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In the Country of the Young: Stories
by Daniel Stern&“An important and rewarding collection.&” —Houston ChronicleThe short stories from In the Country of the Young feature characters struggling to find hope and connection—or just escape—through art, work, and love. The title story, a moving account of an angst-ridden seventeen-year-old nearly overwhelmed by his family&’s aspirations for him, is a paean to the brief moment when the promise of youth and selfhood are untarnished by the disenchantments of life. In &“Foxx Hunting,&” a widower travels to LA to find a porn actress, though the movie he saw her in was shot decades earlier. &“Lunch with Gottlieb&” captures a young man of ambition hunting for the legendary advertising genius Gottlieb, lost in the jungles of business lunch.Garnering comparisons to the work of Bernard Malamud and Saul Bellow, the stories of In the Country of the Young are written with the rare empathy and skill of a short fiction master.
The Blind Barber: The Blind Barber, Death-watch, And To Wake The Dead (The Dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries #1)
by John Dickson CarrA madcap tale of murder on an ocean liner that offers &“good mystery and lots of fun in the bargain&” (The New York Times). The majestic ocean liner Queen Victoria is halfway through another uneventful transatlantic crossing when bad weather drives most of the passengers to their cabins. Only six have the iron stomachs necessary to take a seat at the captain&’s table. Of those six, one will die—and the rest will make utter fools of themselves. The theft of a reel of top-secret government film sets off a chase involving stolen jewels, massive marionettes, and a corpse that won&’t stay put. Murder has been committed, but the passengers can&’t be sure who&’s dead—and are too busy boozing, fighting, and robbing one another to be bothered. They do embark on an inadvisable attempt at amateur detective work—but every clue they turn up drives them deeper into madness. It will take the timely intervention of Dr. Gideon Fell to cut through the insanity and unmask a killer. John Dickson Carr wrote some of the most brilliant mystery novels of the golden age of detective fiction, and this book shows him at his funniest. As Anthony Boucher warned, &“Never was a reader more bedeviled with distractions from detection. Who observes clues while he&’s wiping his laughter-streaming eyes?&” The Blind Barber is the 4th book in the Dr. Gideon Fell Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Murder Crossed: A Clara Gamadge Mystery (The Clara Gamadge Mysteries #5)
by Eleanor BoylanIt's been a long time since Clara Gamadge's school days, but forever young at heart she still has close ties to the old gang and her alma mater, Wolcott Academy. Springtime on campus is usually a time of winding down and wrapping up until suddenly murder and suspense are the only subjects on anyone's mind. Usually when Clara receives a note from Louise Littleton, Wolcott's youthful and sprightly headmistress, it's just to keep in touch, but this time it concerns mysterious circumstances. Margo Llewelyn, formerly an Academy charity student, now a movie star of former and fading glory, has arrived at Wolcott's doorsteps in desperate straits. In a panic, she begs Louise to accept her three little girls as boarding students so she can immediately get out of the country. Louise has encountered parents anxious to part with their children before but this seemed especially odd. When a dead body breaks up commencement ceremonies it's time for Clara Gamadge to put the pieces together. What misfortune had caused Margo's shining star to sink so low? Would more blood tarnish Wolcott's ivy-covered walls? Only a super sleuth like Clara could sift through the avarice, the malice and the motives to solve a murder like this and save the good name of her beloved Wolcott Academy too.
The Haitian Trilogy: Plays
by Derek WalcottThree plays by the Nobel-laureate Derek Walcott, brought together for the first time in The Haitian TrilogyIn the history plays that comprise The Haitian Trilogy--Henri Christophe, Drums and Colours and The Haytian Earth--Derek Walcott, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, uses verse to tell the story of his native West Indies as a four-hundred-year cycle of war, conquest and rebellion.In Henri Christophe and The Haytian Earth, Walcott re-casts the legacy of Haiti's violent revolutionaries--led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, Jean Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe--whose rebellion established the first black state in the Americas, but whose cruelty becomes a parable of racial pride and corruption. Drums and Colours, commissioned in 1958 to celebrate the first parliament in Trinidad, is a grand pageant linking the lives of complex, ambiguous heroes: Columbus and Raleigh; Toussaint; and George William Gordon, a martyr of the constitutional era.From Henri Christophe's high style to the bracing vernacular of The Haytian Earth, to the epic scale and scope of Drums and Colours, in these plays Walcott, one of our most celebrated poets, carved a place in the modern theater for the history of the West Indies, and a sounding room for his own maturing voice.
Staging Contemplation: Participatory Theology in Middle English Prose, Verse, and Drama
by Eleanor JohnsonWhat does it mean to contemplate? In the Middle Ages, more than merely thinking with intensity, it was a religious practice entailing utter receptiveness to the divine presence. Contemplation is widely considered by scholars today to have been the highest form of devotional prayer, a rarified means of experiencing God practiced only by the most devout of monks, nuns, and mystics. Yet, in this groundbreaking new book, Eleanor Johnson argues instead for the pervasiveness and accessibility of contemplative works to medieval audiences. By drawing together ostensibly diverse literary genres—devotional prose, allegorical poetry, cycle dramas, and morality plays—Staging Contemplation paints late Middle English contemplative writing as a broad genre that operated collectively and experientially as much as through radical individual disengagement from the world. Johnson further argues that the contemplative genre played a crucial role in the exploration of the English vernacular as a literary and theological language in the fifteenth century, tracing how these works engaged modes of disfluency—from strained syntax and aberrant grammar, to puns, slang, code-switching, and laughter—to explore the limits, norms, and potential of English as a devotional language. Full of virtuoso close readings, this book demonstrates a sustained interest in how poetic language can foster a participatory experience of likeness to God among lay and devotional audiences alike.
The Long Way Back: Afghanistan's Quest for Peace (Wayfarers Ser.)
by Chris AlexanderChristopher Alexander, Canadian’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, offers an inside look at Afghanistan recent history, and delivers a blueprint for transforming the troubled country into a viable nation. Alexander draws on expertise gained over five years on the ground in Afghanistan, chronicling the country’s initial successes following the Afghan War, the setbacks it incurred thanks to a resurgent Taliban, and the tenuous stability that multilateral diplomacy has brought the war-torn yet rebuilding nation. Readers of Ahmed Rashid’s Descent into Chaos and Alex Berenson’s Lost in Kandahar will find no more penetrating insight into Afghanistan’s past, present, and future than Christopher Alexander’s probing, expert dissection of a nation at war with itself: The Long Way Back.
Glory: Glory And Triumph (The Old Florida Series #5)
by Heather GrahamIn this Civil War romance by the New York Times– and USA Today–bestselling author, a Florida woman suspected of witchcraft reawakens a Rebel doctor&’s heart. Julian McKenzie, a surgeon and makeshift colonel, is at the end of his rope. He&’s trapped deep in the South with his Rebel platoon, and their supplies and morale are running low. But while fleeing from an attack, he finds salvation in a most unusual form: a run-down plantation. Inside, widow Rhiannon Tremaine, a Union sympathizer, practices what the locals describe as witchcraft. In reality, Rhiannon is a gifted healer and medic. Still, she does have a bit of magic in her. In the fifth book of her Florida Civil War series, bestselling author Heather Graham evokes a treacherous world of divided loyalties. Rhiannon has the gift of second sight, and while she used to welcome her visions, now her dreams only give her pain. In Julian, though, she may have found someone to change them . . . if the war doesn&’t conspire to rip the two apart.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Heather Graham, including rare photos from the author&’s personal collection.
The Beggar Bride: A Novel
by Gillian WhiteDesperate for a new life, a London woman engineers a cunning deception &“in this tangled tale that twists and turns up to the very end&” (Booklist). Angela Harper&’s life has never been simple. She&’s an orphan who spent her childhood in foster homes. Her handsome, charming husband Billy can&’t hold down a job. And they&’re both stuck in a grimy London flat with no prospects for their future beyond the periodic welfare check. That is, until Ange concocts a lie that will change their lives. Her con targets the wealthy, twice-divorced businessman Fabian Ormerod, whom, with the approval of her husband, she is determined to trick into a very advantageous marriage—with a quick divorce to follow. Gillian White&’s cutting, sardonic style unfurls in The Beggar Bride, as she needles England&’s stiff upper crust, the titans of business, and the idle poor below them.
Provenance and Early Cinema (Early Cinema in Review: Proceedings of Domitor)
by Joanne Bernardi, Paolo Cherchi Usai, Tami Williams and Joshua YumibeRemnants of early films often have a story to tell. As material artifacts, these film fragments are central to cinema history, perhaps more than ever in our digital age of easy copying and sharing. If a digital copy is previewed before preservation or is shared with a researcher outside the purview of a film archive, knowledge about how the artifact was collected, circulated, and repurposed threatens to become obscured. When the question of origin is overlooked, the story can be lost. Concerned contributors in Provenance and Early Cinema challenge scholars digging through film archives to ask, "How did these moving images get here for me to see them?" This volume, which features the conference proceedings from Domitor, the International Society for the Study of Early Cinema, 2018, questions preservation, attribution, and patterns of reuse in order to explore singular artifacts with long and circuitous lives.
Nietzsche's Enlightenment: The Free-Spirit Trilogy of the Middle Period
by Paul FrancoWhile much attention has been lavished on Friedrich Nietzsche’s earlier and later works, those of his so-called middle period have been generally neglected, perhaps because of their aphoristic style or perhaps because they are perceived to be inconsistent with the rest of his thought. With Nietzsche’s Enlightenment, Paul Franco gives this crucial section of Nietzsche’s oeuvre its due, offering a thoughtful analysis of the three works that make up the philosopher’s middle period: Human, All too Human; Daybreak; and The Gay Science. It is Nietzsche himself who suggests that these works are connected, saying that their “common goal is to erect a new image and ideal of the free spirit.” Franco argues that in their more favorable attitude toward reason, science, and the Enlightenment, these works mark a sharp departure from Nietzsche’s earlier, more romantic writings and differ in important ways from his later, more prophetic writings, beginning with Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The Nietzsche these works reveal is radically different from the popular image of him and even from the Nietzsche depicted in much of the secondary literature; they reveal a rational Nietzsche, one who preaches moderation instead of passionate excess and Dionysian frenzy. Franco concludes with a wide-ranging examination of Nietzsche’s later works, tracking not only how his outlook changes from the middle period to the later but also how his commitment to reason and intellectual honesty in his middle works continues to inform his final writings.
The National Environmental Policy Act: An Agenda for the Future
by Lynton Keith Caldwell"The National Environmental Policy Act has grown more, not less, important in the decades since its enactment. No one knows more about NEPA than Lynton Caldwell. And no one has a clearer vision of its relevance to our future. Highly recommended." —David W. Orr, Oberlin CollegeWhat has been achieved since the National Environmental Policy Act was passed in 1969? This book points out where and how NEPA has affected national environmental policy and where and why its intent has been frustrated. The roles of Congress, the President, and the courts in the implementation of NEPA are analyzed. Professor Caldwell also looks at the conflicted state of public opinion regarding the environment and conjectures as to what must be done in order to develop a coherent and sustained policy.
Plastic Jesus
by Poppy Z. BriteThe 1960's brought Seth and Payton all they'd fantasized about—perfect friendships, a successful four-man band, and most importantly, each other. Together they embarked on a tour that brought them stimulating highs and shattering lows, and they prospered and suffered in one another's arms. The two men carried each other and carried a group that created both a history and a future for rock. But at some point their music blurred with the news of their love and the world was faced with the choice to embrace its heroes or revert back to its deep-rooted prejudices.
The Unfinished Odyssey of Robert Kennedy: A Biography
by David Halberstam&“Far and away the best book written about Senator Kennedy&” from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author (The New York Times). Structured around the 1968 Democratic presidential campaign, The Unfinished Odyssey of Robert Kennedy offers an in-depth exploration of Robert Kennedy, both as a man and a politician. Kennedy&’s mass appeal to minority groups, his antiwar stance, and his support from Catholics made him unlike any other politician of his stature in the late 1960s. Acclaimed journalist David Halberstam dives into Kennedy&’s career, covering his work as US attorney general and campaign manager for his brother John, his run for a New York state senate seat, and his candidacy in the 1968 Democratic presidential primary. Through this crucial period, he charts Kennedy&’s evolution as one of the nation&’s most clear-headed progressives, ultimately revealing a man who—even now—personifies the shift toward a more equal America. This ebook features an illustrated biography of David Halberstam including rare images from the author&’s estate.
Big City Girl
by Charles WilliamsHer husband in jail, a desperate young woman takes refuge among sharecroppersOnce, Cass Neely&’s farm stretched across the entire valley, but decades of bad decisions and rotten luck have forced him to sell off nearly every inch. He and his son farm the meager remains of a once-great property, living in a grim downward spiral—until Cass&’s daughter-in-law, Joy, moves in. She&’s by far the most beautiful thing this county has ever seen, but she&’s flat broke since her husband, Sewell, was put away for armed robbery. She&’s also prickly, lazy, and vain—traits that don&’t sit well with hardscrabble living—and it isn&’t long before she starts to get a violent case of cabin fever. As the rains bear down and the river starts to threaten the cotton, Sewell escapes from police custody and heads for home. Come hell or high water, the Neely family will stick together, even if it means disaster.
The Lyra Novels: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, The Harp of Imach Thyssel, Caught in Crystal, and The Raven Ring (The Lyra Novels #5)
by Patricia C. Wrede&“High-style fantasy and adventure&” in the complete Lyra series by the author of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles (The New York Times).Shadow Magic: While Alkyra&’s noblemen squabble, an ancient enemy, the Lithmern, raises an army. And as the head of the Noble House of Brenn attempts to organize an alliance, the princess Alethia celebrates her twentieth birthday. She is quick-witted, beautiful, and handy with a throwing knife. But on the next night, she passes through a dark corridor on her way to the banquet hall, and never emerges from the shadows. The Lithmern have kidnapped the princess. To find her way home, Alethia will have to learn to trust in the old tales, whose legends of magic and daring hold the only hope of saving her kingdom. Daughter of Witches: There is no worse time to visit Drinn than during the Midwinter Festival, when the city gates are sealed so that no outsider can witness the temple&’s secret rituals. In an inn, where a young woman named Ranira works as an indentured servant for a brutal innkeeper, three guests have overstayed their welcome. Attempting to protect Ranira from her master&’s cruelty, the three reveal their magical powers and attract the attention of the temple guards. Now, to save her new friends from certain death, Ranira must unleash the power that cost her parents their lives. The Harp of Imach Thyssel: When Emereck and Flindaran leave a caravan in search of adventure, it isn&’t long before they stumble upon great danger. Emereck, a trained minstrel, and Flindaran, a nobleman masquerading as a tramp, have found a long-abandoned castle, and in it, one of Lyra&’s most sought-after treasures: the Harp of Imach Thyssel. To keep it from falling into the wrong hands, Emereck will have to learn to harness its strength to create and destroy, with the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance. Caught in Crystal: For more than a decade, Kayl has run a modest country inn. She opened it with her husband, and they managed it together until a summer illness took him away, leaving her alone with their two children. The three of them get by, living happily together as the years pass, but everything changes the day a sorceress named Corrana asks for a room. Now, to save her family and her world, Kayl will have to unlock a side of herself that she buried long ago. The Raven Ring: When Eleret&’s mother is killed, she must travel to reclaim the belongings her mother left behind. The overland journey to the city of Ciaron is treacherous, but Eleret has no fear. She straps a dagger to her leg and sets off to recover one of her mother&’s prized possessions: a ring etched with a raven. Eleret doesn&’t know what&’s special about her mother&’s ring, but someone wanted it badly enough to kill for it. And to make it home in one piece, she&’ll need to unlock the mysteries of the ring her mother died to protect.
The Return of Little Big Man: A Novel (Isis Cassettes Ser. #2)
by Thomas BergerThe legendary Jack Crabb takes another riotous romp through the Old West in an acclaimed novel that&’s &“impressive and delightful . . . very Mark Twain&” (Daily News, New York). Jack Crabb is now 112 years old, and he isn&’t done spinning yarns. In this sequel to Berger&’s beloved novel Little Big Man, one of literature&’s wiliest survivors continues his breathtaking tall tales of the Old West.Crabb claims to have witnessed most of the great historical events of the western frontier: hiding behind a wagon after a drunken Doc Holliday provokes the shootout at the OK Corral; joining Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley on tour with their international Wild West show; even taking tea with Queen Victoria when she came out of seclusion after a quarter century. No matter where Crabb lays his hat, he keeps his wizened, wry, and sharp commentary at the ready. The Return of Little Big Man is a sidesplitting novel of surprising emotional depth.This ebook features an all-new introduction by Thomas Berger, as well as an illustrated biography of the author including rare images and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection.
TekLab (The TekWar Series #3)
by William ShatnerJake Cardigan hunts an assassin bent on killing civil servants in this sci-fi thriller by the iconic Star Trek actor and New York Times–bestselling author. A French diplomat is walking alone down a darkened Paris side street, when a killer emerges from the shadows. He stuns the Frenchman, cuts his body into quarters, and leaves a note that reads: &“This is for Brazil!&” It is the ninth murder in this fashion in the last two months—a string of round-the-world killings that strikes fear into the hearts of all those connected with the bloody Brazilian wars of the past decade. But as private eye Jake Cardigan is about to discover, the culprit is far more treacherous than the average serial killer. As he makes his way through Europe&’s seamy corners, Cardigan begins to suspect that the trail of death may lead back to his old nemeses, the drug kingpins known as Teklords. As international peace teeters in the balance, Cardigan must stop the murders or risk being drawn and quartered himself. This ebook features an illustrated biography of William Shatner including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s personal collection.
The Japanese Fairy Book
by Yei Theodora OzakiThe original classic collection where a biracial Japanese woman made her adopted homeland’s fairy tales her own. Yei Theodora Ozaki had a 19th century British upbringing, but embraced her Eastern heritage once she moved to Japan at sixteen. Refusing to marry, she made her own way and fell in love with the folklore of her new home. The Japanese Fairy Book became the first of many collections she adapted to bridge her two cultures and share these treasured stories with the English-speaking world. Marvel at the Dragon King and his palace under the sea. Awe over Princess Moonlight outwitting every would-be suitor to stay with her elderly foster parents. Cheer on Momotaro, the boy born from a peach who fights ogres with his trusty animal companions. Explore the age of giants and gods with wise Empress Jokwa as she defends her kingdom from a tyrannical wizard. Whimsical and tragic, epic and frightening, Ozaki’s translations of cunning creatures, brave samurai, royal dramas, and folk adventures from a bygone era will enchant readers of any age.
A Fine Red Rain (Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov Mysteries #4)
by Stuart M. KaminskyTension runs high as a Moscow cop investigates murder under the big top—from the Edgar Award–winning &“Ed McBain of Mother Russia&” (Kirkus Reviews). Porfiry Rostnikov was one of the top detectives in Moscow—until he crossed the KGB. On the orders of the secret service, this bulldog cop is busted down to the minor crimes unit, where his talents are utterly wasted. When a drunk climbs the statue of Nikolai Gogol in Arbat Square and threatens to kill himself, Rostnikov tries to talk the man down. But with a perfect somersault, acrobat Valerian Duznetzov leaps from the statue—the final jump of a storied career. Across town, Duznetzov&’s partner, Oleg, practices his trapeze routine high above the circus floor. After letting go of the bars and going into a perfect double flip, Oleg falls, expecting the net to catch him. But the net has been sabotaged, and Oleg dies. As Rostnikov digs into this strange pair of deaths, he finds dark secrets inside the Moscow circus—secrets sure to grab the attention of his old friends at the KGB. &“The shrewd, temperate Inspector Rostnikov . . . himself is like an acrobat on the high wire without a net, a target of both his jealous supervisor and the unknown murderer . . . This witty, intricate thriller reaches a suspenseful finale in the center ring under the Moscow Circus Big Top.&” —Publishers Weekly
Broken as Things Are: A Novel
by Martha WittFrom the day that Morgan-Lee is born, her extraordinarily beautiful and withdrawn older brother, Ginx, is obsessed by her. Inhabiting their own parallel world, the two communicate through a secret language and make-believe stories; when Morgan-Lee begins to explore friendships beyond their closed circle, however, Ginx becomes increasingly disturbed. In luminous prose, Martha Witt explores the intense and private world inhabited by these siblings and the inevitable and necessary pain of their separation.
Inner Tube: A Novel
by Hob BrounAfter a family tragedy, a man chases consolation—or is it oblivion?—by traveling through some seedy locales of place and spiritEarly on in Hob Broun&’s second novel, the mother of the unnamed narrator, a failed actress, commits suicide by putting her head through a television. That fact, together with our hero&’s desire for his ex-girlfriend&’s older sister, prompts a radical departure as he quits his job cataloging old television shows and sets off on a westward journey. Pursuing solace in unlikely places, he embarks on a string of just-as-unlikely romances, including ones with a motel maid and an archaeology professor. But can anything distract him from the painful emptiness within? In the desert, finally free of society, a self-reckoning awaits.Bracing in its vision, Inner Tube is a fearless and often bitingly funny novel about what happens when our civilized veneers are shed.
Fighting Blind: A Green Beret's Story of Extraordinary Courage
by Ivan Castro Jim DeFeliceFighting was a practiced routine for Lieutenant Ivan Castro. But when a mortar round struck the rooftop of his sniper’s post in Iraq, he found himself in a battle more difficult than even he could have imagined. The direct hit killed two other soldiers and nearly claimed Castro’s life as well. Mangled by shrapnel and badly burned, Castro was medevac’d to Germany more dead than alive. His lungs were collapsed. He couldn’t hear. One eye had been blown out, the nerve to the other severed.In the weeks and months that followed, Castro would find that physical darkness was nothing compared to the emotional darkness of loss and despair. Desperate for a reason to live, he eventually fought his way back to health through exercise and a single-minded goal: running a marathon. Once he set his course, there was no stopping him. Stubborn to a point that at times bordered on insanity, he managed not only to recover but to return to active duty. Since 2007, he has run over two dozen marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2013, where he was one of the runners diverted when the bombs exploded.Today, Castro helps prepare soldiers for combat, working exactly as if he were “sighted.” Fighting Blind, this frankly told account of his struggle through adversity, the highs and lows and the always bumpy road in between, is a story of hope and perseverance against the odds: an Unbroken for the present generation.
Say Jesus and Come to Me: A Novel
by Ann Allen ShockleyThe physical and emotional attraction a charismatic black female evangelist feels for a beautiful but damaged blues singer grows into a powerful, sensual love in a southern city rocked by racism, intolerance, and sexual violenceThe traveling minister Reverend Myrtle Black is a proud, strong African American woman, passionately devoted to God, justice, and intimate female contact. Enraged over a brutal assault on two young prostitutes, the good pastor comes to Nashville intending to organize local women in protest over the racism and sexism the city&’s officials seem all too eager to ignore. Then, in the course of her crusade, a beautiful, profoundly damaged stranger walks through the church door . . . and turns Myrtle&’s life upside down.A world-famous rhythm-and-blues singer, Travis Lee has experienced more than her share of pain and heartbreak. Having hit rock bottom—burned out on drugs and stuck in her latest very bad relationship—she comes to Reverend Myrtle seeking the kind of hope and salvation only Jesus can bring. What she experiences instead is a profound and powerful physical and emotional attraction that neither she nor the minister can ignore. But in the media spotlight, in this town where intolerance rules, a love such as theirs is a most dangerous thing, inspiring the hatred and violence of those who would go to any lengths to destroy it.
Eat, Drink and Be Buried: A Healthy Place To Die; Eat, Drink And Be Buried; Roux The Day; And Dine And Die On The Danube Express (The Gourmet Detective Mysteries #6)
by Peter KingWhen a jousting match at a medieval fair turns into old-fashioned murder, the Gourmet Detective sets out to unmask the killer. At Sir Gerald&’s medieval festival, the castle is authentic, the jousting is rousing, and the wenches are the sauciest in the land. The only thing missing is decent food. And so Sir Gerald calls in London&’s gourmet detective, an expert food finder, whose specialties include locating rare ingredients, designing historically accurate menus, and solving the occasional murder. And all three skills will be tested if he is to escape the age of chivalry alive. After the day&’s first joust, the winning knight falls to the ground, poisoned. Someone is trying to exterminate the gentry of this ersatz fiefdom, and it will take a sure palate and a strong stomach to find out who. To save his own head, the detective must contend with flooding dungeons, stray arrows, and a cast of dwarf knights—all while struggling to design a menu fit for a king.
Amnesiascope: A Novel
by Steve EricksonA washed-up novelist navigates the dreamscape of a cataclysm-ravaged Los Angeles In the apocalyptic Los Angeles of Amnesiascope, time zones multiply freely, spectral figures roam the streets, and rings of fire separate the city from the rest of the country. The narrator, a former novelist, lives in a hotel and writes film criticism for a newspaper whose offices are located in a bombed-out theater. Viv, his girlfriend, is a sexually voracious artist, and together the two are collaborating on an avant-garde pornographic film. But in this world, what&’s real and what&’s merely the conjuring of the protagonist&’s imagination—obsessed with dreams, movies, sex, and remembrance—is far from clear. At once outrageous and hypnotically lyrical, Amnesiascope enflames the reader&’s memory.