I read these stories in a binge, with the help of a long plane journey. Gripping, funny, sinister, elegantly-written... the right read at the right moment, hence the enthusiastic star-rate! The common thread that ties them together is aging + killing. Hard to pick my favourite one. I loved the title story, Stone Mattress,  and also the "Alphinland series", and "Torching the Dusties"...which already brings us to 5 tales out of 9.