Teika Marija Smits is one of the finest short story writers to emerge on the genre scene in recent years. Her writing dances between science fiction, realism, and horror, her storytelling relies on keen observation of the world and people around her interpreted through the lens of her unique imagination. Umbilical, her debut collection,features selected stories from her output so far, chosen by the author herself, alongside several new tales, published here for the first time.