An NYRB Classics Original
Robert Sheckley was an eccentric master of the American short story, and
his tales, whether set in dystopic cityscapes, ultramodern advertising
agencies, or aboard spaceships lighting out for hostile planets, are
among the most startlingly original of the twentieth century. Today, as
the new worlds, alternate universes, and synthetic pleasures Sheckley
foretold become our reality, his vision begins to look less absurdist
and more prophetic. This retrospective selection, chosen by Jonathan
Lethem and Alex Abramovich, brings together the best of Sheckley's
deadpan farces, proving once again that he belongs beside such mordant
critics of contemporary mores as Bruce Jay Friedman, Terry Southern, and
Thomas Pynchon.