In the far future on the outer reaches of the great space diaspora Hannali toils daily under alien skies on their farm. On a break into town she spots Summer, a childhood friend, on a scaffold waiting to be hanged... What ensues is a touching tale of choices made, different paths taken, bonds formed and broken, what makes us who we are, and how we travel through life. "Nerine Dorman delivers a swift, scathing commentary on the restrictions of societal expectation, the allure of stepping away from it, and the inexorable consequences of doing so. The world is rich; it feels layered and well-conceptualised - a tough job for a short story. This passage in particular moved me: "Whose dreams are ensconced within the earthen walls of our farmhouse - the same house where Mika's parents cradled him in their arms, and their parents before them... A long, unbroken line of tradition clinging to mirage." — Marius Du Plessis. Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy currently living in Cape Town, with short fiction published in numerous anthologies. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella Dragon Forged was a finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017. Her short story ‘On the Other Side of the Sea’ (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion, and the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition. The ZamaShort imprint series is solely focused on the amazing powerhouse that is the short story. We give each short story its own publication so that it may be read and enjoyed fully as a stand-alone publication. As per the StoryTime Publishing mandate initialised in 2007, ZamaShort continues to champion and add to the ever-growing canon of African literature excellence and diversity.

DUSK DEFENDS THE LIGHT FROM THE DARK. SOMETIMES… Life is nothing if not constant change. And these changes force us to make terrifying choices that will lead us into either the light or the dark. Dusk is this tipping point, where things go well, or where they go very, very bad. Suspended in Dusk II continues the legacy of editor Simon Dewar's anthology series. Volume II includes the disturbing work of seventeen extremely diverse voices from the horror and speculative fiction genres. -- Teenage boys navigate the Dark Web where diabolical games of life and death await… -- A woman stalked by shadows gets answers she doesn't want to hear… -- Ghost hunters commune with malevolent spirits seeking vengeance on the living... -- A family confronts a Maori legend that's less myth and far more terrifying truth… -- A young man explores a love that continues to gnaw long after it's gone… -- A group of adults encounter childhood fears that will not die… -- And so much more. Suspended in Dusk II is introduced by Angela Slatter and includes fiction from Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Graham Jones, Bracken MacLeod, Damien Angelica Walters, Alan Baxter, Paul Tremblay, Sarah Read, Christopher Golden, Nerine Dorman, Dan Rabarts, Gwendolyn Kiste, Benjamin Knox, Annie Neugebauer, J.C. Michael, Letitia Trent, Paul Michael Anderson and Karen Runge. Confront your change. But you must first survive dusk. Praise for Suspended in Dusk II: "Simon Dewar's second installment of the series really delivers. This collection has thrown together a multitude of quality writing that begs to be read. There is darkness in the margins of each page, smudges of black ink threatening to swallow the reader when they aren't expecting," – Brian Bogart, Kendall Reviews "Suspended in Dusk II grabs you by the throat from the very first story and does not let go. I honestly can't overstate how good this anthology was. There are some very heavy topics in the stories but…not a single one is played merely for shock value or cheap emotion." – Gracie Kat, Sci-Fi & Scary "I appreciated the large amount of diversity in this book; from the foreword it became clear that individuals of all shapes of life were given the chance to contribute, and I feel that's largely absent in anthologies these days." – Red Lace Reviews Proudly presented by Grey Matter Press, the home of multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated volumes of horror. Grey Matter Press: Where Dark Thoughts Thrive

Available for a limited time — four complete works by Nerine Dorman. RAVEN KIN Silas is the last of a rare species of alchemical creature, and he’s quite content in his role as his mistress’s favoured companion. Anwyn is kind, and in his eyes a goddess. What more could a griffin ask for? Only all is not perfect in the city of Anfi, where unfortunates are considered chattel, and the shift from noble to slave can happen overnight. Mistresses, however kind, do not possess divine powers. And fate has other plans for Anwyn. Silas must learn all that there is about what it means to be raven kin. Pampered pets don’t live long when they’re left out in the cold. The might of the Janian Empire is great, yet when Silas finds himself embarking on a desperate mission, he discovers that there are things greater even than an empire. And empires crumble. ***** IN SOUTHERN DARKNESS A young woman will go to great lengths to discover the truth behind her ex-boyfriend’s supposed death, even if it means travelling into the unknown, with little or no resources. A vampire and a mortal share a passion for music, and a forbidden mutual fascination at the mercy of greater powers. These two novellas by Nerine Dorman have now been revised and re-released, this time as the In Southern Darkness duology, and reflect a dark vision for lovers of South African speculative fiction. ***** THE GUARDIAN'S WYRD Sometimes having a fairytale prince as a best friend can be a real pain. Jay didn't realise that sticking up for Rowan, the gangly new kid at school, would plunge him into the dangers and politics of the magical realm of Sunthyst. But if anyone is up for the challenge it's Jay September. With his trusty dog, Shadow, at his side, he braves the Watcher in the dark that guards the tunnels between the worlds, and undertakes a dangerous quest to rescue the prince. It's a race against time – can he sneak Prince Rowan away from under King Lessian's nose and bring him safely back home – all before the prince's sixteenth birthday? Or is Rowan's mother, the exiled Queen Persia, secretly trying to hold onto her power by denying her son his birthright? Jay is ready for anything, except, perhaps, the suffocating darkness of the tunnels. And that howling … ***** DAWN'S BRIGHT TALONS They are as night to day–but blood will tell when facing a common enemy. A sought-after dancer in the upmarket Moonlit Garden, Isabeau Letier, has not given her future much thought. All that matters is the art of dance, and charming wealthy patrons into parting with a few extra coins. She has her exotic good looks and her youth. What could possibly go wrong? When a mysterious nobleman pays her undue attention, Isabeau’s darker, bloodthirsty nature awakens and she kills him with her bare hands after he follows her home. Even worse, she drinks and enjoys his blood. Her brother, Eric, returns home to this disturbing tableau yet remains calm even as the corpse sifts to ash in the morning sun. Isabeau has no choice but to follow her sibling’s lead. Not many people know that Michel Roux, owner of a slightly down-at-heel theatre in the District of Paper Lanterns, is a vampire. He prefers to keep things that way and steer clear of the petty politicking of the city's vampiric subculture. When his estranged sire, Tomas, goes missing, and his grandsire sets him the task of solving the mystery, Michel is unwillingly dragged into all of the very dangerous games he thought he’d left behind him. Isabeau and Michel become unlikely allies as they try to wriggle their way out of being the pawns in a game where they don’t know the rules. Isabeau’s ancient heritage is a danger, not only to herself, but to the established hierarchies at odds with one another in the city of Ysul, and the elders are desperate to either control her — or kill her. As events unwind, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate friend from foe, and as the two flee for their lives they must also explore the true nature of the bond that they've forged and uncover the ages-old secrets that have pushed them onto this path. Warring factions are about to overturn centuries of custom, and two young people are marked to pay the price — in blood.

Silas is the last of a rare species of alchemical creature, and he’s quite content in his role as his mistress’s favoured companion. Anwyn is kind, and in his eyes a goddess. What more could a griffin ask for? Only all is not perfect in the city of Anfi, where unfortunates are considered chattel, and the shift from noble to slave can happen overnight. Mistresses, however kind, do not possess divine powers. And fate has other plans for Anwyn. Silas must learn all that there is about what it means to be raven kin. Pampered pets don’t live long when they’re left out in the cold. The might of the Janian Empire is great, yet when Silas finds himself embarking on a desperate mission, he discovers that there are things greater even than an empire. And empires crumble.

A mercenary discovers ancient horrors made flesh beneath the surface of a long-gone antediluvian ocean; an all-female submariner crew on a water world fall prey to sirens that sing of their deepest desires; and a selkie, held against her will in marriage, seeks to be reunited with her people. These are but a few of the stories featured in The Sea, offered up by Alex Hughes, Amy Lee Burgess, Andrea Jones, Anna Reith, Barry King, Benjamin Knox, Camille Griep, Diane Awerbuck, Don Webb, J.C. Piech, Rob Porteous, Simon Dewar, Steve Jones, Toby Bennett, and Wayne Goodchild. Plunge into watery worlds where mystery, horror or wonder await.

Helen Ashfield's world is about to be turned upside down. Is she ready? Helen Ashfiel's life is complicated. Not only must she adjust to her parents' divorce, but she has to come to grips with her new school in the small South African Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet. She's sorely mistaken if she thinks she's going to slot seelessly into her new life. Her growing magical powers have attracted the unwanted attention of Trystan, a vampire, who may not have her best interests at heart. Outcast from his kind for drinking another vampire's blood, Trystan has been on the run for almost a hundred years from Mantis--the closest thing their kind has to an enforcer. All Trystan wants is an existence of quiet anonymity, but Helen turns his world upside-down. Helen's powers also mark her as one of Mantis' targets. If Mantis gets control of Helen, she'll change the course of history. . .for the worse. CONTENT WARNING: Violence, language. 79,835 Words

Ashton Kennedy wasn't a nice guy. He cheated on his girlfriend, knocked up a powerful drug lord's sister, and abused vast quantities of illegal narcotic substances. Whoever ran him over with a big shiny SUV was doing the world a favour. His very male, tattooed body is the last place Elizabeth Rae Perry--a member of an ancient Egyptian cult--expected to reincarnate in, instead of the three-year-old girl she'd been promised. Not only must she now come to terms with her new existence in the body of a disagreeable man, and clean up the mess he made of his life, she also has to unravel the mystery of why House Adamastor's chapter house is standing empty and find a way to protect a dangerous secret she had no idea she was supposed to keep. As if fate couldn't deal her another blow, she has also attracted the attention of a malicious and potentially dangerous ghost. And to top it all off, she must deal with the consequences of finding love in a most unexpected place.

Jay didn't realise that sticking up for Rowan, the gangly new kid at school, would plunge him into the dangers and politics of the magical realm of Sunthyst. But if anyone is up for the challenge it's Jay September. With his trusty dog, Shadow, at his side, he braves the Watcher in the dark that guards the tunnels between the worlds, and undertakes a dangerous quest to rescue the prince. It's a race against time - can he sneak Prince Rowan away from under King Lessian's nose and bring him safely back home - all before the prince's sixteenth birthday? Or is Rowan's mother, the exiled Queen Persia, secretly trying to hold onto her power by denying her son his birthright? Jay is ready for anything, except, perhaps, the suffocating darkness of the tunnels. And that howling ...

What is true evil? How do you fight it? Since she was little, Lada wanted to be part of the Order of Fennarin, one of the warrior-monks who are the last bastion in a war against the demons and insurgents that threaten her island home. Yet to achieve her dream, Lada turned blood traitor, her decision leading to the death and exile of her family. Her betrayal comes to haunt her now, ten years later, when her elders demand that she oversees her brother Ailas's trial. Lada feared him lost forever, thanks to his covenant with demons, which makes him anathema to her and her order. Will she deny her blood and uphold the order that's become her family? Or will she listen to the whispers of the demons? After all, they might just be telling the truth - though a truth that may make her question everything, even the organisation to which she's entrusted her very soul.

A class outing to a botanical garden goes horribly wrong; a vampire survives the zombiepocalypse in the Mother City; a woman confronts a child's ghost in an empty house-these are but a few of Nerine Dorman's stories that have drifted between the cracks and lodged themselves in dusty corners. Step closer and take a seat. There's a warm fire, and the wind is rattling the windowpanes. Stay a while; let me whisper in your ear. Dream.