Since its publication in 1996, George Saunders's debut collection has grown in esteem from a cherished cult classic to a masterpiece of the form, inspiring an entire generation of writers along the way. In six stories and a novella, Saunders hatches an unforgettable cast of characters, each struggli...

Since its publication in 1996, George Saunders's debut collection has grown in esteem from a cherished cult classic to a masterpiece of the form, inspiring an entire generation of writers along the way. In six stories and a novella, Saunders hatches an unforgettable cast of characters, each struggling to survive in an increasingly haywire world. With a new introduction by Joshua Ferris and a new author's note by Saunders himself, this edition is essential reading for those seeking to discover or revisit a virtuosic, disturbingly prescient voice.

Praise for George Saunders and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline**

"It's no exaggeration to say that short story master George Saunders helped change the trajectory of American fiction."** --* The Wall Street Journal***

"Saunders's satiric vision of America is dark and demented; it's also ferocious and very funny."--Michiko Kakutani,* The New York Times*"George Saunders is a writer of arresting brilliance and originality, with a sure sense of his material and apparently inexhaustible resources of voice. CivilWarLand in Bad Decline] is scary, hilarious, and unforgettable."**--Tobias Wolff **

"Saunders makes the all-but-impossible look effortless."--Jonathan Franzen"Not since Twain has America produced a satirist this funny."--Zadie Smith"An astoundingly tuned voice--graceful, dark, authentic, and funny--telling just the kinds of stories we need to get us through these times."** --Thomas Pynchon**