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Perfect Little Stitches: and Other Stories
A collection of twenty-one dark fantasy and horror stories by Deborah Sheldon.
Mysterious. Creepy. Disturbing.
- A funeral director, who steals body parts for cash, takes delivery of an unusual corpse.
- The crew of a nineteenth-century fishing boat encounters an unknown but irresistible danger.
- A dog-sledder on a secret mission in Antarctica fights for his life against the monsters that have fuelled his every nightmare since the Vietnam war.
Mysterious. Creepy. Disturbing.
- A funeral director, who steals body parts for cash, takes delivery of an unusual corpse.
- The crew of a nineteenth-century fishing boat encounters an unknown but irresistible danger.
- A dog-sledder on a secret mission in Antarctica fights for his life against the monsters that have fuelled his every nightmare since the Vietnam war.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
1 person is currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Sheldon
80 books281 followersI'm a multi-award-winning author and anthology editor from Melbourne, Australia. I write poetry, short stories, novelettes, novellas and novels across the darker spectrum of horror, crime and noir. My latest titles are the novel Nightmare Reef and the poetry collection The Broonie and Other Dark Poems.
My award-winning titles include the novella Redhead Town and the collection Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories. My award-nominated titles include the novels Nightmare Reef, Bodily Harm, Cretaceous Canyon, Body Farm Z, Contrition and Devil Dragon; the novella Thylacines; and the collections Figments and Fragments: Dark Stories and Liminal Spaces: Horror Stories.
My short fiction has appeared in many well-respected magazines, been shortlisted for numerous awards, translated, and included in various 'best of' anthologies.
I've won the Australasian Shadows 'Best Edited Work' Award three times: for Midnight Echo 14, and for the anthologies I conceived and edited, Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies, and Killer Creatures Down Under: Horror Stories with Bite.
Other credits include TV scripts such as NEIGHBOURS, feature articles, non-fiction books published by Reed Books and Random House, stage plays, award-nominated poetry, and award-winning medical writing including Better Health Channel.
My award-winning titles include the novella Redhead Town and the collection Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories. My award-nominated titles include the novels Nightmare Reef, Bodily Harm, Cretaceous Canyon, Body Farm Z, Contrition and Devil Dragon; the novella Thylacines; and the collections Figments and Fragments: Dark Stories and Liminal Spaces: Horror Stories.
My short fiction has appeared in many well-respected magazines, been shortlisted for numerous awards, translated, and included in various 'best of' anthologies.
I've won the Australasian Shadows 'Best Edited Work' Award three times: for Midnight Echo 14, and for the anthologies I conceived and edited, Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies, and Killer Creatures Down Under: Horror Stories with Bite.
Other credits include TV scripts such as NEIGHBOURS, feature articles, non-fiction books published by Reed Books and Random House, stage plays, award-nominated poetry, and award-winning medical writing including Better Health Channel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 14, 2018
This collection of bite sized horrors has bite!
Each story is very different and very frightening. I can honestly say that there was not one that I disliked. I don't have a favourite but I genuinely enjoyed (felt creeped out) by every one of them. From space to sea, complete fantasy, to tales with their roots based in myth and legend each story is completely unique and really cleverly written.
Like all the talented horror authors Deborah Sheldon knows to leave us with the fear of the unknown. Cleverly crafted and well researched, the stories have a sense of possibility at times.
This is a book that should not be passed by any lover of the horror genre.
Each story is very different and very frightening. I can honestly say that there was not one that I disliked. I don't have a favourite but I genuinely enjoyed (felt creeped out) by every one of them. From space to sea, complete fantasy, to tales with their roots based in myth and legend each story is completely unique and really cleverly written.
Like all the talented horror authors Deborah Sheldon knows to leave us with the fear of the unknown. Cleverly crafted and well researched, the stories have a sense of possibility at times.
This is a book that should not be passed by any lover of the horror genre.
Read
June 17, 2018"Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories" wins the Australian Shadows Award for Best Collected Work 2017. View the full list of winners and nominees here: https://australasianhorror.wordpress....
My horror collection, "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories", is shortlisted for the Aurealis Award "Best Collection" of 2017. View the full list of nominations here: https://aurealisawards.org/2018/02/15...
(My short story, "Angel Hair", is also shortlisted for "Best Horror Short Story" of 2017, and is included in "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories".)
"Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories" made it into the preliminary "Bram Stoker Award" 2017 ballot for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection. While it didn't make the shortlist, just to be mentioned on the same page as industry heavyweights such as Joe Hill is a tremendous honour. And a very hearty congratulations to Aussie and Kiwi authors Alan Baxter, Lee Murray and Dan Rabarts who also made the preliminary list in their categories.
Aurealis Magazine #106 included a glowing review of "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories": https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Aurealis includes my collection in their Reviewer’s Picks of 2017: "This may be one of my most, and least, favourite collections. Short gothic horror stories filled with monsters, old and new, that leave you perpetually unnerved. It’s not a collection to be read in one sitting, but, like cockroach things from outer space, you can’t help but devour it." – Aimee Lindorff.
My horror collection, "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories", is shortlisted for the Aurealis Award "Best Collection" of 2017. View the full list of nominations here: https://aurealisawards.org/2018/02/15...
(My short story, "Angel Hair", is also shortlisted for "Best Horror Short Story" of 2017, and is included in "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories".)
"Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories" made it into the preliminary "Bram Stoker Award" 2017 ballot for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection. While it didn't make the shortlist, just to be mentioned on the same page as industry heavyweights such as Joe Hill is a tremendous honour. And a very hearty congratulations to Aussie and Kiwi authors Alan Baxter, Lee Murray and Dan Rabarts who also made the preliminary list in their categories.
Aurealis Magazine #106 included a glowing review of "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories": https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Aurealis includes my collection in their Reviewer’s Picks of 2017: "This may be one of my most, and least, favourite collections. Short gothic horror stories filled with monsters, old and new, that leave you perpetually unnerved. It’s not a collection to be read in one sitting, but, like cockroach things from outer space, you can’t help but devour it." – Aimee Lindorff.
September 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. The stories were all different and the collection was put together well. As I was coming the the end, expecting to finish quietly with a few more horrific reads, the last few stories upped the pace rather than tapered it down. They left me wondering about the characters, filled will 'eww's and 'I wonder' s and left me hungry for more.
February 28, 2018
This collection of dark fantasy and horror stories, 21 in all, is from the imagination of Australian writer Deborah Sheldon. The book comes with an impressive pedigree -Long-listed for the 2017 Bram Stoker Award- “Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection”. One of Aurealis Magazine’s Top Picks of 2017. Nominated for the Aurealis Award “Best Collection 2017”.
It lives up to all this promise and delivers with a kick. The collection is peopled with the weird, macabre, ghostly and the alien. The titles of each short story are brilliant and clever. A shout out too for the cleverly designed cover art.
Each story creates a micro world of strangeness filled with strongly written characters and relentless tension; there are no weak links in this collection.
We meet harpies/mermaids (not the pretty cute sort)/ aliens in the attic/ the undead/a were cow masquerading as a sundowner/a killer prehistoric bird and grave robbers. Just your usual Friday night crowd down the pub. Yes if you drink in Hell’s Grave.
In the opening story which provides the title for the collection, a funeral director who has a financially lucrative but unethical sideline, gets his comeuppance in a horrifying fashion.
In one of my personal favourites, written in a visual almost filmic fashion, ‘Species Endangered’, a day at the beach for a couple becomes a fight to survive when they’re attacked by a blast from the prehistoric past.
‘Nocturnal Fury’ evokes the legend of the Old Hag who visits at night to feed on your life force, but she’s imaginary isn’t she? The doctor is on the case so all will be fine.
Sheldon plays with our expectations, keeps us off kilter, making the normal situations of every day life, topple into the bizarre and dangerous. We are watching through distorted mirrors and playing with shadows. Sheldon is very good at packing in a great deal of detail and terror into a few pages never outstaying her welcome.
This collection should be on every horror reader’s list for 2018.
It lives up to all this promise and delivers with a kick. The collection is peopled with the weird, macabre, ghostly and the alien. The titles of each short story are brilliant and clever. A shout out too for the cleverly designed cover art.
Each story creates a micro world of strangeness filled with strongly written characters and relentless tension; there are no weak links in this collection.
We meet harpies/mermaids (not the pretty cute sort)/ aliens in the attic/ the undead/a were cow masquerading as a sundowner/a killer prehistoric bird and grave robbers. Just your usual Friday night crowd down the pub. Yes if you drink in Hell’s Grave.
In the opening story which provides the title for the collection, a funeral director who has a financially lucrative but unethical sideline, gets his comeuppance in a horrifying fashion.
In one of my personal favourites, written in a visual almost filmic fashion, ‘Species Endangered’, a day at the beach for a couple becomes a fight to survive when they’re attacked by a blast from the prehistoric past.
‘Nocturnal Fury’ evokes the legend of the Old Hag who visits at night to feed on your life force, but she’s imaginary isn’t she? The doctor is on the case so all will be fine.
Sheldon plays with our expectations, keeps us off kilter, making the normal situations of every day life, topple into the bizarre and dangerous. We are watching through distorted mirrors and playing with shadows. Sheldon is very good at packing in a great deal of detail and terror into a few pages never outstaying her welcome.
This collection should be on every horror reader’s list for 2018.
June 2, 2020
An entertaining anthology from Deborah Sheldon. These are mostly tales of supernatural horror, with a couple of sci-fi, thrillers, and adventure stories in the mix. Roughly half of the stories in this collection really hit the mark, while the others were enjoyable reads but lacked that extra kick. My favourites were the title story, Perfect Little Stitches, Flight Path, Will o' the Wisp, The Brightest Place, Angel Hair, and The Again-Walkers.
Perfect Little Stitches (4 stars) is a creepy tale about morticians and a peculiar corpse that comes their way.
Flight Path (5 stars) is a surreal exploration of the aftermath of an air crash, or is it?
Will o' the Wisp (4.5 stars) is retelling of the fairy tale, of course, and is both touching and scary.
The Brightest Place (5 stars) is a story that keeps you wondering what is real or unreal all the way to the end. Beautifully written and evocative.
Angel Hair (4 stars) is a tale of creepy-crawlies. Although more of a supernatural tale compared to Species Endangered (featuring the cassowary), I found this one strangely more believable. The buildup was spot on. Reminiscent of the film, Arachnophobia, for those of you old enough to remember.
The Again-Walkers (5 stars) is a riveting Viking drama about love, duty, and possession, and probably the pick of the collection. You feel for the main characters and they really drive the plot.
Perfect Little Stitches (4 stars) is a creepy tale about morticians and a peculiar corpse that comes their way.
Flight Path (5 stars) is a surreal exploration of the aftermath of an air crash, or is it?
Will o' the Wisp (4.5 stars) is retelling of the fairy tale, of course, and is both touching and scary.
The Brightest Place (5 stars) is a story that keeps you wondering what is real or unreal all the way to the end. Beautifully written and evocative.
Angel Hair (4 stars) is a tale of creepy-crawlies. Although more of a supernatural tale compared to Species Endangered (featuring the cassowary), I found this one strangely more believable. The buildup was spot on. Reminiscent of the film, Arachnophobia, for those of you old enough to remember.
The Again-Walkers (5 stars) is a riveting Viking drama about love, duty, and possession, and probably the pick of the collection. You feel for the main characters and they really drive the plot.
February 25, 2018
Perfect Little Stitches and other stories
is an eclectic mix of horror and dark fantasy tales. You know you’re in good hands from the offset. Sheldon is a writer who knows what she’s doing in this collection of superbly characterised, entertaining, solidly written tales.
Some stories are tongue in cheek, while others chill and linger. However, among this collection of twenty-one stories you’ll find something to satiate most horror and dark fantasy tastes.
There are hints of Bloch and Bradbury in this excellent anthology, and Sheldon skilfully explores folklore, superstitions, old wives’ tales, and urban myths, weaving them into stories you won’t easily forget.
I enjoyed all the tales in this anthology, although the standout stories for me, in no particular order, were: What the Sea Wants, Species Endangered, Angel Hair, A Haunting in Suburbia, Stagecoach from Castlemaine.
Although my particular favourite was Will o’ the Wisp . Here Sheldon finds a perfect balance between folklore, superstition, paranoia, fear and psychology, and actual horror. It’s reminiscent of Edith Wharton’s Bewitched and is equally as haunting. However, how the events in Willow o’ the Wisp are to be interpreted, you’ll have to read it and decide for yourself.
Some stories are tongue in cheek, while others chill and linger. However, among this collection of twenty-one stories you’ll find something to satiate most horror and dark fantasy tastes.
There are hints of Bloch and Bradbury in this excellent anthology, and Sheldon skilfully explores folklore, superstitions, old wives’ tales, and urban myths, weaving them into stories you won’t easily forget.
I enjoyed all the tales in this anthology, although the standout stories for me, in no particular order, were: What the Sea Wants, Species Endangered, Angel Hair, A Haunting in Suburbia, Stagecoach from Castlemaine.
Although my particular favourite was Will o’ the Wisp . Here Sheldon finds a perfect balance between folklore, superstition, paranoia, fear and psychology, and actual horror. It’s reminiscent of Edith Wharton’s Bewitched and is equally as haunting. However, how the events in Willow o’ the Wisp are to be interpreted, you’ll have to read it and decide for yourself.
October 11, 2017
All killer, no filler. Two of the stories in this collection were nominated for Australian Shadows Awards. The rest of the stories are just as good.
March 28, 2018
Some very scary stories in here, and I'm not just saying that because I edited it. Truly terrifying tales of monsters, and a few of them are human, or just barely.
January 22, 2018
The nitty-gritty: An uneven collection of short horror fiction that nonetheless delivers some truly terrifying tales.
It's very rare these days that I accept a book for review directly from an author, especially one unfamiliar to me. But I decided to take a chance on Deborah Sheldon and her debut short story collection, Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories . Deborah is an Australian author and has had great success with her writing in that country, winning awards and even being nominated for a 2017 Bram Stoker award recently. As you might be able to tell from my rating, some of these stories worked well for me, while others didn't. It was truly a mixed bag. The collection comprises a total of twenty-one stories, some of them no longer than flash fiction, and I decided to rate each one individually and tally up the points at the end. I figured this would be a fair way to come up with a rating for the collection as a whole. My "star" ratings for each story ranged from two stars up to five stars, so when I say it was a mixed bag, you can see why. My overall reaction to this collection is that it felt inconsistent. I could see a flair of talent and assured writing in a handful of the stories, while others left me scratching my head in frustration and confusion.
Sheldon's stories are filled with a variety of monsters, both otherworldly and human. Her fiction seems to draw on mythology, folklore and the universal fears of death and damaging relationships. In several of the stories, women are the target of abuse, and sadly, they aren't able to pull themselves out of that fate. Redemption and revenge are distant notions, and many stories presented the opportunity for these outcomes, but never delivered. When I'm reading about horrible things happening to people, I'm always holding my breath for the tables to turn on the evil and good to conquer in the end. Unfortunately, this collection focuses more on evil winning, which made for a mostly depressing reading experience.
On the other hand, this is a collection of horror fiction, and in that respect, boy did it deliver! There were some terrifying stories that had me holding me breath while I was reading, and there is a distinct Australian flavor to most of the stories, which for me was a nice change of pace. I may not get all the Australian words and references, but I knew as I was reading that I was NOT on familiar ground.
Here is a breakdown of my favorite stories:
Perfect Little Stitches . The collection kicks off with the title story, and it was fantastically creepy! A funeral director named Angelo engages in a lucrative side business of harvesting bodies for bones, soft tissues, organs and more, before burying them. But when a beautiful eleven-year-old girl's body arrives at the funeral home, Angelo unwisely agrees to harvest her, even though she has a suspicious bite mark on her neck. And it's a decision he's going to regret... I thought I knew what was coming while I was reading, but I was wrong. The outcome was so much better than I expected. 4 stars.
Across the White Desert . A Vietnam vet is hired to lead a dog sled team on a secret mission across Antarctica. But something monstrous is tracking the team, and it's fast. This story was bloody and scary as hell, and although I do not like stories that involve violence toward animals, I liked the pacing of this story and the pages few by. 4 stars.
What the Sea Wants. A fishing crew encounters a bunch of mermaids who play on the fishermen's base instincts in order to lure them into the sea. This was a fairly short story, and I knew what was coming, but I just couldn't tear my eyes away! 4 stars.
Flight Path . A husband and wife emerge from a crashed plane and wander the wreckage, trying to remember what happened to them. You may figure out what's up before the end, but this unsettling tale had just the right amount of eeriness to it. 4 stars
Will o' the Wisp . A woman recollects the fate of her son Adam, who her midwife Cecily believes is a fairy changeling. This story was heartbreaking, and I was begging the mother not to make the choices she made. But it turns out I didn't have any control over the outcome, and so the story played out the way I feared. 4 stars.
Species Endangered . A couple on vacation in Queensland is relaxing on the beach, when a large, odd-looking bird appears and begins to threaten them. My short description sounds ridiculous, but trust me, this story was terrifying and very dark. 4 stars.
The Brightest Place . A slippery, dream-like tale of a man who is having terrible nightmares. I thought this was the best written story, even though I'm still not sure what was going on. A mixture of reality and imagination, this story really plays head-games with the reader. 4.5 stars.
Angel Hair . This was my favorite story of the bunch, but man was it scary and gave me goosebumps! A girl and her grandfather become trapped in their home during an infestation of tiny spiders. This story was short but powerful, tense and terrifying. 5 stars.
Castlemaine . A mother and her son are taking the stagecoach home, but their rig is attacked by a mythical Australian beast called the yowie. I didn't care for the abrupt ending of this story, but I did love the heart-pounding action. I definitely have a soft spot for monster stories, and this one was pretty good. 4 stars.
Over all, I'm glad I had the chance to read this collection. It's my impression that these stories span many years of writing, as some are way better than others, but I believe Deborah Sheldon is headed in the right direction.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
It's very rare these days that I accept a book for review directly from an author, especially one unfamiliar to me. But I decided to take a chance on Deborah Sheldon and her debut short story collection, Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories . Deborah is an Australian author and has had great success with her writing in that country, winning awards and even being nominated for a 2017 Bram Stoker award recently. As you might be able to tell from my rating, some of these stories worked well for me, while others didn't. It was truly a mixed bag. The collection comprises a total of twenty-one stories, some of them no longer than flash fiction, and I decided to rate each one individually and tally up the points at the end. I figured this would be a fair way to come up with a rating for the collection as a whole. My "star" ratings for each story ranged from two stars up to five stars, so when I say it was a mixed bag, you can see why. My overall reaction to this collection is that it felt inconsistent. I could see a flair of talent and assured writing in a handful of the stories, while others left me scratching my head in frustration and confusion.
Sheldon's stories are filled with a variety of monsters, both otherworldly and human. Her fiction seems to draw on mythology, folklore and the universal fears of death and damaging relationships. In several of the stories, women are the target of abuse, and sadly, they aren't able to pull themselves out of that fate. Redemption and revenge are distant notions, and many stories presented the opportunity for these outcomes, but never delivered. When I'm reading about horrible things happening to people, I'm always holding my breath for the tables to turn on the evil and good to conquer in the end. Unfortunately, this collection focuses more on evil winning, which made for a mostly depressing reading experience.
On the other hand, this is a collection of horror fiction, and in that respect, boy did it deliver! There were some terrifying stories that had me holding me breath while I was reading, and there is a distinct Australian flavor to most of the stories, which for me was a nice change of pace. I may not get all the Australian words and references, but I knew as I was reading that I was NOT on familiar ground.
Here is a breakdown of my favorite stories:
Perfect Little Stitches . The collection kicks off with the title story, and it was fantastically creepy! A funeral director named Angelo engages in a lucrative side business of harvesting bodies for bones, soft tissues, organs and more, before burying them. But when a beautiful eleven-year-old girl's body arrives at the funeral home, Angelo unwisely agrees to harvest her, even though she has a suspicious bite mark on her neck. And it's a decision he's going to regret... I thought I knew what was coming while I was reading, but I was wrong. The outcome was so much better than I expected. 4 stars.
Across the White Desert . A Vietnam vet is hired to lead a dog sled team on a secret mission across Antarctica. But something monstrous is tracking the team, and it's fast. This story was bloody and scary as hell, and although I do not like stories that involve violence toward animals, I liked the pacing of this story and the pages few by. 4 stars.
What the Sea Wants. A fishing crew encounters a bunch of mermaids who play on the fishermen's base instincts in order to lure them into the sea. This was a fairly short story, and I knew what was coming, but I just couldn't tear my eyes away! 4 stars.
Flight Path . A husband and wife emerge from a crashed plane and wander the wreckage, trying to remember what happened to them. You may figure out what's up before the end, but this unsettling tale had just the right amount of eeriness to it. 4 stars
Will o' the Wisp . A woman recollects the fate of her son Adam, who her midwife Cecily believes is a fairy changeling. This story was heartbreaking, and I was begging the mother not to make the choices she made. But it turns out I didn't have any control over the outcome, and so the story played out the way I feared. 4 stars.
Species Endangered . A couple on vacation in Queensland is relaxing on the beach, when a large, odd-looking bird appears and begins to threaten them. My short description sounds ridiculous, but trust me, this story was terrifying and very dark. 4 stars.
The Brightest Place . A slippery, dream-like tale of a man who is having terrible nightmares. I thought this was the best written story, even though I'm still not sure what was going on. A mixture of reality and imagination, this story really plays head-games with the reader. 4.5 stars.
Angel Hair . This was my favorite story of the bunch, but man was it scary and gave me goosebumps! A girl and her grandfather become trapped in their home during an infestation of tiny spiders. This story was short but powerful, tense and terrifying. 5 stars.
Castlemaine . A mother and her son are taking the stagecoach home, but their rig is attacked by a mythical Australian beast called the yowie. I didn't care for the abrupt ending of this story, but I did love the heart-pounding action. I definitely have a soft spot for monster stories, and this one was pretty good. 4 stars.
Over all, I'm glad I had the chance to read this collection. It's my impression that these stories span many years of writing, as some are way better than others, but I believe Deborah Sheldon is headed in the right direction.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
June 24, 2018
Original horror
This collection sees stories set in diverse settings and times, incorporates old beliefs and superstitions in a refreshing move away from the more typical horror tropes. Enjoyable and highly recommended.
This collection sees stories set in diverse settings and times, incorporates old beliefs and superstitions in a refreshing move away from the more typical horror tropes. Enjoyable and highly recommended.
February 21, 2025
My favorite story was definitely "Perfect Little Stitches." As a former mortician, it struck a chord and made me smile (In a horrific way, of course).
This is a great collection for all horror readers to enjoy!
This is a great collection for all horror readers to enjoy!
Read
February 7, 2018This was a strange book to muddle through. Each story left me wanting to know more about the adventures that it brought to through. I was like reading a chapter of a story not a whole story.
I think it would be great for an English writing class were the students could finish writing the story.
I think it would be great for an English writing class were the students could finish writing the story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews