''There is something special about literature . . . that addresses our innermost sexual and amatory selves. Gay stories offer us vindication, fellowship, validation and a sense of shared identity that we need now as much as ever,'' writes Stephen Fry in the foreword to this anthology.

In this exciting new collection of gay short stories, we hear from authors imagining, surmising, and revealing aspects of gay life from a multitude of perspectives, ages, eras, locations, cultures and political climates.

Contributors range from those emerging into a life of writing to those who have enjoyed international mainstream success. Some, such as Felice Picano, were pioneers of not only gay writing but also gay liberation itself. Others are recipients of world-class awards, including Vestal McIntyre, whose Lake Overturn: A Novel was named Editor''s Choice by the New York Times Book Review and Out magazine, and a Best Book of 2009 by the Washington Post. It also won the Grub Street National Book Prize and Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.

The premise for stories included in this anthology was very simple - other than the stipulation that a major component of the story be in some way concerned with gay life, there were no restrictions. The aim was to bring together fictional reflections of gay life from the minds of authors approaching ''gay'' from very different angles.

As a result, genres in this collection range from action to sci-fi, from thriller to fantasy. The stories are set in countries including Australia, Cuba, England, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Portugal, Russia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the USA. The youngest contributor is in his twenties, the oldest in his eighties.

Readers will find themselves immersed in an engaging set of stories remarkably different from one another, yet, as Stephen Fry notes, offering a surprising sense of shared identity.

With stories by: Nick Alexander; Tim Ashley; James Robert Baker; Damian Barr; Neil Bartlett; Sebastian Beaumont; Scott Brown; Michael Carroll; Robert Cochrane; Alfred Corn; Neal Drinnan; Royston Ellis; Nigel Fairs; Hugh Fleetwood; Ronald Frame; Patrick Gale; Damon Galgut; John R. Gordon; Drew Gummerson; Matt Harris; Cliff James; Francis King; Joseph Lidster; David Llewellyn; Paul Magrs; Vestal McIntyre; Brent Meersman; Joseph Olshan; Diriye Osman; Tony Peake; Felice Picano; David Robilliard; Jerry Rosco; Jeffrey Round; Lawrence Schimel; Rupert Smith; Colin Spencer; Joshua Winning; Ian Young; and Richard Zimler.