The People's Republic of Everything

“[Mamatas] is the People's Commissar of Awesome.”―China Miéville, author of EmbassytownWelcome to the People's Republic of Everything―of course, you've been here for a long time already. Make yourself at home alongside a hitman who always tells the truth, no matter how reality has to twist itself to suit; electric matchstick girls who have teamed up with Friedrich Engels; a telepathic boy and his father's homemade nuclear bomb; a very bad date that births an unforgettable meme; and a dog who simply won't stop howling on social media.The People's Republic of Everything features a decade's worth of crimes, fantasies, original fiction, and the author's preferred text of the acclaimed short novel Under My Roof.

Booklist

“Each tale is entertaining on its surface, but all hold a deeper meaning . . . This collection will be an easy sell to readers who enjoy genre-blending authors of thought-provoking and topical tales, such as Jeffrey Ford, China Miéville, and Jeff VanderMeer.”

Publishers Weekly

“The 15 stories in Mamatas’s strong collection show impressive imaginative range, cutting across the boundaries of fantasy and science fiction and veering into territory that defies genre pigeonholing.”

Seattle Times

“Bay Area author Nick Mamatas is renowned in his work and in his online presence as witty and perspicacious; his new collection will bolster that reputation . . . brilliant, oddball.”

Shelf Awareness

“The People's Republic of Everything is a subversive and darkly humorous collection of stories showcasing author Nick Mamatas's ability to work across a variety of genres.”

Locus

“A whole lot of these stories could be described as ‘revolutionary’―both in the sense of involving actual revolutions on small and large scales, and regarding the author’s tendency to recombine the materials of SF, crime, literary, and experimental fiction in new and provocative ways. To which I can only say―long live the revolution.”

Terry Bisson, author of Bears Discover Fire

“Mamatas at his best. Makes me laugh. Makes me drop things. Makes me read on. Makes me run for cover.”

LitReactor

“Mamatas is such a great novelist that it's easy to forget he also writes superb short stories. This collection is a testament to his short-form chops, and a powerful one at that.”

Tor.com

“Sharp characterization, a terrific sense of place, and a willingness to change things up.”

Brian Evenson, author of The Warren and A Collapse of Horses

“Nick Mamatas is the gadfly that makes the horse buck―whip-smart and no bullshit and with one hell of a bite. These are canny, nimble stories that navigate between genre and literature, and are unlike what anyone else is writing.”

Jarett Kobek, author of I Hate the Internet

"How does speculative fiction retain its relevance in an era when daily events feel fictitious and the mere possibility of a future seems speculative? If anyone knows the answer, it’s Nick Mamatas. The People’s Republic of Everything is a great leap forward. Let’s hope there’s somewhere to land.”

Infinite Text

“Mamatas extracts the essence of several sub-genres and cult followings that are in themselves so niche, obscure, and esoteric and creates a genre that is uniquely him . . . Kerouac’s language, Lovecraft’s atmosphere, and Bukowski’s coarseness.”

Lightspeed

“Nick Mamatas is a sharp, sarcastic, amazing writer whose fiction runs the gamut from horror to speculative to literary . . . a great collection.”

Strange Horizons

“Mamatas has drawn upon a wide range of personal and political concerns―the life of the writer, ruminations on parenthood, the fate of left-wing politics―to write stories that are funny, deeply evocative and bewildering.”

National Herald

“Author Nick Mamatas’ latest book The People’s Republic of Everything is another must read.”

Campus Circle

“Best known for his excursions into the Lovecraftian, Nick Mamatas shows his full range in the short story collection The People's Republic of Everything. From a steampunk A.I. Karl Marx to Berkeley anarchists to a father and son who build a nuclear garden gnome and secede from the U.S., Mamatas dazzles with a singular, satirical wit.”

Fanbase Press Praise for I Am Providence [STARRED REVIEW]

“Mamatas’ The People’s Republic of Everything is a literary tour de force, juggling a multitude of genres, styles, themes, and experimentation with form.”

Booklist

“A great choice for readers who enjoyed Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country; those who liked the dark humor, mystery, and speculative elements in Ben H. Winters’ The Last Policeman trilogy; and anyone who has ever been part of a fandom.”

Publishers Weekly

“Mamatas provides a heartfelt homage to Lovecraft lore, perfectly captures the antics of conventioneers, and comments on the cutthroat politics of online publishing and the recent discussions of Lovecraft’s bigoted views.”

NPR

“Mamatas knows his subject inside and out, and that makes I Am Providence all the more cutting . . . I Am Providence is pointed social commentary wrapped in a bilious in-joke―but one that's more than worth getting in on.”

B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“Mamatas revels in the unfurling tentacles of his narrative, which is a many-toothed, many-eyed beast all its own.”

Matt Ruff, author of Bad Monkeys and Lovecraft Country On Under My Roof (Now featured in The People's Republic of Everything)

“Just what I'd expect from Nick Mamatas: sharp wit, biting but humane social commentary, and, for the romantics among us, a faceless narrator decomposing at the morgue.”

Publishers Weekly

“[STARRED REVIEW] A big-bang ending caps the fast-paced novel, and there’s much fun to be had watching Mamatas merrily skewer his targets.”

San Diego Union Tribune On Sensation

“What about the Great American Suburban Novel? Somewhere in there, as of now, you almost have to include Nick Mamatas’ Under My Roof, an oddball, occasionally hilarious, surprisingly wise and out-and-out subversive little pocket-nuke of a book.”

China Miéville, bestselling author of The City & the City

“Nick Mamatas continues his reign as the sharpest, funniest, most insightful and political purveyor of post-pulp pleasures going. He is the People’s Commissar of Awesome.”

Cory Doctorow, bestselling author of Walkaway On The Damned Highway

“Mamatas is a powerfully acerbic writer, both in fiction and online. His acid wit is infamous.”

HorrorTalk

“The book is incredibly entertaining and, aside from a strange turn towards the end, is a great trip through a fictional history of the 1972 presidential elections

Weird Fiction Review Praise for The People's Republic of Everything A Campus Circle Best Holiday Book of 2018 [STARRED REVIEW]

“[A] a clever, disturbing, and absurd (in the best sense) mash-up of Lovecraft and Hunter S. Thompson that made our recommended gift list for the year.”

Booklist

“Each tale is entertaining on its surface, but all hold a deeper meaning . . . This collection will be an easy sell to readers who enjoy genre-blending authors of thought-provoking and topical tales, such as Jeffrey Ford, China Miéville, and Jeff VanderMeer.”

Publishers Weekly

“The 15 stories in Mamatas’s strong collection show impressive imaginative range, cutting across the boundaries of fantasy and science fiction and veering into territory that defies genre pigeonholing.”

Seattle Times

“Bay Area author Nick Mamatas is renowned in his work and in his online presence as witty and perspicacious; his new collection will bolster that reputation . . . brilliant, oddball.”

Shelf Awareness

“The People's Republic of Everything is a subversive and darkly humorous collection of stories showcasing author Nick Mamatas's ability to work across a variety of genres.”

Locus

“A whole lot of these stories could be described as ‘revolutionary’―both in the sense of involving actual revolutions on small and large scales, and regarding the author’s tendency to recombine the materials of SF, crime, literary, and experimental fiction in new and provocative ways. To which I can only say―long live the revolution.”

Terry Bisson, author of Bears Discover Fire

“Mamatas at his best. Makes me laugh. Makes me drop things. Makes me read on. Makes me run for cover.”

LitReactor

“Mamatas is such a great novelist that it's easy to forget he also writes superb short stories. This collection is a testament to his short-form chops, and a powerful one at that.”

Tor.com

“Sharp characterization, a terrific sense of place, and a willingness to change things up.”

Brian Evenson, author of The Warren and A Collapse of Horses

“Nick Mamatas is the gadfly that makes the horse buck―whip-smart and no bullshit and with one hell of a bite. These are canny, nimble stories that navigate between genre and literature, and are unlike what anyone else is writing.”

Jarett Kobek, author of I Hate the Internet

"How does speculative fiction retain its relevance in an era when daily events feel fictitious and the mere possibility of a future seems speculative? If anyone knows the answer, it’s Nick Mamatas. The People’s Republic of Everything is a great leap forward. Let’s hope there’s somewhere to land.”

Infinite Text

“Mamatas extracts the essence of several sub-genres and cult followings that are in themselves so niche, obscure, and esoteric and creates a genre that is uniquely him . . . Kerouac’s language, Lovecraft’s atmosphere, and Bukowski’s coarseness.”

Lightspeed

“Nick Mamatas is a sharp, sarcastic, amazing writer whose fiction runs the gamut from horror to speculative to literary . . . a great collection.”

Strange Horizons

“Mamatas has drawn upon a wide range of personal and political concerns―the life of the writer, ruminations on parenthood, the fate of left-wing politics―to write stories that are funny, deeply evocative and bewildering.”

National Herald

“Author Nick Mamatas’ latest book The People’s Republic of Everything is another must read.”

Campus Circle

“Best known for his excursions into the Lovecraftian, Nick Mamatas shows his full range in the short story collection The People's Republic of Everything. From a steampunk A.I. Karl Marx to Berkeley anarchists to a father and son who build a nuclear garden gnome and secede from the U.S., Mamatas dazzles with a singular, satirical wit.”

Fanbase Press Praise for I Am Providence [STARRED REVIEW]

“Mamatas’ The People’s Republic of Everything is a literary tour de force, juggling a multitude of genres, styles, themes, and experimentation with form.”

Booklist

“A great choice for readers who enjoyed Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country; those who liked the dark humor, mystery, and speculative elements in Ben H. Winters’ The Last Policeman trilogy; and anyone who has ever been part of a fandom.”

Publishers Weekly

“Mamatas provides a heartfelt homage to Lovecraft lore, perfectly captures the antics of conventioneers, and comments on the cutthroat politics of online publishing and the recent discussions of Lovecraft’s bigoted views.”

NPR

“Mamatas knows his subject inside and out, and that makes I Am Providence all the more cutting . . . I Am Providence is pointed social commentary wrapped in a bilious in-joke―but one that's more than worth getting in on.”

B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“Mamatas revels in the unfurling tentacles of his narrative, which is a many-toothed, many-eyed beast all its own.”

Matt Ruff, author of Bad Monkeys and Lovecraft Country On Under My Roof (Now featured in The People's Republic of Everything)

“Just what I'd expect from Nick Mamatas: sharp wit, biting but humane social commentary, and, for the romantics among us, a faceless narrator decomposing at the morgue.”

Publishers Weekly

“[STARRED REVIEW] A big-bang ending caps the fast-paced novel, and there’s much fun to be had watching Mamatas merrily skewer his targets.”

San Diego Union Tribune On Sensation

“What about the Great American Suburban Novel? Somewhere in there, as of now, you almost have to include Nick Mamatas’ Under My Roof, an oddball, occasionally hilarious, surprisingly wise and out-and-out subversive little pocket-nuke of a book.”

China Miéville, bestselling author of The City & the City

“Nick Mamatas continues his reign as the sharpest, funniest, most insightful and political purveyor of post-pulp pleasures going. He is the People’s Commissar of Awesome.”

Cory Doctorow, bestselling author of Walkaway On The Damned Highway

“Mamatas is a powerfully acerbic writer, both in fiction and online. His acid wit is infamous.”

HorrorTalk

“The book is incredibly entertaining and, aside from a strange turn towards the end, is a great trip through a fictional history of the 1972 presidential elections.”

Weird Fiction Review

“[A] a clever, disturbing, and absurd (in the best sense) mash-up of Lovecraft and Hunter S. Thompson that made our recommended gift list for the year.”

About the Author

Nick Mamatas is the author of seven novels, including Love is the Law, I Am Providence, and the forthcoming Hexen Sabbath. His short fiction has appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, and many other venues. Nick is also an anthologist; his books include the Bram Stoker Award winner Haunted Legends (co-edited with Ellen Datlow), the Locus Award nominees The Future is Japanese and Hanzai Japan (both co-edited with Masumi Washington), and Mixed Up (co-edited with Molly Tanzer). His fiction and editorial work has been nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and International Horror Guild Awards. Mamatas lives in Oakland, California.

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