As I've said, high recommendation for Jonathan Lethem's new book of short stories, Men and Cartoons, which I finished last night. Lethem has catapulted himself near the top of my favorite-authors list recently, in no small part because I think he's lived a little like me and writes a little like me (or maybe that should be the other way around). I'm still a little wigged out by the way his recent essay in The New Yorker (not online) ran through some of my top writers more or less in the order I was exposed to them: Vonnegut, Calvino, DeLillo. I plan to dig around in his dark, science-fictiony past in the very near future.

Lucky for you, you don't have to take my word for it. You can read a couple of stories from Men and Cartoons online.

Super Goat Man
The Glasses

I wish "The Spray" were online. That was the story that really made me sit up and say, "We're dealing with something special here." "Super Goat Man" is pretty good, though.

Great collection. As I said, one-of-if-not-the best I've read since I read Back in the World and The Night in Question back-to-back in November 2002.