by Kelley Eskridge

Dangerous Space showcases a collection of seven seductive stories by Kelley Eskridge, whose novel Solitaire was a New York Times Notable Book, with an introduction by Geoff Ryman (author of Was and Air). The opening story, 'Strings,' takes us to a world that tightly controls musical expression and values faithfulness to the canon above all else. By contrast, in the title novella, 'Dangerous Space,' we see the full power of music unleashed to sexually enthralling as well as risky effect; original to the volume, this tale features Mars, the intriguing narrator of 'And Salome Danced' (short-listed for the Tiptree Award), on tour with an indie rock band on the verge of breaking out. Closing the volume, the moving, edgy 'Alien Jane' (a finalist for the Nebula Award and adapted for the SciFi Channel's Welcome to Paradox series) delves into the importance of pain for the human organism and finds hope in the most unlikely of places.

Jeff VanderMeer writes on Amazon's blog: 'As short story collections go, this is one of the best of the year, with incisive, often subtle character studies combined with down-to-earth contemporary fantasy elements. The great writing here is at the service of fascinating people and unusual situations.' And Julie Phllips, author of James Tiptree, Jr.:The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, writes: 'Richly imagined, moving, and very sexy, these stories about music, art, sex, and identity will make you rethink all the categories you thought you knew.'

Gwyneth Jones, author of White Queen and Life, writes: 'Characters slip from story to story, role to role, delineating a fascination with the ruthless hunger for sensation that possesses all great artists; and the complicity of those who love them. Kelley Eskridge's collection is a treat: unassuming, deceptively gentle, packing a subtle punch.