Aleksandar Ziljak is one of Croatia's leading writers of science fiction and fantasy. His work has been translated into many European languages. As the Distant Bells Toll takes you on a dizzying trip from Ancient China to modern Croatia via the Caribbean and Japan. The collection focuses on Ziljak's fantasy writing and features a variety of mythological creatures. A werewolf mother fights to save her kidnapped son. Lesbian ninjas are threatened by a vampiric cat demon. A young girl and a mermaid take on airship pirates. These and other stories provide a fresh and unique take on history and legend.


Ziljak is a multiple winner of Croatia's prestigious SFera Award, including for fiction, editing and art. Each of the stories is accompanied by an illustration by the author.


All the stories have been freshly edited, and some have not appeared in English before.