Will Self Books

He's like Banksy -- but not as big...They're Not Pets, Susan,' says a stern father who has just shot a bumblebee, its wings sparkling in the evening sunlight; a lone office worker, less than an inch high, looks out over the river in his lunch break, 'Dreaming of Packing it all In'; and a tiny couple share a 'Last Kiss' against the soft neon lights of the city at midnight. Mixing sharp humour with a delicious edge of melancholy, Little People in the City brings together the collected photographs of Slinkachu, a street-artist who for several years has been leaving little hand-painted people in the bustling city to fend for themselves, waiting to be discovered. . . 'Oddly enough, even when you know they are just hand-painted figurines, you can't help but feel that their plights convey something of our own fears about being lost and vulnerable in a big, bad city.' The Times

What is a city? Do people make cities or do cities make people? And can cities have second lives? We all inhabit cities, but what do they mean to us? What do we mean to them? Is the city a real thing in the 21st century? How do we integrate their pasts to their futures? What are the threats facing cities in the western world? These are just some of the questions posed by the fascinating studies in this book. Through essays, poems, psychogeography, short stories, and more, an array of today’s leading writers and thinkers join together to look at cities in the western world. Focusing on the two former industrial heartlands of Glasgow and Pittsburgh, this international and diverse collection is asking the big questions and getting the most creative answers. From Will Self’s psychogeography of Glasgow, to National Book Award winner Terrance Hayes’ stunning poetry, this collection will make you think, feel, fear, and fight for what part cities play in our daily lives. Bold, diverse, and daring, these pieces are a must for anyone who cares about where we live and what it means to live in the urban sprawl of now. Will Self, Jane Mccaffery, Edwin Morgan, Ewan Morrison, Terrance Hayes, Allan Wilson, Louise Welsh, Kapka Kassabova, Gerald Stern, Doug Johnstone, Lori Jagielka, Hilary Masters, David Kinloch, Yona Harvey, Sharon Dilworth, Lee Gutkind, Richard Wilson, and many more.

Here in one volume are tales, adventures and poems from the world's master of mysterious - Edgar Allan Poe. Famous for his horror stories and brooding poetry, Poe is credited with the invention of the modern detective story and a distinctive style of science fiction writing. Included in this collection are - The complete tales of Mystery and Imagination; The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket; The raven and other poems. The stories are complemented with illustrations by Arthur Rackham, Aubrey Beardsley, Edouar Manet and others.

From the Booker-shortlisted author of Umbrella, a world-girdling collection of writings inspired by a life lived in and for literature.

How far would you go to escape the real world? The underground man had always felt like an outsider. He doesn't want to be like other people, working in the 'ant-hill' of society. So he decides to withdraw from the world, scrawling a series of darkly sarcastic notes about the torment he is suffering. Angry and alienated, his only comfort is the humiliation of others. Is he going mad? Or is it the world around him that's insane?

Set in 1950s America, the story follows Elaine as she grapples with her dissatisfaction in a seemingly perfect life with her Ivy League husband and child. Standing by her mailbox, she questions her choices and ultimately seeks freedom through a reckless affair. This decision leads to the unraveling of her marriage and forces her to confront the consequences of her actions, exploring themes of identity, desire, and the constraints of societal expectations.

The unforgettable, challenging and experimental second novel from the author of Lanark. Introduced by Will Self schovat popis

Snake venom that digests human flesh, a building cleared of life by tiny spiders, and an infant insect consuming its prey from within are just a few examples of the deadly natural engineering explored in this masterful, poetic, and often humorously dry examination of predators encountered in rural Oklahoma. The author serves as a witty and intrepid guide through a world where mating can lead to cannibalism and where lethal toxins challenge our notions of a benevolent God. Spider remains scattered like "the cast-off coats of untidy children" tell a story of violent self-extermination, revealing a familiar yet exotic world. Grice immerses himself in this realm, abandoning objectivity with dark humor—collecting spiders, decorating a tarantula's terrarium, or orchestrating insect battles, deeming one "too stupid to live." Through starkly graceful essays, he charts the brutal lives of these predators, leading us to startling truths about our own predatory nature. The narrative confronts the inadequacy of our distinctions between normal and abnormal, dead and alive, innocent and evil, ultimately bringing us face to fanged face with the complexities of existence.

This anthology presents 32 science fiction short stories inspired by the prophetic dystopias of J. G. Ballard, a titan of 20th-century literature. Featuring contributions from notable authors like Will Self, Iain Sinclair, Christopher Fowler, Chris Beckett, and a new Jerry Cornelius story by Michael Moorcock, it pays homage to Ballard’s unique vision of a bewildering and alienating world. Ballard’s works, including Empire of the Sun, Crash, and Cocaine Nights, explore the disjointed nature of contemporary reality and classic dystopias such as The Drowned World and High Rise, leaving an indelible mark on literature. This groundbreaking collection, edited by Maxim Jakubowski and Rick McGrath, showcases the uncanny and uneasy relationship between humanity and the future, reflecting Ballard’s influence on literary and science fiction. The anthology includes stories from a diverse array of authors, such as Jeff Noon, Preston Grassmann, Toby Litt, Christine Poulson, and many more, each offering their interpretation of the themes that Ballard so masterfully explored. Through this compilation, readers are invited to engage with the unsettling visions that define our empires of concrete, seen through the warped lens of Ballard's legacy.

Shark turns upon an actual incident in WWII - mentioned in the film Jaws - when the ship which had delivered the fissile material to the south Pacific to be dropped on Hiroshima was subsequently sunk by a Japanese submarine with the loss of 900 men, including 200 killed in the largest shark attack ever recorded.