Dogs in the Moonlight

Dogs in the Moonlight_ showcases yet another of the powerful voices of one of speculative fiction's hottest new writers. Less than three years after his first publication, Jay Lake has already been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award, the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award. His stories, appearing in dozens of markets worldwide, have been translated into five languages. This collection of mixed reprints and new work focuses on Lake's Texas roots. He covers old myths and new from the Lone Star state, with tales of ghosts, angels, gods and aliens. Visit the past, present and future, and learn the truth about flying saucers from the writer that Locus magazine has called "one of SF's fastest rising talents."

"Considered one of the rising young stars of fantasy fiction, the prolific Lake amply demonstrates his talent in his second story collection (after 2003's Greetings from Lake Wu). Set in the author's home state of Texas, these 16 tales mostly involve down-and-out types, illiterates and no-goods, people who devote their time to drinking, fornicating and just holding on. High points include the arresting title tale, a ghostly yarn of adultery and revenge; 'The Oxygen Man,' which imagines a future where the poor live in plastic-sheeted hovels, hoarding the tokens needed to purchase breathable air; 'The Goat Cutter,' which details a young man's unfortunate meeting with the devil; 'Naked and Homeless on Golgotha,' in which a schizophrenic has a similarly unfortunate encounter with Christ; and 'Pax Agricola,' which concerns the dangers inherent in too much good luck and explains why one should never purchase one's vegetable seeds from hippies. By turns horrific and hilariously funny (or both), these beautifully written stories feature strong characters, a well-delineated sense of place and a powerfully skewed vision of the world. Forecast: Having corralled a John W. Campbell Award, as well as Hugo and World Fantasy nominations, Lake could win more major awards with this outstanding effort. A blurb from Alex Irvine will alert his fans." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)