In Pieces

Written by: KJ Kabza

First line: The first thing Jesper noticed was her parasol, twirling like a ghostly pinwheel beyond the branches and webs.

Why you should read this book: In the fantasy worlds of KJ Kabza, sometimes the ghost saves you, and sometimes you save the ghost; the hero's epic quest is no match for true love, and the holiness of angels is no match for true lust. From the clones of JK Rowling and CS Lewis in the distant future to the shades of Charon and Sisyphus in the mythic past, this collection of previously published short stories offers fresh perspectives on speculative themes and characters you may have seen before, but never quite in this light. When the scientist smashes his time machine after a safe and successful trip to the future, the superhero claims a "guilt-free, socially sanctioned excuse to break shit," after posting his arch-enemy's homemade fetish tapes to YouTube, and small purple dragons live in the bathtub drain and eat soap, you know you've left the mundane world and entered into the author's truly surprising imagination.

Why you shouldn't read this book: In the interest of full disclosure, I am biased toward this book, in no small part because the dedication reads, "For Monica Friedman, who knows it all," and the acknowledgements thank me "for a lifetime of being awesome."

This book is available exclusively on Smashwords: Buy it here.