Little Troublemakers

One of the best short story writers of her generation, Kristine Kathryn Rusch does not limit herself to genre. She writes award-winning mystery, fantasy, and science fiction stories. She dabbles in short romance and commits the occasional literary piece. Like its author, this collection does not limit itself to any one genre. Instead, it focuses on small creatures. Cats feature prominently as do dogs and mice. But Rusch's fanciful side shows as well, with basketball-playing aliens, warlike pixies, and "little men" who provoke a gunfight in the American West. Ten stories that go from funerals to bars, schools to poker tables—and every place in between. "Kristine Kathryn Rusch is one of the best writers in the field." —SFRevu "[Rusch's] stories often unfold with a breezy, entertaining flow, leading one to expect something fuzzy and warm. Except at its heart, her fiction has a deep emotional edge that, while it might seem at odds with the storytelling style, turns out to be perfectly suited to it, paying off her readers with rich dividends." —Charles de Lint "I've come to the conclusion over the years that some of the best writers are those who write in multiple genres. These writers seem to be the most versatile, capable of mixing elements of different genres to create something fresh but with enough elements of the familiar that readers aren't put off by the new. Kristine Kathryn Rusch is such a writer." —Gumshoes, Gats, and Gams