Set in a present-day version of a San Diego that is troubled by earthquakes and the imminent arrival of space aliens, "A Genuine Monster" is a darkly comical novel that recounts the tumultuous and apocalyptic last day in the life of a disturbed veteran, Nick Ames. The novel follows the course of Nick's last day, as he attempts to rejuvenate himself by connecting with his bizarre friends (a hack writer and a twisted waitress). At the same time, he suffers the traumatic consequences of searching for meaning in an America gone mad.

In "Necklace of Skulls," a low-grade revolution has broken out on the California border with Mexico. The frontier between two countries is transformed into a shadowy netherworld. At a small college in a desert community, the forces of violence and political absurdity collide. "As for myself," reveals the narrator, Henry Larson, "I wanted all hell to break loose. Disaster was the perfect tonic." But he is unable to turn the tide, as professors battle insurgents, calculating attorneys shield desperate students, and gang members, soldiers, and teachers, along with an ethereal curandera, clash in...

In "Necklace of Skulls," a low-grade revolution has broken out on the California border with Mexico. The frontier between two countries is transformed into a shadowy netherworld. At a small college in a desert community, the forces of violence and political absurdity collide. "As for myself," reveals the narrator, Henry Larson, "I wanted all hell to break loose. Disaster was the perfect tonic." But he is unable to turn the tide, as professors battle insurgents, calculating attorneys shield desperate students, and gang members, soldiers, and teachers, along with an ethereal curandera, clash in...