Subterranean Press proudly presents a major new collection by one of the brightest stars in the literary firmament. Catherynne M. Valente, the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and other acclaimed novels, now brings readers a treasure trove of stories and poems in The Bread We Eat in Dreams.
In the Locus Award-winning novelette “White Lines on a Green Field,” an old story plays out against a high school backdrop as Coyote is quarterback and king for a season. A girl named Mallow embarks on an adventure of memorable and magical politicks in “The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While.” The award-winning, tour de force novella “Silently and Very Fast” is an ancient epic set in a far-flung future, the intimate autobiography of an evolving A.I. And in the title story, the history of a New England town and that of an outcast demon are irrevocably linked.
The thirty-five pieces collected here explore an extraordinary breadth of styles and genres, as Valente presents readers with something fresh and evocative on every page. From noir to Native American myth, from folklore to the final frontier, each tale showcases Valente’s eloquence and originality.
Table of Contents:
The Consultant
White Lines on a Green Field
The Bread We Eat in Dreams
The Melancholy of Mechagirl
A Voice Like a Hole
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland—For a Little While
How to Raise a Minotaur
The Shoot-out at Burnt Corn Ranch Over the Bride of the World
Mouse Koan
The Blueberry Queen of Wiscasset
In the Future When All’s Well
Fade to White
Aeromaus
Red Engines
The Wolves of Brooklyn
One Breath, One Stroke
Kallisti
The Wedding
The Secret of Being a Cowboy
Twenty-Five Facts About Santa Claus
We Without Us Were Shadows
The Red Girl
Aquaman and the Duality of Self/Other, America, 1985
The Room
Silently and Very Fast
What the Dragon Said: A Love Story
