Spec. Fic. Society: the Anthology

Holometabola is coming: follow on Kickstarter

A sweeping collection of short stories by sixteen award-winning and dedicated emerging Australian authors. Immerse yourself in a dark yet hopeful read for fans of Australian fiction in the vein of the Never Whistle at Night anthology, Austral Anthology 2025 and Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Within these pages there are bite-size shorts for readers who crave depth and characters that will grab you from the moment you enter their world:

• A home robot will do anything to help its owner.
• Teenagers with body mods must escape from the circus that owns them, before it’s too late.
• An energy anomaly threatens a space port.
• An immortal exhausted by life must find a new reason to live.
• And many more.

Edited by Jemma Pollari, this collaborative anthology is a richly themed collection that will lead you on a journey of four phases: hatch, pupate, eclosion, and finally, death. Sink into a myriad of universes for lovers of speculative fiction. This is Holometabola: complete transformation, from emergence to transcendence.

Available in eBook, Paperback, and Hardcover, Holometabola contains 16 short stories, with illustrated chapter pages.

Cover Design by Roderick Brydon (KLC Covers)

Our beautiful cover has been designed by Roderick Brydon of KLC Covers using authentic vintage illustrations licenced from the Tom Chalky collection. Roderick’s work has brought to life the vision of dark fantasy and science fiction that we have for Holometabola.

A celebration of storytelling crafted by some of Australia’s best emerging speculative fiction short story talent. Emotionally captivating, thoughtfully themed, and deftly delivered—this anthology should be on everyone’s bookshelf.

Pamela Jeffs, Aurealis, Australasian Shadows and Ditmar award winning author.

Holometabola is a visceral, desperate, joyful collection of stories, replete with beasts and rending and transformation. These are tales of changing and becoming, and how each is ultimately predicated upon the other, of the violence of emerging and the gift of decay, in doses classic, bitter and dashing.

Kathleen Jennings, World Fantasy Award and British Fantasy Award winner, and author of Ditmar Award-winning novel Honeyeater.

It was pure pleasure to read Holometabola, a rich mixture of short stories within the fantasy and science fiction genres. Organised around the themes of Hatch, Pupate and Death, the narratives are inventive, thought provoking and character led. I was hooked from the moment I met Lois, the manipulative AI robot and her slightly deranged ‘owner’. A credit to each of the contributing authors, this anthology will leave you contemplating what it is that makes us human.

Kathy Kassulke, aspiring author and long-time lover of fantasy/science fiction tales.

Our authors come from all walks of life, but all have one thing in common: a love for quality speculative fiction that goes deeper and says more. 

Instead of a submission model where authors present a finished piece for selection, we did things a little differently. Authors were invited to participate, before they had written a story, before we had decided on a title, before we even had a theme. 

The result was a truly collaborative product. Authors participated in feedback rounds to develop their story. This unique model allowed more experimentation and risk-taking, with the trust that ideas could be tried and tested before solidifying. With the assurance that every story would have a home within the pages, it allowed us to tell stories that we truly wanted to tell. Multiple rounds of editing then polished each story to a perfect shine.

We can’t wait for you to dive in and immerse yourself in our worlds.

holometabola
/ˌhɒloʊməˈtæbələ/ (say holohmuh’tabuhluh)
The clade of creatures that undergo complete metamorphosis. From the field of Entomology: from holo—a form meaning whole, entire—and Greek metabólos, meaning metabolism.

You have heard this story before. It starts with an egg. Perhaps on a leaf, bathed in the light of the moon, until morning comes, and pop: the egg hatches. And what then?

Holometabola is what you will find inside these pages. Our anthology is themed around the four phases in the lifecycle of a holometabolic insect: hatch, pupate, eclosion and death.

Which phase will capture your heart? Which story will you see yourself in?

Back Holometabola on Kickstarter and get the best edition of the book that we’ll offer. You’ll be able to complete your collection with exclusive merch to complement your book. Plus, you’ll be the first to have Holometabola in your hands. You’ll get your copy before general release to the public.

Follow the campaign today and become part of what we’ve created!