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Pub date October 16, 2024
Whiskey Tit
ISBN 978-1952600555
Price $18.56 (USD) Paperback
Paisley dives headfirst into the surreal and grotesque, delivering darkly imaginative tales that dissect human nature with unflinching precision. In “I in the Eye,” a boy becomes trapped within the glass eye of his father’s fiancée, witnessing the disconcerting and surreal dynamics of his family from an impossible vantage point. “The Metaphor of the Lakes” follows a girl living in a bizarre, timeless house as she reflects on her fragmented identity and mysterious companions, blurring the line between life and death. “Nancy & Her Man” offers a darkly comedic exploration of a toxic relationship, where love and hatred spiral into absurdity and chaos. “Icarus in Bardot” reimagines the Icarus myth against a surreal backdrop, where ambition and hubris take unexpected forms. In “Mary Alice in the Mirror,” a young woman’s encounter with her reflection leads to a disturbing unraveling of self and a confrontation with existential terror.
The collection delves into life’s darker corners, weaving tales that unearth universal anxieties while maintaining a taut undercurrent of tension. Fantastical elements transform the mundane, uncovering deeper truths about existence. By challenging societal norms and moral boundaries, these stories place characters—and readers—in ethically fraught situations, forcing them to confront unsettling truths. The transgressive edge sharpens the critique of human desires and their consequences, while the uncanny amplifies the collection’s slipstream allure. Blurring the familiar with the alien, these disorienting yet fascinating stories leave a lasting impression. A must-read for fans of finely-constructed, thought-provoking fiction.
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