The Swan Suit

Blending banalities of everyday human routines and dilemmas with elements of fairy tales, magic, the macabre and the downright inventive, Katherine Fawcett’s fiction is anything but predictable.

In this collection, reimagined folktales appear alongside stories entirely new, serving to defamiliarize us from the undeniably odd tales we continue to pass down generation after generation, and lend a vague familiarity to the stories of Fawcett’s invention.

One of the three little pigs launches a line of high-end, easy-to-prepare, wolf broth–based meals. The Devil is on a mission to steal a child’s soul, but is distracted when he develops a massive crush on the day-care worker. A man stands in the shower contemplating his future when he discovers tiny mushrooms growing in his body’s various nooks and crannies.

Fawcett’s wry humour and prodigious imagination are an addictive mix. The weird becomes normal, and the normal, fascinating. Subverting expectations at every turn, her matter-of-fact style and narrative skill make this collection a must-read for any lover of short fiction.

“I confess, I fell hook, line and sinker for Katherine Fawcett’s brand of down-to-earth fantasy. Like Greek myths, where gods behave badly and mortals aspire and expire, these darkly witty tales offer a peek-hole into a delightfully cheery version of Hades.”

“Every one of Fawcett’s stories carries two rare gems inside: a dry, dark, rollicking hilarity and a breath-catching surprise. Clear, lean, evocative, quick (in both senses of the word), earthy, accessible, and original.”

“Fairytales and folktales collide with 21st-century feminism in Katherine Fawcett’s deviously imagined Swan Suit. With hilarity and heart she lays bare what it means to be human (or witch or devil or cat or wolf or entrepreneurial pig) in a world both ancient and evolving.”

“The Swan Suit is alive with wit and insight, sometimes very funny, and busting with beautiful, unexpected images. Here is a high-voltage imagination. Wicked and charming by turns, this collection is nothing short of magical.”

“United by a confident, playful voice, the stories in The Swan Suit harness the power and resonance of myth while repurposing some of its overused tropes for character development and humorous social commentary. Structurally, Fawcett’s plots unfurl rapidly in real time. The stories are predominantly action-based and take unexpected yet satisfying swerves, exuding a madcap sense of adventure while remaining grounded in character-based reality, like well-crafted fairground rides.”