Teika Marija Smits is one of the finest short story writers to emerge on the genre scene in recent years. Her writing dances between science fiction, realism, and horror, her storytelling relies on keen observation of the world and people around her interpreted through the lens of her unique imagination. Umbilical, her debut collection, features selected stories from her output so far, chosen by the author herself, alongside several new tales, published here for the first time. Contents: Icarus Dreams Death of the Grapevine His Birth The Wife That Never Was Umbilical How to Honour a Beginning Minotaur/Mindtour Delphine as Daedalus The Case of the High Pavement Ghosts Girls' Night Out ATU334 the Wise Our Lady of Flies The Green Man A Piece of Fabric the Size of a Pin Machina in Deo The Eyes of the Goddess Herself A Survival Guide for the Contemporary Princess This Little Piggy Tough Love The Sun is God Star Making at Sellafie