Lament for the Afterlife

No one knows when the war against the greys began. There are theories, speculations, but the only certainties are air-raids, abductions, and inner city explosions. Assaults are endless, swift and lethal; the enemy's stealth unsurpassed. Whispers have circulated for centuries, thoughts spinning from minds in visible wordwinds, clear for all to read, to wield, to steal. Where are the greys? When will they next strike? How can you attack something you can't see? And secretly, fearfully: Are the greys even real? Spanning decades, Lament for the Afterlife follows one man as he negotiates the hostile territory of life after combat. Peytr Borysson comes from a long line of soldiers, but isn't born for fighting. His 'wind is better shaped for poetry than bullets. Even so, at sixteen he follows the local boys into battle - and never quite leaves. Interweaving Peytr's struggles with those of his family, Lament for the Afterlife takes readers to the frontlines and far beyond, telling a story of ordinary people persisting in extraordinary circumstances. A novel of human survival, guilt, and the devastating power of memory, Lament for the Afterlife examines the physical and psychological distances we travel when beliefs are threatened - or held too tightly.

Robert Shearman, author of Tiny Deaths

“Lisa L. Hannett’s collections plays like a country music album composed in the darker places of imagination, the little corners that you don’t want to look in as you tap-tap your foot to the catchy beat. Coolly beautiful, then coldly brutal, this is one of the most unnerving debuts in years.”

Jeff VanderMeer, author of the Southern Reach trilogy

“Here at the beginning of her career, Hannett shows a stylistic flair and depth of story rare in even established writers. Her fiction in this collection is smart, confident, and in her own voice.”

Ann VanderMeer

“Hannett’s work has the uncanny ability to get under your skin. . . . Her use of language can make even the most horrifying scenes beautiful, so that you can’t―you won’t―turn away. That’s a rare talent.”

Kirstyn McDermott, author of Perfections

“Take a scruff of minotaur hair and a handful of mermaid scales, mix them with mothdust and the bloody feathers of a murdered oracle, and you might get a taste of the strange and dream-soaked magic that Lisa Hannett conjures with this remarkable debut collection. Bluegrass Symphony introduces a rare and original voice whose stories linger, dark and luscious and bold as tarnished brass, long after you have finished reading them.”

Angela Slatter, author of Sourdough and Other Stories

“Lisa Hannett weaves words the way the Norns weave fates, elegantly, seamlessly and with just a little bit of cruelty. Her stories are astonishing in their scope, so strange and yet familiar. Her ability to insert the unlikely and the terrifying into the everyday with such a convincing touch that you have no problem believing in Swan Girls, Minotaur rodeos, soul cigars and twig-wives, is simply stunning.”

Publishers Weekly

“Australian author Hannett’s first collection shows off her fondness for lush imagery, unsettling concepts, indirect prose, and multilayered plots. The stories push boundaries and experiment with style, form, and meaning, rarely straightforward and often hovering between fantasy and horror . . . this is a collection for fans of weirdness, wonder, and oft-disturbing twists.”

Publishers Weekly

“As an act of literary worldbuilding, [Lament for the Afterlife] is a triumph, evoking the unclassifiable oddness of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky’s Roadside Picnic and Jeff VanderMeer’s Area X trilogy.”

Kirkus Reviews

“An excellent example of speculative fiction-as-mirror, Lament for the Afterlife causes readers to challenge comfort and question the status quo.”

About the Author

Lisa L. Hannett hails from Ottawa, Canada, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia―city of churches, bizarre murders, and pie floaters. She has had over 55 short stories appear in venues including CLARKESWORLD, FANTASY, WEIRD TALES, CHIZINE, THE DARK, the YEAR'S BEST AUSTRALIAN FANTASY AND HORROR (2010, 2011 & 2012), and IMAGINARIUM: BEST CANADIAN SPECULATIVE WRITING (2012 & 2013). She has won three Aurealis Awards, including Best Collection for her first book, BLUEGRASS SYMPHONY, which was also nominated for a World Fantasy Award. LAMENT FOR THE AFTERLIFE is her first novel.

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