<, div>, Fearless, irreverent, and surprisingly optimistic short stories fill this collection from a science fiction veteran known for taking readers on a wild ride. The surreal adventures this time around include an escape from an assisted-death facility in "Greetings, " a mystical journey to the end of time and back in "Dear Abbey, " and "Almost Home, " the story of a fantastical ride in an old-fashioned aeroplane.<, br>, <, /div>,