In the Mail

I arrived home a little later than usual this evening only to find another great surprise in my mailbox.  I've mentioned before how I fell in love with the cover of a little book from the U.K. that collects a bunch of flash fiction from Nik Perring and Caroline Smailes.  Each of the stories is about an otherwise ordinary person who possesses a weird super power of some sort.  The book, as you can see from the cover, is illustrated in comic book style by artist Darren Craske.

The cover, of course, is what first catches the eye.  But now that I have a physical copy of the book in my hands, I can see how it would almost sell itself to those lucky enough to pick it up in a bookstore.  It's quirky, funny, bold...geez, you can provide as many cheesy adjectives as me.  Perhaps, "fun" is the best of them all, and I'll stop with that one.

Even the author introductions are a bit off the wall.  Nick has this to say about himself:

"If Nik could choose a super power he would rather like the ability to type a little faster.  Either that or be able to talk to cats.  He likes cats."

Carolyn explains herself this way:

"If Caroline could choose a super power she would rather like a combination of teleportation, time manipulation, and feet that are roller-skates.  The reasons why, she feels, are obvious." 

While not "officially" available in the U.S. yet, Freaks can be purchased through The Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping) or perhaps through the Amazon U.K. website.  I'm not going to be able to get to this one right away, but it is such an eye-catcher that I'm going to leave it on top my desk as a conversation starter.  My thanks go to Nik for having a copy mailed to me from London; I'm looking forward to it.