Twelve stories of dark futures and odd imaginings to catch your breath and unhinge your mind: these stories deliver what Marianne Moore called, "Imaginary gardens with real toads." Though "The Mountain and The Vortex" - the novella that gives this collection its name - is a complex tale, intricately interlaced with historical allusions and genre-jumping subplots, it remains imminently readable. These are the works of a true storyteller, and are accompanied by seventeen mind-bending illustrations by masters of the craft. Séquanon flew backward in time and crashed into the eye of God. The impact sent him swinging wildly in his hammock. The instrument panels went blank and a moment later displayed data that made no sense. The stasis generators had disengaged before he'd reached his destination. Drones deployed and transmitted exterior views to the monitors. It appeared that his ship had lodged in the side of a mountain...