientists exploit a dog's faithful nature
in a heart wrenching way. Old Saint Nick by Leith Daniel is a
Christmas
story with a twist and would be perfect to read aloud to a restless
group. I loved the horror in Little Arkham by Martin Livings,
where a
fan of Christopher Death, an author of gruesome stories, discovers just
what happens in the school where he is the principal. The
Nullabor wave by Matthew Chrulew is a startling original story with
a
unique Australian flavour, about driving across the desolate plains and
the witch in Tabitha by Rowena Cory Daniels is very
frightening.
Expertly selected by Tehani Wessely, individual stories in this
excellent collection would make perfect introductions to
different speculative fiction genres or as an introduction to the short
story. Ghosts and strange creatures abound, making the collection one
that children will really enjoy listening to as well. Audio versions of
some of the stories and teaching ideas can be found at the World next
door website .
Pat Pledger