Lament for the Afterlife

No one knows when the war against the greys began. There are theories, speculations, but the only certainties are air-raids, abductions, inner city explosions. Assaults are endless, swift and lethal; the enemy's stealth unsurpassed. Whispers have circulated for centuries, thoughts spinning from minds in visible wordwinds, clear for all to read, to wield, to steal. Where are the greys? When will they next strike? How can you attack something you can't see? And secretly, fearfully: Are the greys even real?

Spanning decades, LAMENT FOR THE AFTERLIFE follows one man as he negotiates the hostile territory of life after combat. Peytr Borysson comes from a long line of soldiers, but isn't born for fighting. His 'wind is better shaped for poetry than bullets. Even so, at sixteen he follows the local boys into battle -- and never quite leaves.

Interweaving Peytr's struggles with those of his family, Lament for the Afterlife takes readers to the frontlines and far beyond, telling a story of ordinary people persisting in extraordinary circumstances. A novel of human survival, guilt, and the devastating power of memory, Lament for the Afterlife examines the physical and psychological distances we travel when beliefs are threatened--or held too tightly.

Lisa L. Hannett hails from Ottawa, Canada, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia--city of churches, bizarre murders, and pie floaters. She has had over 55 short stories appear in venues including CLARKESWORLD, FANTASY, WEIRD TALES, CHIZINE, THE DARK, the YEAR’S BEST AUSTRALIAN FANTASY AND HORROR (2010, 2011 & 2012), and IMAGINARIUM: BEST CANADIAN SPECULATIVE WRITING (2012 & 2013). She has won three Aurealis Awards, including Best Collection for her first book, BLUEGRASS SYMPHONY, which was also nominated for a World Fantasy Award. LAMENT FOR THE AFTERLIFE is her first novel.