‘One of the most interesting and valuable writers working in Australia today.’ - The Australian

Eleven stories. Each like a matchstick struck to illuminate the darkness. Evocations of place ranging from a Bangla jungle to the deep, blue Danube to a winter beach in Melbourne excite and seduce. But what truly draws the reader in are the unexpected landscapes of people’s lives, explored with rare sensitivity, grace and a fearless truthfulness.

A lonely St Kilda chef invites a beautiful busker to use his spare room. A father sings a lullaby to comfort his young daughter who has woken from a nightmare. A taxi driver picks up an old-world gentleman who is reluctant to disclose his destination. A young immigrant boy growing up in the western suburbs of Melbourne daydreams of infinite possibility.

Death, loneliness, passion and belief: Patric takes on the big questions in life and writes about the small people of the world with stylistic verve and deep humanity.

This collection of stories reveals the author, best known for his award-winning novels, as a true master of the short story form.

‘…a collection of eleven stories that confirm [A.S. Patric’s] craftsmanship as a writer. Patric writes with a profound understanding of the desperate, catastrophic way that we love.’ - Readings Monthly, Book of the Month

‘A. S. Patric’s The Butcherbird Stories will take you to places you’ve never thought of, much less considered exploring. Patric is an intense writer, and this collection will delight and unsettle you, often at the same time. The settings, characters and themes are both familiar and experimental, of the present and yet timeless.’ - The Age

‘Patric exposes the worrisome loose ends of daily life with unusual clarity. This collection should be an offbeat treat for fans of the short story.’ - Books+Publishing

‘Patric’s writing has been compared to the canon; the wit of Peter Carey; the European modernism of Patrick White; the strangeness of Franz Kafka. But beyond the literary comparisons, Patric’s writing project - connected through his short and longer fictions - permits us entry into a filmic subconscious, reminiscent of the movies of Kaufman, Kubrick or Lynch.’ - Kill Your Darlings

‘Patric’s writing looks back to Dostoyevsky and Kafka, to stories of individuals caught by their own capacity for murderous violence, or by the impersonal malevolence of power. And it looks forwards, with the dark arts of the present, towards the chaos to come.’ - Australian Book Review

‘The collection is expansive, full of life and death. This is his third collection and represents a treat for lovers of the short stories. In each story, regardless of length or theme, his prose has the power to shock.’ - Sydney Morning Herald

‘A.S. Patric returns to the short form and, I have to say, it’s a deadset triumph. The Butcherbird Stories not only confirms but builds on Patric’s reputation as one of Australia’s finest writers. Each of the eleven stories is a wonder to read: beautifully crafted, edgy, captivating and fresh.’ - Bait For Bookworms