The Visionary Pageant and Other Stories

Paul Di Filippo, hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a master of philosophical SF," delivers another masterful collection showcasing his trademark blend of intellectual depth, wild imagination, and sly humor. In The Visionary Pageant and Other Stories, Di Filippo offers eight mind-bending tales that probe the boundaries between science and mysticism, reality and illusion. In the title novella, a plucky female reporter in 1886 Providence confronts an otherworldly cult whose cosmic ambitions threaten to reshape reality itself. Other highlights include "Worldshifter," a far-future tale of a sentient hive protecting its human companion; "I, For One, Welcome Our New Insect Litterateurs," where a literary agent discovers his newest client is actually a colony of superintelligent ants; and "The Steam House in Innsmouth," a playful mashup of Jules Verne and H.P. Lovecraft. The collection also features "Nine Hundred Grandmothers," "A Canticle for Ackerman," "The Dream-Sculptor of A.I.P.," and "Hivehead"-each demonstrating Di Filippo's gift for combining big ideas with intimate human stories. Whether exploring posthuman evolution, parallel universes, or the nature of consciousness itself, these stories showcase a master storyteller working at the height of his considerable powers.