fcmalby

Flash Fiction – It’s Dorothy

There is something about flash fiction that captures a moment perhaps more sharply than a short story, if that is possible. A snapshot of everyday life, of feelings, thoughts, moment. I enjoy reading and writing flash and have been following Flash Fiction Magazine for a while. There are some great stories. Today they published my second story, It’s Dorothy.

The early morning light pierced through the kitchen window, catching the edge of the table. Dents left from an old mincer had been ingrained along the edges, and there were strokes of felt tip pen in an array of colours left by the grandchildren during a recent visit. Signs of life, she thought. Kitchens are the hub of the home, her mother had said, but life as she knew it had come to an abrupt end last night when she had received the call…. continue reading at Flash Fiction Magazine.

Book Review: The Girl on the Train

I am currently working my way through a few psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. Very much following the theme of amnesia found in Before I Go to Sleep and Elizabeth is Missing, this is the story of Rachel who as an unreliable narrator leaves the reader questioning whether or not to believe her account of events. The chapters cycle through different viewpoints from Rachel, Anna and Megan. The dates go back and forth, eventually colliding at a crescendo point in the narrative. It’s a tense and gripping thriller. Hawkins has clearly had fun with the characters and she ratchets up the tension with each twist in the story. It’s not often that I am blindsided by an ending but i really did not see it coming and was as surprised as most when I discovered the details surrounding the disappearance of Megan, who we initially think is Jess.

There are chilling flashbacks to a girl in a tunnel, blood on Rachel’s head, a red-headed man at the station who she may or may not know. Her memories change, they shift, and sometimes turn out to be complete untruths. The agony of her not quite remembering due to one glass or bottle too many should frustrate the reader, but Hawkins manages to draw you into Rachel’s fear, self-doubt, and you easily pity her, empathise and root for her, despite the fact that she has been stalking complete strangers and her ex-husband, situations that would not usually draw a reader’s sympathy. Cleverly written and well worth reading. I wonder whether the film will stay true to the story. It will be released on 7 October staring Emily Blunt, who I think will do a sterling job as Rachel.

Book Release: Unthology 8

Unthology 8 from Unthank Books is released today. My story, Lines in the Sand appears alongside a great range of stories and the official launch is in Norwich next week. Get in touch with me or @UnthankBooks for details.

There have been some lovely reviews so far:

‘The most addictive Unthology yet!’ Our Book Reviews

‘A memorable and hard-hitting anthology of work.’ Sabotage Reviews

‘A diverse and exciting foray into the collection that’s becoming renowned for representing the best of the short story.’ Cultured Vulture

Synopsis:

Live on a grand scale. Make deathless art. Scream paint. Sculpt ice. Let it melt and become a dynasty. Tarry with prophets and dreamers. Find joy in danger zones. Quit the stage of history. Tread the boards instead. Take a safari. Take a boat ride to the south of France. Work in the music biz, a chicken shack or cliff-top cafe. Fall in love, then out of love. Complete the jigsaw puzzle in a tiny room. Find yourself in a prison cell. Become a machine, loveable and servile. Realise that all the time, wherever you have been, whoever you’ve inhabited, you have been in a relationship with everyone there ever was or is yet to come and you can’t do one damn thing about it. Find fellow travellers here. Make friends with UNTHOLOGY 8. Includes new stories by Victoria Briggs, Kit Caless, Armel Dagorn, Judy Darley, Laura Darling, Sarah Dobbs, Clare Fisher , David Frankel, Rodge Glass, Damon King, Dan Malakin, FC Maltby, Amanda Mason, Martin Monaha,n Andre Van Loon and Lara Williams

Book Release: My Brother Was a Kangaroo and Other Stories

The time has come to release my debut short story collection, My Brother Was a Kangaroo. This has been a few years in the making, with many of the stories having been published in literary journals and magazines. Some have won prizes and three are forthcoming in paperback anthologies with Kingston University Press, Unthank Books and Flash Flood Journal. The collection is available in paperback and as an ebook.

Here is a taster….

‘The stories will resonate with you long after finishing’ Avril Joy, Costa Short Story Award winner

From a boy searching for his parents in a North African souk to the marketplaces of India; from the hospital bed of a writer who has inexplicably lost his memory to a small girl who gives stones to a man on a park bench; and from Freud’s couch in Vienna to the mythical sirens, this collection will stir your senses and take you on a journey around the globe. It explores the intricacies of human nature and the complex ways in which people respond to pressure, change and loss.

‘F.C. Malby is one of those writers who makes you sit up and pay attention. She’s a natural storyteller, a gifted wordsmith, and fearless in taking her imagination to the dark side when the story requires it.’Dan Coxon, fiction editor, Litro Magazine

‘Malby’s writing is restrained, understated and elegant. Her shorter fiction pieces are stunning, creating a sense of beauty and poignancy in just a few hundred words.’Maureen Scott, CEO, Ether Books

‘Deeply moving and attuned to the subtleties of human relationships, F.C. Malby’s stories make us realise we’re only one step away from a completely different world.’ Ashley Stokes, editorial director and short fiction editor, Unthank Books

I hope you enjoy the stories and I look forward to hearing from you. Do share this with friends and fellow short story lovers.

Short Story News

After a break from blogging, I’m back with some short story news. After 8 years in Vienna, Austria, I am now back in the UK and a collection of my short stories is due to be released soon as an anthology. I’m really excited about the collection, which includes many stories published in literary magazines, and several anthologies as stand alone stories.

The other news is that my story, Lines in the Sand, will be published by Unthank Books in Unthology 8 in November. My work will be published alongside some wonderful writers, so I am thrilled to be a part of this publication.

And one of my stories has gone into this wonderful collection, Hearing Voices, which will soon be published by Kingston University Press. It includes work by Pulitzer Prize winner, Anthony Doerr and is an exciting mix of stories from locations as far flung as Ithaca, Nairobi and the surface of the moon!

Thank you for all of your comments and interest in the blog.