Disconnected, by Vivian Herkes

If you’ve ever wanted to procrastinate cleaning, cooking, or updating your CV in favor of something far stranger, Disconnected is for you. Wrap yourself in a cozy blanket, pour a mug of tea—or something stronger—and step into the darkly whimsical world of Vivian Herkes.

This anthology of short stories, nonsense poetry, and surreal social critiques explores isolation, identity, and the tyranny of time in worlds both magical and unsettling. Meet Chronos, the dictator of time, whose rigid ideology is challenged only by the imagination. Follow Mr. Preston, a man who literally becomes mist; Connor, a musician driven to madness by forces beyond control; and Charlie Braeburn, whose desperate search for connection transforms him forever.

From a dystopian collective consciousness to a city of discarded elders, these tales skew reality with biting humor, melancholy, and uncanny twists. Disconnected is a celebration of dreams, rebellion, and the strange poetry of human existence—a collection that reminds us that sometimes the only escape from the circus of life is through stories themselves.