Thought Crimes

In Thought Crimes, Tim Richards takes the reader on a mind-bending, mischievous ride through a world where nothing is quite as it seems. The lives these stories describe are almost ordinary...but dark quirks lurk beneath the surface. Strange things happen: A junior teacher takes a job at an unusual high school, where students take 'self-expression' to odd and disturbing lengths. In a trendy inner suburb, suspiciously perfect babies start appearing on young couples' doorsteps. At a resort catering for Australian golfers, the Japanese staff take rigorous night classes in how to be more Aussie than their guests. Richards' black humour recalls Roald Dahl's wickedly entertaining tales for grown-ups, peeking behind the everyday appearance of things to explore unspoken fears and desires. Wry, unpredictable and sometimes shocking, they will take you where you least expect to go.

'This form suits [Richards] perfectly ... These stories are genuinely imaginative and quietly unsettling thought experiments.' --Sunday Age M Magazine

'An impressive collection of short stories ... literature that is both entertaining and also thought-provoking' --Courier Mail

'Full of ideas, intellectual energy and finely honed black humour.' --Sydney Morning Herald

'Richards' best pieces hold you in a kind of poetic trance.' --Australian

'A striking and powerful collection.' --Australian Book Review

Tim Richards' short stories have appeared in the Age, Meanjin, Overland, Heat, The Sleepers Almanac and The Best Australian Stories.

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