Eastbound into the Cosmos — Thomas Burke

American culture is strange -- and appears even stranger after a hiatus. Cue Everett, back in Chicagoland after living in China. His father has just died, and re-entry to his former life is increasingly complicated. On top of that, while he was abroad everyone Everett cared about dove off the deep end. Exhibit A: Everett's mom, recently widowed, with a newfound faith in healing crystals and a ponytailed guru. Exhibit B: former roommate Dino's newly ascetic lifestyle. Increasingly drifting and desperate, Everett signs on to an unconventional venture: the high-stakes world of mushroom smuggling.

Do the ends justify the means? What, even, are the ends? Eastbound into the Cosmos is the story of Everett's attempt to process the longing, the grief, the weirdness. Along the way he discovers the weird in himself, which may just be what ultimately frees him.