By turns realistic, fantastical, witty, and lyrical, these marvelously uneasy stories are deeply emotional and written in exuberant, pitch-perfect prose. Whether exploring the tensions in a mother-daughter relationship or the finer points of time travel, Galchen is a writer like none other today.

The last order -- The region of unlikeness -- Sticker shock -- American innovations -- Wild berry blue -- The entire northern side was covered with fire -- Real estate -- Dean of the arts -- The late novels of Gene Hackman -- Once an empire.