The Circus of Dr. Lao

Dazzling and macabre, literary and philosophical, The Circus of Dr. Lao has been acclaimed as a masterpiece of speculative fiction and influenced such writers as Ray Bradbury. Abalone, Arizona, is a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concerns are boredom and surviving the Great Depressionthat is, until the circus of Dr. Lao arrives and immensely and irrevocably changes the lives of everyone drawn to its tents. Expecting a sideshow spectacle, the citizens of Abalone instead confront and learn profound lessons from the mythical made reala chimera, a Medusa, a talking sphinx, a sea serpent, witches, the Hound of the Hedges, a werewolf, a mermaid, an ancient god, and the elusive, ever-changing Dr. Lao himself. The circus unfolds, spinning magical, dark strands that ensnare the towns populace: the sea serpents tale shatters loves illusions; the fortune-tellers shocking pronouncements toll the tedium and secret dread of every persons life; sensual undercurrents pour forth for men and women alike; and the dead walk again.