These are the stories of the lost and lonely, the alcoholic and the criminal, the deviant and the poor. They are told with a sad absurdist wit that is utterly refreshing. The storytelling is excellent, very conversational and down-to-earth. This is an approachable work that deals with very complex ideas and issues. High Carb Diet, the lead-off story, is about an entry level office drone who discovers that his life is, quite literally, a joke. Cold Dead Hands follows a married couple who swings, sexually speaking, over to the dark side and into obsession, murder, and mutilation. Four Twenty is about the most unusual armed robbery in history, but it's much more than that. The 21 tales contained in this book explore ennui, meaninglessness, and conventional modern life with humor and sympathy, rage and sadness. Michael Kindt is one of the most unique authors to come along in many years.