What We Fed to the Manticore is a work of incredible imagination and daring, asking us to recognize the inner lives of whales, donkeys and pigeons to be as complex and deep as our own. The stories in this collection are gorgeously written and richly emotionally textured; in Talia Kolluri's hands, the familiar world we live in comes freshly to life. I looked up from the last page to find that my own world--and my heart--had become bigger.--Claire Comstock-Gay, author of Madame Clairevoyant's Guide to the Stars

If like me, you fell in love with Fiver and Hazel and Charlotte and Wilbur as a child and have been looking ever since for stories that work that same magic--here they are. This spellbinding collection reminds us that every animal story is a human one, and every human story an animal one. These stories work like incantations.--Ayse Papatya Bucak, author of The Trojan War Museum: and Other Stories

Kolluri delivers a dazzling, daring bestiary brimming over with textured, tender lives. A most magnificent debut!--Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders

The voicing of other species is an ancient, vulnerable, and utterly human practice. For millennia, we've placed our stories inside non-human animals not only to celebrate these creatures, but to see the ways our own natures bend and twist in a new set of stripes. The fiction in this deft collection proves that what we call 'humanity' exists within a menagerie of other beings, but it also showcases the mind of the one human animal regaling us with her singular wit and wonder. How lovely to get to know a storyteller like Talia Lakshmi Kolluri while she winks at us from inside the minds of a tiger, a vulture, a donkey, a whale.--Elena Passarello, author of Animals Strike Curious Poses

Exquisite. . . . exceptional. . . . This remarkable collection leaves an indelible mark.-- "Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"

Vivid, imaginative, spellbinding. . . . Kolluri's prose reads like a beautiful song as it soars over the savannah and under the sea.-- "Shelf Awareness"

Stupendous. . . . breathtaking. . . . remarkable.-- "Booklist, Starred Review"

Fresh observations of the world.-- "Poets & Writers"

Charming.-- "Philadelphia Inquirer"

Set to take its rightful place among some of the best environmental fiction in recent memory.-- "Chicago Review of Books"

Courageous and new.-- "High Country News"

Touching, original. . . . This one will move you.-- "Ms. Magazine"

Vivid.-- "OC Register"

Vivid and exciting.-- "Debutiful"

Unforgettable.-- "Amerie's Book Club"

Kolluri's collection crosses borders to explore the inner lives of creatures.-- "ALTA Journal"

Lays bare the inextricable human-animal connection.-- "Seattle Times"

A must-read for animal lovers.-- "Soapberry Review"

Remarkable.-- "Orion"

A collection of fables for the 21st century.-- "BOMB"

Explores themes of loss, friendship, identity, and nature.-- "PopSugar"

Deeply tender.-- "The Rumpus"

Imaginative.-- "Bookbrowse"

Imaginative. . . . Vulnerable and hopeful, this collection is a touching read.-- "Book Riot"

With vivid emotion and scenery, the tender and heartfelt voices show the world from different points of view that speak to the interconnectedness of people, animals, and nature.-- "She Reads"

A singular new voice. . . . the stories are sparkling, strange, and tender.-- "Locus"

Vivid and breathtaking. . . . deals with feelings of heartbreak and tenderness while crafting a profound message about environmentalism.-- "Bookstr"

Every single one of these stories is a gem.-- "So Many Damn Books"

Publisher: Tin House Books

Pub date: 2022-09-06

Length: 200 pages