The author says: "The stories in this collection are an outgrowth of my lamentable childhood, as well as a reflection of those things in life which I found fascinating--in that they could mentally take me away from the horror of my daily life, and at least on the level of imagination offer me something worth waking up each morning for. Thus, the universes in this collection center around outsiders, artists, and freaks (be they natural-born or self-made); some of the stories are interconnected, but also designed to stand alone. I've included afterwords for each to shine additional light on both the works and their cultural personal inspirations. But more than a collection, to me this volume is a glimpse into my creative soul--and as such, it may not be perfect, it might not even be logical, but it is what I am, love it or hate it." Six cutting-edge stories of a bizarre, near-future America, a mix of strange cultures and curious characters, featuring tattoo artists, origami masters, Irezumi, the De Novo Shinkansen, Qatmandude...and the Blue Moon Roach Hotel!