Reminiscent of Roald Dahl's work, only lighter and much more clever, Collier is a word-magician, weaving scintillating tales with a cast of characters such as genies in bottles, lovelorn ghosts, erudite apes, and department store mannequins. At turns macabre, coy, wistful, silly, fiendish, and outright funny, this collection makes for a perfect bedside companion.

Peter Merholz