CICADA CHILDREN, the second short story collection from Matthew Atkinson, features ten stories that have been lurking underground a long time, and are now ready to emerge and make a lot of noise.

In this swarm you will find realistic CICADA CHILDREN like the colorful, romantic whirlwind of "Iridescent". the booze-breathed college sleaze of "Morass," and the scintillating shootouts of "Cicada Children" and "Very Special Weapons."

A couple of these bangers in CICADA CHILDREN buzz with magical realism: the teeth-chattering horror of "Dent" and the frolicking frivolity of "Make It Happen."

Then some of the CICADA CHILDREN are singing in chorus— a couple two-parters: the "Cat Claws" stories in a world where cats hate dogs a whole lot, and the "Messenger One" stories where an angelic alien falls from space, psychic children are cloned from her, and chaos ensues.

Every seventeen years or so some stories come along that will positively run you over, and here they are. Don't try to block it out— just give in and join the song of the CICADA CHILDREN.

For clarity, this collection includes these stories:

1. 
   

   "Iridescent"

   
   


2. 
   

   "Cicada Children"

   
   


3. 
   

   "Make It Happen"

   
   


4. 
   

   "Dent"

   
   


5. 
   

   "Morass"

   
   


6. 
   

   "Very Special Weapons"

   
   


7. 
   

   "Cat Claws"

   
   


8. 
   

   "Cat Claws II"

   
   


9. 
   

   "Messenger One"

   
   


10. 
    

    "Messenger One II"