Will Self (b. 1961) is one of the brightest modern English prose writers, “a master of shocking and caustic mocker with extraordinary flights of fancy.” Critics find in his work the influence of such dissimilar authors as Franz Kafka, William S. Burroughs, Martin Amis, Victor Pelevin. With every touch of W. Self's prose, you are convinced that he is even more complex than he seems at first glance. His fantastic designs, symbolic parallels and metaphysical conclusions grow from the soil of everyday life, like lotus flowers from swamp mud, standing out with particular clarity against its background. The author makes us believe in the complete reality of what is happening, which is continually confirmed by dozens and hundreds of specific details, making us wonder and empathize, admire and wipe away tears of laughter.