A disenchanted wife embarks on a one-night stand…
A wheelchair-bound poet comes home to roost, upsetting the balance of his carer’s life…
A troubled mother finds solace in an unusual place…
A man in an office begins to steal stationery for no apparent reason…
The stories in Shreya Sen-Handley’s Strange are about everyday people whose lives take unforeseen turns. Suddenly, they find themselves drawn inexorably into encounters and situations that weren’t part of their plan, but which result in the shocking revelation of buried parts of their psyches.
Strange is a book that will have you engrossed, as you try to guess what happens at the end of each story; and its characters will haunt you for a long time after you’ve turned the last page.
Praise for the book:
‘The author is adept at evoking an atmosphere of fear in apparently mundane situations. After reading some of these dark tales I found myself looking under my bed. Masterful!’ – Ruskin Bond, award-winning author
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‘A superb collection of profoundly unsettling and unusual stories, “Strange” will surprise, shock and leave a lasting impression.’ – Prajwal Parajuly, New York Times bestselling author
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‘Strange is an exquisite raft of short stories, celebrating and bringing us an original twist to the tradition of bedtime /fireside story telling. The stories leap off the page; creating vivid, colourful encounters. A cluster of genres, a feast of cultural worlds, Shreya Sen-Handley invites us into the delightfully unexpected. After each story we are left strangely affected and more human than before.’ – Juanita MacMahon, award-winning audiobook artiste, actor & director
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‘Every story in ‘Strange’ has melody. The rhythm and flow with which each story moves is remarkable.’ – Jayant Kripalani, actor & author
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‘Strange is bold in the range of often unsettling stories it tells with audacity. Its often very dark characters are treated with subtlety and sensitivity, and in the short span of the telling, takes the reader through many unexpected twists and turns. The deft handling of the narrative which is always taut and told uncompromisingly is admirable, and Shreya Sen Handley’s agility in traversing tortuous psychological terrains held me in suspense till the very end of each tale, some of which continue to haunt me. Hers is certainly a unique voice.’ – Author and artist Jael Silliman
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‘In Shreya Sen-Handley’s twisted-yet-brilliant collection of short stories, prepare to be indulged and unsettled in equal measure. If you thought you have come across a feel-good, easy-breezy, after-hours dalliance; think again..(as this) is more of fodder for nightmares. The narratives do not exceed 10-12 pages and oft depict a whirlwind of events, but you are sucked in by the atmosphere, feel a connection to the characters, and gasp audibly when the ‘twist’ (or two) surprises you — all while your tea’s still warm.’ – The Asian Age
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‘The perfect weekend read’ – The Hindu
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‘This is a wonderful collection of short stories, mysterious, beguiling, heart breaking and realistic. The reader can assume nothing, there is a twist to every tale, several twists in some cases. You really do have to read this collection.’ – University of Leicester Centre for New Writing
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‘The stories are imaginative and unsettling. Every story builds suspense, an ‘uh-oh’ factor, but as uneasy as we might feel, there’s much fun to be had in trying to predict the ending. Shreya Sen-Handley is a versatile writer with a talent to entertain.’ – Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature
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‘What Sen-Handley has perfected is the art of deliberate obfuscation to throw the reader off. She creates an ether-like environment by revealing minimal detail. A most reluctant narrator and an accomplished illusionist, she shows only what she wants you to see. Halfway through the collection, the reader starts fearing what she holds in her other hand, the one she hides behind her back…Her stories begin from a point, in reality, a surrounding that is relatable and then it is her prose that lifts her universe just a few inches above the ground until it floats above our own, shimmering and within it a constant, sinister reflection of our own. In Handley’s worlds, the reader is a sleepwalking tourist completely at her mercy, walking with only a hazy image in front of them…It is a fine balancing act she pulls off ensuring the penultimate twist is devastating enough to appear to be the final one and yet the final twist still builds up. In a short story structure where pacing is key achieving this requires special mention…Each story is so well interlinked so finely constructed that the reader tends to go back and forth to ensure there is no tiny detail that has escaped the first read. If you are into the ‘chills’ this is not to be missed.’ – National Herald
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Available from:
Shreya Sen-Handley 