The Machine in Ward Eleven — Charles Willeford / Charles Ray Willeford

This reissue of Willeford's 1963 pulp classic is a timely reminder that madness is truly the dark heart of politics. Written at a time when people still had faith in their elected leaders, Willeford's book laid bare the American dream. There is an almost Chekhovian wistfulness in the treatment of his stories, which belies their considerable - and still relevant - impact. The most eloquently brainy and exacting pulp fiction ever fabricated! (Village Voice)