A war-zone theme park; sentient suns; an intelligent car AI with ulterior motives; an enigmatic scent heralding imminent death. These are just some of the intriguing themes explored in this collection from Ian Whates. Bringing together for the first time a decade-spanning selection of Whates' heralded short stories, including three all-new tales, this is a must-read for fans of intelligent speculative fiction. "Ian Whates is a born storyteller" - Tanith Lee "A natural story-teller, Whates works his material with verve, obvious enjoyment, and an effortless breezy prose style." - The Guardian "Intelligent, ingenious, often funny, and told with an easy and down to earth style." - Adrian Tchaikovsky "Brilliantly inventive." - SFX "Ian Whates' writing is smooth and immensely readable." - The Future Fire