This collection of tightly crafted, highly imaginative short stories employs surrealist, satirical, and fantastical devices to explore politics, class, and gender. From a hilarious tale about bioengineering and the stresses of climbing the corporate ladder to an evocative story of a woman who loses a sock at the the laundromat and finds she's missing a bit of her soul, these science fiction stories showcase an award-winning writer's compelling vision of the universe. Computer pioneers, cross-country skiers, and aliens figure into these literary stories that challenge the boundaries of imagination with quirky, anti-establishment characters and visionary technological extrapolation.

Contents:

• Stable Strategies for Middle Management
• Coming to Terms
• The Sock Story
• Lichen and Rock
• Contact
• Fellow Americans
• Computer Friendly
• What Are Friends For?
• Spring Conditions
• Nirvana High (with Leslie What)
• Green Fire (with Andy Duncan, Pat Murphy, and Michael Swanwick)
• a recipe for Ideologically Labile Fruit Crisp