Neurotica

Within these sixteen short stories you will travel into another dimension - a dimension of the mind. A journey into a fantastic realm where imagination knows no bounds. Where dreams and reality make strange bedfellows and logic and madness fight for the blanket. That's the signpost up ahead— your next stop, Neurotica!Bring a pot of absurdity to a boil then add liberal doses of humour, two cups surrealism, and a pinch of mystery. Mix thoroughly. Separate into sixteen portions, cool to room temperature, sit back and enjoy as a man discovers that the girl of his dreams is definitely not as she appears. A wayward angel stiffs someone for a restaurant bill. Canada is governed by an agreeable and popular polymorphous blob that cannot see, hear, or speak. An innocent man awakens in a courtroom to find himself on trial for spurning a young woman. A guilty man is awakened and handed a package that he ignores at his own peril.Within these sixteen short stories you will travel into another dimension - a dimension of the mind. A journey into a fantastic realm where imagination knows no bounds. Where dreams and reality make strange bedfellows and logic and madness fight for the blanket. That's the signpost up ahead— your next stop, Neurotica!"A symphonic blitzkrieg of fictions that defy categorization. The tales in this deceptively simple collection are carefully sculpted attacks against reader's expectations. Madness, irony, and dark surrealism presented more convincingly than logic, [Neurotica] makes the reader question experience at the very same time that it inspires laughter, dread, and a good, healthy injection of revelation in a world grown numb with recycled wisdom. Never preaching, Straughan's work is all about the joy of story. And isn't that what we really want?"-- William P. Simmons PROJECT PULP"I like the cleanness, point of factness and absurdity of your style. You write as though nothing could be more logical than the illogical events you describe. I have grown to have considerable affection for your naive narrator."-- Tim Lander NANAIMO PUBLISHERS CO-OP"The writing throughout 'Neurotica' is clean and precise, which effectively counters/compliments the fantastic elements of the prose. If you like your fiction soaked in the unusual, look into Straughan’s enigmatic world."-- Matthew Firth BLACK CAT 115"Overall, Straughan has put together an entertaining body of work where his sense of the absurd shines."-- Todd H.C. Fischer IMELOD"Each story has a Twilight Zone quality to it, often ending with a punch line that hit me like a cream pie in the face. Straughan is a writer committed to disseminating his unique vision and it's clear that, with each new anthology he produces, his work gets stronger and more engaging, and I enjoy watching that growth. Kadath Press offers you a rare glimpse into the mind of one of Canada's most interesting surrealist literary talents. Don't miss out on the opportunity!"-- S.R. Duncan RAIN CITY REVIEW"With a healthy sense of the absurd, Straughan's stories reflect our modern predicament and without question represent some of the best writing I've come across in years. Reading the tales included in 'Neurotica Volume II' made me remember the wonders to be found in Gogol's 'The Nose', and Dostoevski's 'Dream of a Ridiculous Man'. Straughan's stories are unique to our common every-day experience, and deserve a larger audience. If you're looking for something different to read this summer, I suggest you give it a try."-- C.F. Kennedy BIBLIOFANTASIAC/NECESSARY PRESS"Neurotica is full of surprising moments, and its absurd and funny style is a refreshing departure from a lot of other work that takes itself too seriously."-- Jennifer LoveGrove WORD