A semi-autobiographical story about an adventurer whose journeys take him from Harlem to the high seas and back again

Convicted murderer Clyde Thompson receives the death penalty for shooting two men in Texas in 1928. When the governor spares his life, Thompson gains a reputation as the meanest man in the state while working hard labor in prison.

The crazy exploits of four off-beat astronauts who travel to the Moon on a rescue mission to determine the fate of two Space Agency comrades who have not been heard from in several days.

Paul is agonising over his interpretation of 'Uncle Vanya' and, paralysed by anxiety, stumbles upon a solution via a New Yorker article about a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by extracting souls. He enlists their services—only to discover that his soul is the shape and size of a chickpea.