Indeed, one of the most interesting movements in contemporary American fiction is this absurdo-realism practiced by writers such as David Foster Wallace, Lorrie Moore, and George Saunders. Absurdo-realism has come to us almost exclusively through the conduit of the short story, something for which we should be thankful, especially when so much contemporary short fiction comes off as free throws dutifully shot in anticipation of the five-on-five intensity required to write longer work. Speaking of Wallace, is it now safe to say that, among writers of a certain age and inclination, he is the single most influential writer currently working? With the 1,000-page shadow of Infinite Jest looming over his career, it is sometimes forgotten that nearly half of his books are short-story collections (including his upcoming volume). The self-consciousness, the footnotes (which Wallace might now choose to leave to his disciples), the staggeringly sharp eye and the remarkable ability to write for pages and pages only of detail—all are part of the way many of us write and think about writing now.