Lance Olsen Book order

Exploring the philosophy of contemporary writing and the corporatization of literature, this collection features essays and interviews by Lance Olsen, showcasing his innovative approach to narrative. He delves into topics such as entropology, identity politics, and media culture, while reflecting on influential writers like Borges and Kafka. With personal insights into his craft, the work highlights Olsen's dedication to preserving the art of literature in a rapidly changing world, emphasizing his role as a significant voice in twenty-first-century nonfiction.

With Lance Olsen’s signature flair, Absolute Away is an innovative narrative triptych, a story of one life reimagined. The first movement tells the story of Edie Metzger, a little Jewish girl who bit Hermann Göring’s lip so hard it bled at a Nazi book-burning rally in 1933. In the second, in 1956, grown Edie is the passenger clinging to the backseat of the Oldsmobile 88 convertible driven by Jackson Pollock, moments before it plunges off the road. In the third, the narrative embarks into an ever-unspooling universe of Edies that might have lived—Edie’s gender, past, and consciousness flying forever farther apart.Absolute Away is a novel about travel in its largest sense—about the self, the past, the future, aging, ideas, relationships, our own mortal being(s) as transitive verbs, and how what and who we are connects to everything else.

The narrative explores the emotional complexities faced by the 1979 expeditioners as they depart from Macquarie Island. It delves into themes of nostalgia, camaraderie, and the challenges of leaving behind a unique experience. The characters grapple with their memories and the impact of their time on the island, reflecting on both the beauty and harshness of their surroundings. This poignant journey captures the essence of adventure and the bittersweet nature of farewells, making it a compelling read for those interested in exploration and human connection.

Skin Elegies uses the metaphor of mind-upload technologies to explore questions about the relationship of the cellular brain to personhood, memory, and where the human might end and something else begin. In a dystiopian future, an American couple flee their increasingly authoritarian country by transferring to a quantum computer housed in North Africa. The novel’s structure mimics a constellation of firing neurons—a sparking collage of many tiny narraticules flickering through the brain of one of the refugees as it is digitized. Those narraticules comprise nine larger stories intersecting with memorable moments in human time: the Fukushima disaster; the day the Internet was turned on; the final hours of the Battle of Berlin; John Lennon’s murder; an assisted suicide in Switzerland; the Columbine massacre; a woman killed by a domestic abuser; a Syrian boy making his way to Berlin; and the Challenger disaster.With his characteristic brilliance and unrivaled uniqueness, Lance Olsen delivers an innovative, speculative, literary novel in the key of Margaret Atwood, Stanislaw Lem, and J.G. Ballard.

Set in Berlin in 1927, this novel explores the convergence of renowned historical figures, including artists, actors, physicists, and autocrats, over the course of a single day. Through an impressionistic narrative, it delves into the vibrant cultural and political landscape of the time, capturing the essence of an era marked by creativity and upheaval. The intertwining lives of these iconic personalities reveal the complexities of their relationships and the impact of their legacies on the world.

Exploring the diverse thoughts of audience members in an AMC theater at the Mall of America, the narrative weaves through multiple film genres, including horror, magical realism, and romance. As the minutes tick down to the start of the feature, the characters' inner dialogues reflect a broader commentary on society and its obsession with spectacle, culminating in an apocalyptic vision. This unique blend of perspectives offers a thought-provoking critique of contemporary culture.

The narrative unfolds through three distinct voices, each represented by a unique font, exploring diverse aesthetic, political, and existential themes. This collage novel intricately weaves together sensations, observations, memories, and quotations, creating a rich tapestry of experiences. The innovative structure invites readers to engage with the text on multiple levels, offering a profound exploration of identity and perception.

Lance Olsen's fiction is celebrated for its innovative storytelling and unique narrative style, earning him acclaim as a standout figure in contemporary literature. His works challenge traditional conventions, engaging readers with thought-provoking themes and complex characters. Critics have noted his ability to blend the experimental with the accessible, making his writing both compelling and relevant in today's literary landscape.

Theories of Forgetting is concerned with how words matter, the materiality of the page, and how a literary work might react against mass reproduction and textual disembodiment in the digital age--right from its use of two back covers (one ""upside down"" and one ""right-side up"") that allow the reader to choose which of the novel's two narratives to privilege. Theories of Forgetting is a narrative in three parts. The first is the story of Alana, a filmmaker struggling to complete a short documentary about Robert Smithson's famous earthwork, The Spiral Jetty, located

Exploring the concept of creativity, this book challenges the notion that it is an innate talent rather than a skill that can be developed. Through practical exercises and insights, it provides readers with tools to enhance their creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. The author emphasizes that anyone can learn to be more creative, regardless of their background or profession, making it an invaluable resource for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to innovate in their field.