Ian Whates [ed] - La Femme

[dem bones]

Ian Whates [ed] - La Femme (NewCon Press, 2014)

Photo: Back: Shaun Hodge Front: Pam Martin. Model: Adele Kirby

Ian Whates - Introduction

Stephen Palmer - Palestinian Sweets
Frances Hardinge - Slink-Thinking
Storm Constantine - A Winter Bewitchment
Andrew Hook - Softwood
Adele Kirby - Soleil
Stewart Hotston - Haecceity
John Llewellyn Probert - The Girl with No Face
Jonathan Oliver - High Church
Maura McHugh - Valerie
Holly Ice - Trysting Antlers
Ruth E. Booth - The Honey Trap
Benjanun Sriduangkaew - Elison

About the Authors

Blurb:
For anyone who still considers women to be the weaker sex, think again ....

Tales of Dark SF, Fantasy and Horror

Was a little daunted at prospect of attempting this one, and sure enough, I couldn't make any sense of the first story I tried. Happily, far more luck with this cheery trio. Demonic possession, a beast in the cellar, thrill of frills. More like this, and we'll get on famously.

Maura McHugh - Valerie: Carnivdoll, a rubber fetishist convention at The Aldridge Arms attracts a visitor for afar. Over a few short hours, Valerie humiliates a bullying hypocrite and inspires a furtive cross dresser to embrace his passion.

Jonathan Oliver - High Church: "The priesthood is no place for a woman ... What I want is my church back. What I want is to return my flock to the true path." Madeleine Drew, the new vicar of St. Marks, tends her predecessor, Graham Stains, on his deathbed as a personal favour to a devious colleague. Stains is strictly old guard — xenophobic, down on single mums and 'scroungers,' hates all women bar the sainted Thatcher, brought own pen to polling booth during Br*x*t referendum, etc. As Madeleine soon realises, Stains will not willingly relinquish his death grip on the parish.

John Llewellyn Probert - The Girl with No Face: Possibly our Right Hon. friend's most Not At Night/ Flavia Richardson story thus far. Angela, armed robber on the run, breaks in at the secluded mansion of widower Dr. Justin Kelland, plastic surgeon of renown, demanding a new face. Ever the gentleman — well, perhaps not so much on certain occasions — Kelland obliges, albeit for his own ends rather than those of the patient.