This provocative new collection of short stories by the New York Times best-selling and Hugo Award-winning author of Kraken employs a range of styles and forms to explore an alternate universe where nature provocatively renders the human race an endangered species.

Three moments of an explosion --Polynia -- The condition of new death -- The dowager of bees -- In the slopes -- The Crawl -- Watching God -- The 9th technique -- The rope is the world -- The buzzard's egg -- Säcken -- Syllabus -- Dreaded outcome -- After the festival -- The dusty hat -- Escapee -- The bastard prompt -- Rules -- Estate -- Keep -- A second slice manifesto -- Covehithe -- The junket -- Four final Orpheuses -- The rabbet -- Listen the birds -- A mount -- The design.