After Ronald Reagan disappears mysteriously, another California entertainer joins the 1980 primary: Charles Manson. In the summer of 1969, he was discovered by a music promoter and his rise to stardom began. When he turns his attention to politics, his spin doctors go into overdrive to clean up his image as conventional politicians scramble to keep up.Will this musician with a folksy, quirky image breathe a much-needed breath of fresh air into politics? Will nagging questions about...

In this epic tale of thud and blunder, eight youths are wasting a beautiful summer afternoon pretending to be adventurers in a generic medieval-style fantasy world, frequently interrupted by arguing about the role-playing game's prissy rules and driving each other up the wall. When one of them casts a spell for real, what happens next makes one of those corny 1980s books warning about the "dangers" of role-playing games seem like a walk in the park.*** Who says it isn't real?

The sexual revolution changed the face of society, including the game of courtship. The dating scene has become very difficult for most men today, especially for those who aren't aware of the new rules. Relying on outmoded advice, pop cultural conventions, and other misinformation will leave you behind.Some examples of what happens when men act on outdated advice, misconceptions, and lies:Myth: Just be yourself. Result: You never improve.Myth: You're not allowed to s...

By day, Jack works for a petty tyrant at a dead end job. His version of night life is beer and TV at his filthy apartment. His minimalist approach to hygiene leaves him with no social life, so he takes matters into his own hands (for once only figuratively). He gets much more than he bargained for when he answers the ad for "Simulacrum Spanish Fly" in the back of a dirty magazine...-----On Thursday, Jack got a package. It was a box in a Plain Brown Wrapper, just as the ad p...

In 1978, a professor and two wacky Midwestern teens witness a remarkable finding. A worldwide computer network delivers an image from their new space telescope, and they discover proof that aliens once visited our solar system.Soon, they're in more trouble than a gopher at a rattlesnake convention. Little did they know that these sneaky extraterrestrials are back again. Their Open Mankind Foundation Governance is plotting to prepare the world for the "New Galactic Arrangement". Wor...

Two best friends travel to Jerusalem. Religious bickering and romantic rivalry heat things up early on. Then their goofy classmate, traveling with a Christian tour group, goes off the rails and declares himself to be the Second Coming. Then things get much weirder than that on this highly irreverent and politically incorrect adventure. Finally, when evil aliens hell-bent on galactic domination start behaving unpleasantly, the fragile regional peace is in grave danger.Will the frien...

A dorky genius, struggling financially and under his little wifey's thumb, goes for a quick trip to space with his best friend the knuckle-headed linebacker. They take a prototype spaceplane out for a spin. Their plans for a three hour tour are interrupted when the navigational computer gets the Blue Tickertape of Death.They're hopelessly stranded. Worse, the jock ate too many beans. At least the nerd is nowhere near his greedy creditors and especially his control freak wife. Then ...

A couple recently moved into a "master planned gated community", kept up to exacting standards by aerial surveillance, "helpful" bureaucrats, and of course the their vigilant homeowner's association. For some reason, all that doesn't stop urban decay. The constant micromanagement and greedy pencil pushers get to be a little too much for them, especially after being forced to worship a parking meter.This farcical satire of suburbia illustrates that totalitarianism isn't always an ir...

The National Book Award–winning author of The Year of Magical Thinking "capture[s] the mood of America" in this incisive collection of essays.In these eleven essays covering the national scene from Washington, DC; California; and New York, the acclaimed author of Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album confirms her reputation as one of our sharpest and most trustworthy cultural observers.

Whew! After settling all that demonic drama in Gyria, Gourry and I stop by Selentia City for a little sightseeing. There’s just one question on my mind when we get there... What are swordsmen and assassins doing duking it out in the streets of the so-called City of Temples?! Turns out a recent alleged arson-slash-murder has the local church bigwigs at each other’s throats. Men of the cloth, am I right? This is NOT the chill vacation I had in mind, but hey, at least it’s nice, normal human ...

Type:short short-Joe went to sleep one morning not feeling well and woke to find her world turned upside down. She can't contact her friends Tim and Tonya and her neighbor's trying to kill her.

A gutsy, fun-loving, and alarmingly provocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author hailed by Financial Times as “one of the wildest and most entertaining novelists in the world”“Hilarious.”—Milwaukee Journal“A euphoric wonderwork.”—Los Angeles Times“Flat-out fabulous.”—PlayboyAn Arab and a Jew open a restaurant together across the stre...