Claudia decides to get revenge on a girl in her class. But has she gone too far? 1908 There was a sudden sharp kick to the back of her chair, sending her abdomen hard into the desk. There was a familiar, tinny laugh and then another kick, sending the metal legs…

Short twist story — She was beautiful. That’s how most stories begin, and it is indeed how this one will begin. In the low yellow lights of the dressing room and the soft blur of the mirrors, her face gazed back at her in a gaussian shutter of ivory, chalk, shell, and ice. The…

What do you do when someone’s disorder makes them behave in an evil way? — It was a dark, cold late January day when a message flickered up on my screen as I huddled under the covers. A former work colleague, from some years ago, had reached out. I hadn’t spoken to him in maybe a year, maybe more, as he’d been in an intense…

Short science fiction story — 11 January, 2043 You stare up at the ceiling and strum your tongue against your teeth while they do it. There is always something to count, something to watch, something to see in that hot white bloom of the hospital light. Anything to distract you from the proximity of touch…

‘Africans’ aren’t dirty, stupid, and ignorant. Check your language — I could tell you a lot of seriously stupid things Europeans and Americans do in terms of hygiene and health and safety. I’ve seen women change diapers and leave bathrooms without washing their hands. I’ve seen men pick their noses and smear mucus on the seat next to them. I’ve seen waiters cough over food and serve it up. I’ve seen children eat bugs. But we don’t think of ourselves as disgusting or uncivilised, because the narrative is we’re clean. Right?

If you’re not their therapist, you aren’t responsible for their mental health — Have you ever fallen head over heels for someone? Maybe yours was a deep friendship, a passionate love affair, a profound familial bond or a strong workplace relationship. And that person is wonderful. That person is kind, that person is strong, that person is witty, that person is vibrant, that person is your everything. Your life is richer for their existence and their choice to share your universe. And then something happens: they suddenly stop being them.

How you make other people feel is 90% of making friends — I now make a conscious effort not to be unkind, every day. If I’ve lost my temper, I’ll always say sorry straight away. If I’ve been self-absorbed, I always try to make amends. If I’ve said something unpleasant, I’ll try to rectify the situation. I’m not a naturally good person…

28 children disappear. But nothing is as it seems — If you go north of Viljandi where the great lake swallows the skies and sinks the forests in the spring floods, you’ll come to the Beria Valley. Well, that’s what they want you to call it. The guards with their tobacco brown spit and their hard cold gloves demanded you…