Civilwarland in Bad Decline — George Saunders

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