How does Kafka's Uncle and Kafka's Uncle: The Unfortunate Sequel begin? Here, for the first time, the terrible secret is revealed In the not too distant future, we find Brusjavik Talorskavich, state-sanctioned, self-proclaimed, "whore-writer" for the Corporate States of America, at a table, waiting to order a meal at the Bay Cafe', overlooking the wonderfully flooded streets of Seattle as a result of the melting of the useless polar caps. As he contemplates his writer-celebrity status and his next award-winning projects, he meets his waiter, a nervous lad by the name of-Anslenot. But while it is obvious to Brusjavik that Anslenot wishes to talk to him, he suspects that Anlsenot is beset by fear. Sure enough, another waiter takes his place and delivers Brusjavik a card from Anslenot. Disgusted with such cowardice, Brusjavik none the less turns the card over to his hack-writing assistant, Bradley Patriot McCroskey to investigate. In this 1984-ish world of fusion of consumerism and ultra-religious ideology now the guiding philosophy of the C.S.A., McCroskey comes to learn that Anslenot is a secret admirer of Kafka. And he finds the notes Anslenot has written for Kafka's Uncle-a novel that the state would find as traitorous and clearly, Anslenot did not have the courage to write it. Yet, McCroskey sees it as so honest and truthful that it must be written. And that task, Bradley Patriot McCroskey realizes, now rests with him. Also included in this book is the novella, 13 MILES TO PARADISE. The Garnett family, on their way to Paradise, a world famous picnic-hiking area at Mt. Rainier in Washington State--well, all was going along just fine until the family got stuck behind a Winnebago trailer. Though no one is saying much to each other, in their heads, they are saying a LOT. Magic realism anybody? Originally published in an anthology titled ALEMBICAL, edited by Lawrence M. Schoen and Arthur Dorrance with work by Jay Lake, James Van Pelt and Ray Vuckcevich, the collection received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Completing the book are twenty other stories, some of which have been previously published.