Charles D'Ambrosio is the author of The Point, and Orphans, a collection of essays.
'These are thoughtful, haunting stories—tantalising snapshots of complex lives and relationships...D'Ambrosio's writing is acclaimed and worthily so. His clarity of expression and exquisitely crafted sentences make reading his prose at times more like reading poetry.' * Good Reading * 'The six stories contain a wry sense of humour and startling moments of love and beauty. One closes the book with a sense of ''ah, so this is life''. Verdict: illuminating.' * Herald Sun * 'Pretty well every page in The Dead Fish Museum is memorably written...evocative and persuasive.' * Canberra Times * 'This excellent collection of stories combines a stylistically minimalist realist mode with dramatic and traumatic subject matter. D'Ambrosio's view of human nature is the opposite of sunny but some of his characters have small redeeming moments when the fog lifts of the scales fall from their eyes.' * Sydney Morning Herald * 'Charles D'Ambrosio's short stories are powerful studies of outsiders dealing with circumstances that could either give them hope for the future or accelerate their slide. A very rewarding read.' * Weekend Press NZ * 'Chabon has said that D'Ambrosio is one of the best short-story writers of contemporary times, and on the strength of this memorable collection, there would be little point disputing this.' * Australian *