In all of science fiction, there has never been a writer like R.A. Lafferty, the highly acclaimed author of Past Masters and Fourth Mansions. His people are heroic, foolish, demonic or mischievous, but always unpredictable, and his stories soar with imagination even while they chuckle at themselves. Here at last are the finest of Lafferty's shorter works, stories about: A man who found one day that he knew everyone in the world. A race who kept their most ancient ancestors on shelves in the basements. A speeded-up world where a man could earn and lose a dozen fortunes a night. A friendly bearlike creature named Snuffles who said he was God. ...in all, twenty-one immensely enjoyable stories that will continue to delight you long after you've read them.