It's So Scary, or Is It?

Barbara O'Brien's Operators and Things sounds like a paranoid fantasy of monsters, evil beings, and Men in Black.

And it is. However, the operative words are "paranoid fantasy." This fascinating little book is actually a first-person narrative of paranoid schizophrenia. The "operators" of the title are the unseen presences who were trying to control O'Brien.

The "things" are nothing more than the everyday contacts she encountered -- people, circumstances. In other words, the "not-me" in the duality of "Me" and "Not-me."

It's a creepy. interesting, sad, and ultimately uplifting tale of "the real-life adventure that is stranger than science fiction!"

Speaking of paranoia, there's also this. "Edited" by Kate Tuckett, Conspiracy Theories is another one of those tongue-in-foot meldings of the "everything's conspiract-related to an absurd degree" books. I describe it as "tongue-in-foot" because it's tongue-in-cheek ALL THE WAY DOWN.

If you want to read self-conscious silliness that was actually a lot of work to "tie together," this is one of those books.