What to label this? Hmmm. I really can't so don't back me in a corner. There was so much going on in each entry, I challenge anyone to pigeonhole this as one type of book--Science Fiction, fantasy, horror, porno, humor. You name it, these stories had components of just about everything.

This is a compilation of the most unique short stories I do believe I've ever read. Intelligent and philosophical--mostly futuristic (I think), I found myself really having to slow down and process the words, the sentences, the paragraphs because there were great chunks of individual stories I know I didn't have the intellect to really appreciate. Not that I'm some lobototard, but it's obvious that Mr. Mamatas is well read and has had numerous interesting life experiences to draw from.

My favorite stories from the book were: "The Pitch"; "Build A Trebuchet"; "Humanitarian Intervention"; "To-Do List"' "The Bloodied Woman"; and, the novella right at the end, "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son." I won't even begin to try and analyze any of these. I say read them yourself and get your own message from each. Because, I do believe, ten people could be locked in a room and read each story and there would be ten different ideas about what the story was about.

Not an easy book to breeze through. This one demands a slow pace and your rapt attention. ( )