ONE OF BOOK RIOT’S BEST BOOKS OF 2023

Published September 30th, 2023. An 8” x 5” paperback. 167 pages.

The stories in this collection of dark fantasy and horror short stories grapple with the complexities of identity, racism, homophobia, immigration, oppression and patriarchy through nature, gothic hauntings, Trinidadian folklore and shape shifting. At the heart of the collection lie the questions: how do we learn to accept ourselves? How do we live in our own skin?

Cover illustration by Mia Minnis. Cover design by dave ring.

ISBN: 978-1-952086-72-4

PRAISE

“Suzan Palumbo’s Skin Thief wields darkness and beauty to make you cry, scream, and keep turning pages well after it’s time for bed. Every story drips with delicious darkness and horrible beauty. In short, it is pure goth.”
—Leigh Harlen, author of Queens of Noise and Blood Like Garnets

“Skin Thief is a love letter and an invitation all in one, to a liminal idea of homeland readers may have not yet encountered.”
—E. Catherine Tobler, author of The Necessity of Stars

“In horror, monstrous is too often a synonym for different. Something that needs to be fought, squashed, destroyed. Skin Thief shows us what is truly monstrous: it’s violent husbands, it’s grief, it’s jealousy, it’s conformity. It’s the people who don’t understand you, and thus fear you. Suzan Palumbo shows the monsters that we need not fear, for our teeth are sharp.”
—Francesca Tacchi, author of Let the Mountains Be My Grave

“Skin Thief is a masterpiece.”
—Adam Bassett for FanFiAddict

“Palumbo’s Skin Thief: Stories pulls together twelve short stories written or published between 2018 and 2022. The stories are dark and haunting and lavishly queer. Palumbo mines her Trinidadi­an and Canadian/Western heritages alike, blend­ing her experiences together in a way that is both speculative and rooted in what feels like truth. Palumbo always leaves me feeling unmoored and prickly, thrilled and frightened. Readers new to her work and returning fans will each find things to love about this collection. There are no weak stories in the bunch.”
—Alex Brown for Locus

“All in all, Skin Thief is a gorgeous collection. The stories are by turns delicate and raw, dark and magical, filled with horror and heartache and deep emotion.”
—Vanessa Fogg

“An incredible collection of short fiction, organised in a way which creates a coherence and connection between stories which enriches each one individually. This was one of my absolute favourite reads of the year, tight incredible writing, layered, evocative, disturbing, wonderful.”
—Dr Sam Hirst at Romancing the Gothic

“A triumphant collection of stories, ranging from dark fantasy to horror, exploring identity, oppression, and queerness. It is a collection of gothic delights, hauntings, Trinidadian folklore, and heartbreak.”
—Lindsay Manusos for Book Riot

“If you like dark, literary, thought-provoking fiction, make this book your next read.”
—Arley Sorg for Lightspeed

“Palumbo proves masterful at taking material from folklore and making it personal, letting those things that are meant to terrify speak for themselves. Readers are sure to be impressed.”
—Publishers Weekly