This collected work of fiction can be divided into two parts. The larger portion is a series of loosely related short stories. The remainder is an excerpt from a novel-in-progress.
The short stories have no specific thematic or tonal connection. They employ both first and third person narratives. Certain stories are high concept and deliberately stylized. Others are grittier and more naturalistic in style and tone. The subject matter ranges from foster parents dealing with a horrific brood of children, to the downfall of a high-tech start-up company in Silicon Valley, to the untimely fate of two lovers who meet right before the world falls apart.
The common thread weaving these stories together arises from the complex and morally ambiguous nature of the situations that the protagonists encounter. They tend to find themselves thrust into scenarios where traditional morality breaks down and even the best possible outcome leaves someone disappointed, or at least confused. Despite the often bleak subject matter, many of these stories employ humor to temper (or at times sharpen) the effect of the grim settings.
The novel excerpt is based on a true story. It deals with a Russian scientist in the early 1920s who was ordered by the Soviet government to interbreed humans and chimpanzees. The goal was to deal a blow to the politically powerful Russian Orthodox Church. The novel takes the form of an early twentieth century Frankenstein and tackles the question of what it means to be human.