"[The author] brings vividly to life the slow and quietly terrifying collapse of our known, everyday world. In stories touched by the fantastical and the strange, and filled with humor, irony, and menace, [he] illuminates the nightmarish side of our ordinary existence"--Amazon.com.

"Originally published in Great Britain in 1965 by Calder and Boyars Ltd."--Title page verso. "Preface by Kevin Brockmeier"--Cover.

The collapse of the Baliverna --Catastrophe -- The epidemic -- The landslide -- Just the very thing they wanted -- Oversight -- The monster -- Seven floors -- The march of time -- The alarming revenge of a domestic pet -- And yet they are knocking at your door -- Something beginning with "L" -- The slaying of the dragon -- The opening of the road -- The Scala scare -- Humility -- The war song -- The egg -- The enchanted coat -- The saints.