In the tradition of Borges and Calvino, The Musical Illusionist is an interwoven collection of postmodern folk tales—disappearing manuscripts, neurological anomalies, teleporting bacteria, and an unforgettable composer who manipulates sound to bend perception—that masterfully blends scientific curiosity with magical-realist caprice. Alex Rose has published stories and essays for McSweeney’s, the North American Review, The Providence Journal, the Forward, The ScienceCreative Quarterly, and DIAGRAM . He has also directed a number of short films that have appeared on HBO, MTV, Comedy Central, Showtime, and the BBC.