THE STORIES OF STEPHEN DIXON

This magnanimous volume marks Dixon's first publication with a mainstream house since Harper & Row brought out Quite Contrary in 1979. Culled from 13 collections (many still in print), it contains less than half the stories the prolific postmodernist has published over the past 20 years. While some are obviously better than others, he keeps a fairly even keel, and few, if any, selections disappoint. It's hard to imagine coming away from this huge book wanting more, but Dixon's experimental yet accessible style is addictive. Five chapters from his 1991 novel, Frog (finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pen/Faulkner Award), are also included.