This scintillating, disturbing, and altogether outrageous collection of stories introduces to these shores a young writer already being called "the Scottish Celine of the 1990s" (Guardian) and "a mad postmodern Roald Dahl" (Weekend Scotsman). Using a range of approaches from bitter realism to demented fantasy, Irvine Welsh is able to evoke the essential humanity, well hidden as it is, of his generally depraved, lazy, manipulative, and vicious characters. He specializes particularly in cosmic reversals--God turns a hapless footballer into a fly; an acid head and a newborn infant exchange consciousnesses with sardonically unexpected results--always displaying a corrosive wit and a telling accuracy of language and detail. Irvine Welsh is one hilariously dangerous writer and he is bound to create a sensation. Includes the following stories: "The Shooter" "Eurotrash" "Stoke Newington Blues" "Vat '96" "A Soft Touch" "The Last Resort on the Adriatic" "Sexual Disaster Quartet" "Snuff" "A Blockage in the System" "Wayne Foster" "Where the Debris Meets the Sea" "Granny's Old Junk" "The House of John Deaf" "Across the Hall" "Lisa's Mum Meets the Queen Mum" "The Two Philosophers" "Disnae Matter" "The Granton Star Cause" "Snowman Building Parts for Rico the Squirrel" "Sport for All" "The Acid House"