A unique collection which includes 8 stories about the dark side of adolescence. They beautifully illustrated by Quentin Blake. The local landowner Van Cheele experiences an unnerving encounter with a youth sunning himself near a pond, and starts to wonder if there is any connection between this wild-looking boy and the recent disappearances of poultry, hares, lambs and, more alarmingly, an infant child in the area. To his astonishment, he discovers the next day that his aunt has decided to take the boy in, buying him a suit of clothes and naming him Gabriel-Ernest. Van Cheele remains suspicious, especially when it is revealed that there is something supernatural about their new ward... An eerie and disquieting tale about the dark side of adolescence, 'Gabriel-Ernest', written with Saki's trademark wit and mischievousness, is here presented with seven other uncanny and macabre tales, featuring Quentin Blake's inimitable illustrations.

This early work by H. H. Munro was originally published in 1910 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Gabriel-Ernest' is a short story about a were-wolf named Gabriel and his terrible deed. Hector Hugh Munro was born in Akyab, Burma in 1870. He was raised by aunts in North Devon, England, before returning to Burma in his early twenties to join the Colonial Burmese Military Police. Later, Munro returned once more to England, where he embarked on his career as a journalist, becoming well-known for his satirical ‘Alice in Westminster’ political sketches, which appeared in the Westminster Gazette. Arguably better-remembered by his pen name, ‘Saki’, Munro is now considered a master of the short story, with tales such as ‘The Open Window’ regarded as examples of the form at its finest.

Nineteen brilliant stories from the satirical master about talking cats, fearsome ferrets, and absurd humans . . . At a country house party, Cornelius Appin announces that he has discovered a method by which animals can be taught to speak. His latest pupil is none other than Tobermory, the ginger cat belonging to his hosts, Sir Wilfred and Lady Blemley. As the guests express astonishment and incredulity, Sir Wilfred goes off to find Tobermory, who is lounging in the smoking room waiting for his tea. What Appin claims is true, and Tobermory demonstrates his remarkable talents—with unanticipated results. With this and other witty, imaginative, and insightful stories, this collection is a delight that captures the foibles of society in Edwardian England, yet remains entertainingly timeless in its portraits of human (and animal) nature.

Ernest loves Celestine like a daughter, so when she loses her beloved toy penguin, Simeon, Ernest does everything he can to cheer her up. But buying her all the toys in the town can't replace Simeon, so Ernest sets to work on a new plan.

The griffin, the sunbird, manticores, unicorns – all manner of glorious creatures never captured in zoos, museums or photographs are packed vividly into this collection of stories. Neil Gaiman has included some of his own childhood favourites alongside stories classic and modern to spark the imagination of readers young and old. All contributors have given their work free to benefit Dave Eggers' literacy charity, 826DC. Also includes a new Neil Gaiman Story.

From Lovecraft to Borges to Gaiman, a century of intrepid literary experimentation has created a corpus of dark and strange stories that transcend all known genre boundaries. Together these stories form The Weird, and its practitioners include some of the greatest names in twentieth and twenty-first century literature. Exotic and esoteric, The Weird plunges you into dark domains and brings you face to face with surreal monstrosities. You won't find any elves or wizards here...but you will find the biggest, boldest, and downright most peculiar stories from the last hundred years bound together in the biggest Weird collection ever assembled. The Weird features 110 stories by an all-star cast, from literary legends to international bestsellers to Booker Prize winners: including William Gibson, George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, Angela Carter, Kelly Link, Franz Kafka, China Miéville, Clive Barker, Haruki Murakami, M. R. James, Neil Gaiman, Mervyn Peake, and Michael Chabon. The Weird is the winner of the 2012 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.