Design Flaw - Stories

Hugh Sheehy's new collection is a thrilling blend of horror, mystery, science fiction, and myth, featuring stories of damaged seekers caught up in skewed realities, facing threats, violent deaths, strange entities, and alienating technologies. The characters are driven toward self-revelation and perverse moments of poignancy, showcasing Sheehy's captivating storytelling at its best.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 19 November 2022
Publisher: Acre Books

Hugh Sheehy's captivating new collection delves deeply into the realms of horror, mystery, science fiction, and myth, weaving together a tapestry of unsettling tales. These narratives revolve around individuals who find themselves entangled in distorted realities, confronting menacing threats, tragic deaths, enigmatic entities, and alienating technologies. As the circumstances intensify, the diverse cast of characters is propelled toward self-revelation and poignant moments of introspection.

A troubled high schooler confines a peer in an underground storage space, driven by the desire for revenge against the man who molested him as a child. A traumatized felon, haunted by his past, returns home to exact retribution on the perpetrator. A videogame help-line operator becomes suspicious of a regular caller, obsessed with a disturbing role-playing game, and suspects him of committing real-life misdeeds.

In the titular story, an unhappy couple adopts a "designer animal," a genetic hybrid created to be the perfect pet. However, the creature, known as a "grot," causes chaos in the neighborhood, serving as a symbol of a deeper underlying problem. The narrators husband confesses, "Something is wrong with the world. A design flaw. It's so thoroughly corrupted, I'm not sure how to fix it."

These thirteen captivating stories are fully immersive, showcasing Sheehy at his finest. Each narrative is inventive and unpredictable, taking readers on a thrilling journey into uncharted territories. Through his skilled storytelling, Sheehy invites us to explore the darker corners of human nature, challenging our perceptions and leaving a lasting impact.

Weight: 260g
Dimension: 139 x 216 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781946724557