The Stars Must Wait
Published on 30. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
174 pages
978-1-911486-98-5 (ISBN)
Description
Carmelo Rafalà writes stories that are profound, surprising, and beautifully realised. He imagines fantastic worlds and protagonists of immense complexity, subtlety and depth. His stories do not give easy answers, but stimulate and absorb the reader.
In this collection of science fiction and fantasy stories you will find:
¿A zealous convert, a woman of rumour and myth, and a dangerous pilgrimage across pirate filled seas.
¿A warrior travels to a far land to mourn and put his violent past behind him, but strange gods of an even stranger people intrude.
¿Abandoned in the Ozarks, sisters face a malevolent presence reaching out from the darkness.
¿Two friends struggle with their strained relationship, but reconciliation may literally require other realities.
These are stories of identity and belonging, and our deep-seated desire to control our own narratives. Discover unique and talented author.
Includes the Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa's 2024 Nova award winning title story, a tribute to Yevgeny Zamyatin.
"Full of troubled characters and deftly layered worlds, Rafala's stories will always leave you wanting more."
-Shona Kinsella, author of The Flame and the Flood
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 133 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
203 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-911486-98-5 (9781911486985)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Carmelo Rafalà comes from a large Sicilian family. He completed his MA in Comparative English Literature at the University of South Africa, followed by an MSC at Central Connecticut State University, and a teaching qualification from the University of Sussex. His fiction has appeared in various anthologies and his novella, The Madness of Pursuit, is published by Guardbridge Books. He is the Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa 2024 winner for his story The Stars Must Wait. He lives on the south coast of England.