{"product_id":"tunneling-to-the-center-of-the-earth-stories-9780061579028","title":"Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories","description":"\u003ch2\u003eTunneling to the Center of the Earth: Stories by Kevin Wilson\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis debut short story collection from Kevin Wilson stands as a remarkable entry in contemporary American fiction. Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, this collection features strange and imaginative narratives that move seamlessly between reality and fantasy, the ordinary and the extraordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAward-Winning Short Fiction\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKevin Wilson's characters exist in a world where the mundane transforms into the fantastic. In \"Grand Stand-In,\" readers meet an employee of the Nuclear Family Supplemental Provider, a company that supplies replacement grandparents for families dealing with deceased, ill, or difficult relatives. \"Blowing Up On the Spot,\" singled out by Ann Patchett for Ploughshares, follows a young woman sorting tiles at a Scrabble factory after her parents spontaneously combust.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSouthern Gothic with Contemporary Edge\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese stories exemplify Southern gothic fiction at its finest, infused with both humor and pathos. Wilson explores the complex relationship between loss and death, examining the various ways people attempt to cope with grief and absence. His narrative style draws comparisons to Kelly Link, Aimee Bender, and George Saunders, placing him among the most inventive voices in contemporary short fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePart of Ecco's Art of the Story Series\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition returns to print as part of Ecco's prestigious \"Art of the Story\" Series and includes a new introduction from the author. The collection established Wilson's reputation before he went on to write the New York Times bestseller \u003cem\u003eThe Family Fang\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePerfect Little World\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Kevin Wilson\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKevin Wilson is the author of multiple acclaimed works including \u003cem\u003eThe Family Fang\u003c\/em\u003e, adapted into a film starring Nicole Kidman, and story collections \u003cem\u003eBaby, You're Gonna Be Mine\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife and two sons. His work consistently explores themes of family, loss, and the strange beauty found in everyday life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis paperback edition offers readers an entry point into Wilson's distinctive literary universe, where the boundaries between the real and imagined blur in surprising and affecting ways.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50680518344978,"sku":"9780061579028","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2bfcf01a-ed2f-437f-9e9a-50f5d6efdc83.jpg?v=1734920538","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/tunneling-to-the-center-of-the-earth-stories-9780061579028","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}