The Gabble and Other Stories

**No one does better with science fiction monsters than Neal Asher, as illustrated in this collection of his best and most bizarre short stories.** The Polity universe is home to some of the vilest alien creatures ever to exist. On the planet Myral, sheqs and octupals inhabit the land, waiting for unsuspecting prey to cross their paths. The surface of Masasa is littered with dracomen, tricones, mud snakes, and heroyne. The Gabble features ten stories that throw its characters into worlds that are fascinatingly alien, and often hostile. In the Polity, danger and death are seemingly looming around every corner. Infection, mutation, and infestation are constant threats as we follow our heroes, like Anders and Tholan in Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck,” as they try to carry out their missions with their lives intact. You’ll never know what to expect throughout *The Gabble*. Asher’s use of nonsensical dialogue for certain unearthly creatures creates bizarre tension and frightening uncertainty. At any moment, peace and calm can be shattered by horror and suspense. In peak form, *The Gabble* showcases the best of his talents in this collection of novellas and short stories never before published in the United States that expands on the Polity universe that Asher fans have come to know and love. Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a *New York Times* bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.