Dreamer's Dozen

The author of The Comic Book Killer offers up twelve tales of mystery, magic, and grouchiness—served with a liberal dash of sarcasm and cynicism. A woman’s birthday celebration becomes a prelude to murder; an absinthe-minded author seeks inspiration from a bottle; a rare volume could destroy the love/hate relationship of two book dealers; an interplanetary romance is threatened by the untimely intervention of the Scorpion Men of Mars; and that’s just the beginning! These stories leap from planet to planet, down dark avenues of hatred, and curl up in cozy nostalgic places.

Stories include: "Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!" (a woman's "celebration" become a prelude to murder), "The Green Fairy," "Sisoh Promatem" ("Tip o’ the tam to Franz Kafka," says Lupoff), "Uncle Elmer" (a World War II veteran's tall tale is dissected with some disturbing revelations); "Greetings from Comrade Kim," "Night Lands Dream," "The Salamanca Encounter," (a tip o’ the tam to H.P. Lovercraft), "Scorpion Men of Venus" — (Homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs), "Dead of Winter" (Rex Stout homage). ALSO: Three "Tales of the Tin Can World," originally presented in Rigel science fiction magazine — "Lux Was Dead Right," in which a rare volume threatens to destroy the love/hate friendship of two book dealers; "Transtemporal Creatures Unlimited" and "Joe Nieman’s Knees" (he was a great ballplayer in his time ... but that was long ago ...) In this collection of stories—many of which appear for the first time in Dreamer's Dozen—Lupoff spins his wackiest and most wonderful tales.