With his harrowing debut, Luke Mogelson provides an unsentimental, unflinching glimpse into the lives of those forever changed by war.ย Subtle links between these ten powerful stories magnify the consequences of combat for both soldiers and civilians,ย as the violence experienced abroad echoes through their lives in America.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Troubled veterans first introduced as criminals in โTo the Lakeโ and โVisitorsโ are shown later in โNew Guidanceโ and โKids,โ during the deployments that shaped their futures. A seemingly minor soldier in โNew Guidanceโ becomes the protagonist of โA Human Cry,โ where his alienation from society leads to a shocking confrontation. The fate of a hapless Gulf War veteran who reenlists in โSea Bassโ is revealed in โPeacetime,โ the story of a New York City medic's struggle with his inurement toย calamityย . A shady contractor job gone wrong in โAย Beautiful Countryโ is a news item for a reporter in โTotal Solar,โ as he navigates the surreal world of occupied Kabul.ย Shifting in time and narrative perspectiveโfrom the home front to active combat, between experienced leaders, flawed infantrymen, a mother, a child, an Afghan-American translator, and a foreign correspondent--these stories offer a multifaceted examination of the unexpected costs of war.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Here is an evocative, deep work that charts the legacy of an unprecedented conflict, and the burdens of those it touched. Written with remarkable empathy and elegance,ย These Heroic, Happy Deadย heralds the arrival of an extraordinary new talent.