Cassandra Khaw 's dynamic and vibrant debut collection, Breakable Things , explores the fragile and nebulous bonds that weave love and grief into our existence. This exquisite and cutting collection of stories showcases a bloody fusion of horrors from cosmic to psychological to body traumas. “Khaw ( Nothing but Blackened Teeth ) packs a gruesome punch with the 23 bite-size horror stories ... the distinctive authorial voice and uncanny atmospherics will surely find some fans.”
Publishers Weekly
“A delicious bowl of razor blades. With coiled prose and whetted instinct, Khaw’s stories put a finger on the dark pulse of being human.”
Rich Larson , author of Ymir and Tomorrow Factory
“A remarkable collection of tales from one of the most versatile and vital voices of their generation. Cassandra Khaw’s stories are deftly wrought and sharp enough to draw blood, building entire worlds in a scant few pages. Horrifying and beautiful!”
Christopher Golden , New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones , and Ararat
“Khaw takes the familiar and gives it a vicious cutting edge. Breakable Things is haunting, and in the best way, sneaky. It gets inside you, and when you least expect it, it strikes, leaving you bloodied on the floor unsure if you're laughing or crying.”
Nghi Vo , author of The Chosen and the Beautiful
“Some writers are simply indispensable if you want to understand your cultural moment. Cassandra Khaw is three of them. For reasons, take your pick: a (1) master storyteller who (2) finds multiple angles into the deepest recesses of your psyche to (3) leave you not just stricken, but strangely relieved, strangely edified. Breakable Things is a match-strike in the darkness that makes you understand the value of darkness. Enjoyed best under the covers!”
Carlos Hernandez , Award-winning author of the Sal and Gabi series
Review
WINNER OF THE BRAM STOKER AWARD - Superior Achievement in a Collection.
"Khaw ( Nothing but Blackened Teeth ) packs a gruesome punch with the 23 bite-size horror stories ... the distinctive authorial voice and uncanny atmospherics will surely find some fans."
- Publishers Weekly
"...a terrifying joy to read ... lyrical, brutal, and intensely unsettling..."
-Library Journal, Starred Review
"...superbly strange and beautiful ... deliciously warped... Twenty-three stories: all worth reading."
Locus "A delicious bowl of razor blades. With coiled prose and whetted instinct, Khaw's stories put a finger on the dark pulse of being human."- Rich Larson , author of Ymir and Tomorrow Factory "A remarkable collection of tales from one of the most versatile and vital voices of their generation. Cassandra Khaw's stories are deftly wrought and sharp enough to draw blood, building entire worlds in a scant few pages. Horrifying and beautiful!"- Christopher Golden , New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones , and Ararat "Khaw takes the familiar and gives it a vicious cutting edge. Breakable Things is haunting, and in the best way, sneaky. It gets inside you, and when you least expect it, it strikes, leaving you bloodied on the floor unsure if you're laughing or crying."- Nghi Vo , author of The Chosen and the Beautiful "Some writers are simply indispensable if you want to understand your cultural moment. Cassandra Khaw is three of them. For reasons, take your pick: a (1) master storyteller who (2) finds multiple angles into the deepest recesses of your psyche to (3) leave you not just stricken, but strangely relieved, strangely edified. Breakable Things is a match-strike in the darkness that makes you understand the value of darkness. Enjoyed best under the covers!"- Carlos Hernandez , Award-winning author of the Sal and Gabi series
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw's books include, "Hammers on Bone," a British Fantasy Award and Locus Award finalist; "The All-Consuming World," one of the Washington Post's best science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2021; and their most recent novella, "Nothing But Blackened Teeth," a Japanese haunted house story described as "sharp, playful, and nasty as hell," which was published by Tor Nightfire in late 2021.Their short fiction can be found in a myriad of places, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, Tor.com, Nature, The Dark, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Khaw is also an award-winning game writer who has worked on games such as She Remembered Caterpillars (German Game Awards Best Children's Game 2017), Wasteland 3, and Rainbow Six: Siege. They currently reside in Montreal with two gigantic cats, and can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @casskhaw.
Description:
Cassandra Khaw 's dynamic and vibrant debut collection, Breakable Things , explores the fragile and nebulous bonds that weave love and grief into our existence. This exquisite and cutting collection of stories showcases a bloody fusion of horrors from cosmic to psychological to body traumas.
“Khaw ( Nothing but Blackened Teeth ) packs a gruesome punch with the 23 bite-size horror stories ... the distinctive authorial voice and uncanny atmospherics will surely find some fans.”
“A delicious bowl of razor blades. With coiled prose and whetted instinct, Khaw’s stories put a finger on the dark pulse of being human.”
“A remarkable collection of tales from one of the most versatile and vital voices of their generation. Cassandra Khaw’s stories are deftly wrought and sharp enough to draw blood, building entire worlds in a scant few pages. Horrifying and beautiful!”
“Khaw takes the familiar and gives it a vicious cutting edge. Breakable Things is haunting, and in the best way, sneaky. It gets inside you, and when you least expect it, it strikes, leaving you bloodied on the floor unsure if you're laughing or crying.”
“Some writers are simply indispensable if you want to understand your cultural moment. Cassandra Khaw is three of them. For reasons, take your pick: a (1) master storyteller who (2) finds multiple angles into the deepest recesses of your psyche to (3) leave you not just stricken, but strangely relieved, strangely edified. Breakable Things is a match-strike in the darkness that makes you understand the value of darkness. Enjoyed best under the covers!”
Review
WINNER OF THE BRAM STOKER AWARD - Superior Achievement in a Collection.
"Khaw ( Nothing but Blackened Teeth ) packs a gruesome punch with the 23 bite-size horror stories ... the distinctive authorial voice and uncanny atmospherics will surely find some fans."
- Publishers Weekly
"...a terrifying joy to read ... lyrical, brutal, and intensely unsettling..."
-Library Journal, Starred Review
"...superbly strange and beautiful ... deliciously warped... Twenty-three stories: all worth reading."
"A delicious bowl of razor blades. With coiled prose and whetted instinct, Khaw's stories put a finger on the dark pulse of being human."- Rich Larson , author of Ymir and Tomorrow Factory
"A remarkable collection of tales from one of the most versatile and vital voices of their generation. Cassandra Khaw's stories are deftly wrought and sharp enough to draw blood, building entire worlds in a scant few pages. Horrifying and beautiful!"- Christopher Golden , New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones , and Ararat
"Khaw takes the familiar and gives it a vicious cutting edge. Breakable Things is haunting, and in the best way, sneaky. It gets inside you, and when you least expect it, it strikes, leaving you bloodied on the floor unsure if you're laughing or crying."- Nghi Vo , author of The Chosen and the Beautiful
"Some writers are simply indispensable if you want to understand your cultural moment. Cassandra Khaw is three of them. For reasons, take your pick: a (1) master storyteller who (2) finds multiple angles into the deepest recesses of your psyche to (3) leave you not just stricken, but strangely relieved, strangely edified. Breakable Things is a match-strike in the darkness that makes you understand the value of darkness. Enjoyed best under the covers!"- Carlos Hernandez , Award-winning author of the Sal and Gabi series
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw's books include, "Hammers on Bone," a British Fantasy Award and Locus Award finalist; "The All-Consuming World," one of the Washington Post's best science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2021; and their most recent novella, "Nothing But Blackened Teeth," a Japanese haunted house story described as "sharp, playful, and nasty as hell," which was published by Tor Nightfire in late 2021.Their short fiction can be found in a myriad of places, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, Tor.com, Nature, The Dark, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Khaw is also an award-winning game writer who has worked on games such as She Remembered Caterpillars (German Game Awards Best Children's Game 2017), Wasteland 3, and Rainbow Six: Siege. They currently reside in Montreal with two gigantic cats, and can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @casskhaw.