Undercover

Tamsyn Muir has to be one of the most creative writers currently out there. Yes, she has a niche (fucked up undead lesbians), but where she takes that niche is truly wild. Every story is so different yet equally brilliant. Take this one - gansters, ghouls and showgirls in a steampunk dystopia.

As an author she has a tendency to throw you into a setting with little or no context and build the context through the story. I know some people may struggle with that but for me I find this style incredibly rewarding, each little reveal giving a tantalizing glimpse of the wider world. That small incremental reveal helps the final reveal have even more impact.

Muir's morbid imagination also thrives with this - her ghouls are properly ghoulish and macabre, uncomfortable to read about. It is almost enough to turn you vegetarian, with its descriptions of gorey meat consumption.

A truly excellent short novella