The short story was Maugham's true métier, and some of the stories he wrote are among the best in the language

One of my favourite writers

She's a genius, genuinely modern in the heroic, glorious sense

One of the most gifted writers of her generation

[James] is the most intelligent man of his generation

The Turn of the Screw is the most hopelessly evil story that we have ever read in any literature, ancient or modern

We are afraid of something unnamed, of something, perhaps, in ourselves... Henry James...can still make us afraid of the dark

Dazzling ...These narrative snapshots are skilfully framed and in-focus, the language forthright and fresh

This short story collection gives those new to her oeuvre a chance to delve into gems from her past...precociously vibrant

All the elements of Welsh's best work remain in tact here: the brilliant imagination, the phonetically-transcribed Scots dialect, the humour, the gritty realism

What's striking about these early stories is that the thicker Welsh was steeped in the primordial goo of his Edinburgh Scots phonetics, the better the storytelling got

As you would expect, the stories in this collection involve a certain amount of cultural tourism to the lower depths, undertaken with black humour... Welsh's relish for degradation covers up a strong sentimental streak

Welsh's transcription of Scots dialect is brilliant... Welsh also has a fabulous sense of the absurd... The overall vibe of these stories is dark and grim. And fierily, fiercely funny

A sparkling and adventurous writer