Collected Stories

“Shiner doesn’t work through dazzle, diversion, or sleight of hand. His prose is a model of clarity. When you come to the end of a story, you know what happened; you know how Shiner feels about it. The power seldom arises in trick and technique, but is located instead in voice and conviction. He is not the sort of writer who keeps an ironic distance. His work is more the heartfelt sort... The emotional world of these stories feels very like the real world to me.” – from the introduction by Karen Joy Fowler

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Containing 41 stories and extensive author’s notes, Collected Stories is the definitive compilation of Shiner’s short work. His best known stories are all here, including “The War at Home,” “Twilight Time,” “The Circle,” “Perfidia,” and “Mozart in Mirrorshades,” as well as a brand new story, “The Death of Che Guevara.”

The limited edition will be accompanied by Widows and Orphans, a chapbook of stories not in the main volume, including: “Deserted Cities of the Heart,” (short story version), “How I Won the War on Drugs,” (with Bruce Sterling) “The Shoemaker’s Tale,” “Like the Gentle Rain,” and “You Never Know.”

Contents:

• Perfidia
• Stuff of Dreams
• The War at Home
• Straws
• Nine Hard Questions about the Nature of the Universe
• White City
• Primes
• The Long Ride Out
• Sitcom
• The Death of Che Guevara
• His Girlfriend’s Dog
• Deep Without Pity
• The Circle
• Twilight Time
• Jeff Beck
• Wild for You
• Till Human Voices Wake Us
• Flagstaff
• Tommy and the Talking Dog
• Oz
• Love in Vain
• Steam Engine Time
• Kings of the Afternoon
• Sticks
• The Tale of Mark the Bunny
• The Killing Season
• Scales
• Snowbirds
• Match
• Relay
• Castles Made of Sand
• Prodigal Son
• Mozart in Mirrorshades (with Bruce Sterling)
• Kidding Around
• Mystery Train
• Secrets
• Golfing Vietnam
• Stompin’ at the Savoy
• Gold
• Dirty Work
• Lizard Men of Los Angeles
• Author’s Notes