“I’m a fan of the slim, heart-punch novel that can be read in a single sitting,” says author Joe Hill, namechecking On Chesil Beach, Sense of an Ending, Heart of Darkness and Jekyll and Hyde.

“I wrote two big novels over the last five years, but in between, I’ve been scribbling away at these shorter stories, pushing myself to do more with less. I came up with one about a camera that steals memories, and another about the sky opening up and raining nails; I had a castaway story to tell about a man stranded on a cloud, and a thing to write about America’s endless cycle of mass shootings.

“I wrote them when I could – on planes, on trains, in hotel rooms – and in whatever medium was available – the computer, a notebook, placemats in diners – and I had fun doing it. For readers in the mood for something lean and mean, Strange Weather will, I hope be found satisfactory. A warning though: the forecast calls for treacherous, stormy days to come.”

The collection of four creepy and powerful novellas has been acquired by Gollancz for release in the UK and the Commonwealth, and will be released in November 2017.