Stories of schizophrenic cities, technocratic rule, and mistaken identities by the Hugo Award–winning author of When Gravity Falls. In these eleven short stories by speculative fiction master George Alec Effinger, New York's populace must deal with the realities of a bi-polar existence; patients' brains are cut to tiny pieces in a clinical search for the medical definition of bliss; a little child's natural fear of the dark is exploded into new mind-bending phobias and a cartoon favorite pays a personal visit to an aging, aching fan. Humor, sheer audacity, and an eclectic array of human fears and expectations placed against each other all make this collection a perfect representation of Effinger's unique voice. He is a truly remarkable talent and one not to be missed.