The Longest Road in the Universe: A Collection of Fantastical Tales

With an Introduction by Liz Williams 

Three broken people; a monk bearing a terrible scar, a warrior facing a terrible sorrow, a woman hiding a terrible past face a relentless army so hard to defeat it might as well be invincible. Genetically-altered residents of a volcanic desert struggle to preserve their intangible culture as nanomachines transform the world around them. A population of slaves engineered to love its masters comes to grips with their sudden absence, while one man travels to the center of the galaxy to find out where they have gone. Supermassive black holes at the end of the universe contemplate the cacophony before and the quiet ahead; mourning, eulogizing, and creating something altogether new. These and other stories await you in THE LONGEST ROAD IN THE UNIVERSE: A COLLECTION OF FANTASTICAL TALES by Washington Science Fiction Association Small Press Award shortlisted and Pushcart Prize nominated author C.S. MacCath.

Advance Praise for THE LONGEST ROAD IN THE UNIVERSE:

"Brace yourself, reader – before you in these pages lie delightful, terrifying, uncompromising monsters, ready to claw wounds into flesh and soul. Drawing deeply from mythology to weave tales of hard-earned spiritual enlightenment, C.S. MacCath demonstrates an uncanny talent that crosses all genre boundaries. Whether she’s spinning the story of a witch who can speak to everyone’s demon double, a space traveler who sells pieces of his body in exchange for history's revelations, or a shape-shifting, guilt-wracked human bomb, MacCath brings their struggles and triumphs to fierce and formidable life."

--Mike Allen, Nebula Award and Shirley Jackson Award finalist

"This collection of short stories has a rich texture and a profound appreciation for human courage and decency, even when its characters aren't entirely human. From avenging sentient bombs to former slaves struggling to remember their ancestors' humanity, it's a vivid, epic and touching journey."

--Alex Bledsoe, author of THE HUM AND THE SHIVER

"Beautifully written, elegant and elegiac, based on a genuine originality of thought."

--Liz Williams, author of THE DETECTIVE INSPECTOR CHEN NOVELS

"THE LONGEST ROAD IN THE UNIVERSE is packed full of lush worlds, lyrical prose, three-dimensional characters and honest emotions. It is an immersive experience best enjoyed with a cup of tea in hand and a storm outside, but even lacking those things every science fiction fan should make time to read this collection. It is, in short, amazing."

--Rhonda Parrish, editor of the ALPHABET ANTHOLOGIES and MAGICAL MENAGERIES

"C.S. MacCath's prose is delightful...the individual lines, poetic. With careful word choice, she builds imagery and delivers scenes full of emotion. This is a wonderful collection of unusual and engaging stories, highly recommended."

--Brent Knowles, creative director of DRAGON AGE and author of THE LAZY DESIGNER