New York: Atheneum, 1989. dj. Hardcover first edition - His second book. Vollman is a fantastic writer, in many senses of the word - perhaps the beginning of his preface will best give a hint of this book: "These stories are about skinheads, x-ray patients, whores, lovers, fetishists and other lost souls. Some of you will not like them, but I ask you to consider the wise words of that forceps philosopher, Robert Gilmore McKinnell: 'While it would be inappropriate to dedicate a vade mecum to a group of cold-blooded vertebraes, perhaps a kind word would not be out of order.' " While Vollmann, one of the most fascinating and interesting of modern writers, had long been a cult favorite, in 2005 he received the prestigious National Book Award for fiction. 541 pp. ISBN: 0-233-983511.