The Visionary Pageant and Other Stories, by Paul Di Filippo (Paperback)

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.