Best Selling Books by Dan Chaon

With his critically acclaimed Among the Missing and Fitting Ends, award-winning author Dan Chaon proved himself a master of the short story form. He is a writer, observes the Chicago Tribune, who can “convincingly squeeze whole lives into a mere twenty pages or so.” Now Chaon marshals his notable talents in his much-anticipated debut novel. You Remind Me of Me begins with a series of separate incidents: In 1977, a little boy is savagely attacked by his mother’s pet Doberman; in 1997 another little boy disappears from his grandmother’s backyard on a sunny summer morning; in 1966, a pregnant teenager admits herself to a maternity home, with the intention of giving her child up for adoption; in 1991, a young man drifts toward a career as a drug dealer, even as he hopes for something better. With penetrating insight and a deep devotion to his characters, Dan Chaon explores the secret connections that irrevocably link them. In the process he examines questions of identity, fate, and circumstance: Why do we become the people that we become? How do we end up stuck in lives that we never wanted? And can we change the course of what seems inevitable? In language that is both unflinching and exquisite, Chaon moves deftly between the past and the present in the small-town prairie Midwest and shows us the extraordinary lives of “ordinary” people.

In this haunting, bracing new collection, Dan Chaon shares stories of men, women, and children who live far outside the American Dream, while wondering which decision, which path, or which accident brought them to this place. Chaon mines the psychological landscape of his characters to dazzling effect. Each story radiates with sharp humor, mystery, wonder, and startling compassion. Among the Missing lingers in the mind through its subtle grace and power of language.

Fitting Ends is the first collection of fiction by the acclaimed author of the National Book Award finalist Among the Missing and now appears in this newly revised edition with two never before collected stories. Written before Among the Missing and originally published by Northwestern University Press, Fitting Ends features thirteen stories detailing the almost panicked angst of the American generation now approaching thirty. Struggling with gaps between youthful expectations and adult experiences, these characters long for understanding and acceptance—but are thwarted by failed love, family disruptions, numbing work, and sexual confusion. Chaon is one of the most promising new voices in fiction, and this re-issued collection offers further evidence of his unique talent. “The best of these stories . . . possess a rare, disorienting force. When you look up from them, the quality of light seems a little different. It’s a reminder to those of us who have almost forgotten what literature can sometimes do.” —Boston Book Review “The most honest, observant and timely book written this year about the American generation now approaching thirty . . . Chaon speaks with clarity of feeling, and more than a little oddball wit, about the lives of those left behind the demographic curve of America—men and woman with pointless jobs, doughy faces, soured relationships, bad credit. . . . Each story pulls you into its subtle emotional vortex, largely because of Chaon’s knack for simple but poignant detail.” —New York Newsday “Remarkable . . . Each story is a marvel of complexity, dense with meaning and nuance. . . . Very few first works are as solid, moving, and pitch-perfect as Chaon’s.” —The Cleveland Plain Dealer “[AN] OFTEN PERCEPTIVE, LUCID VOICE.” —The New York Times Book Review

Sleepwalk is a high speed and darkly comic road trip through a near future America with a big-hearted mercenary, from beloved and acclaimed award-winning novelist Dan Chaon. “[Chaon] does madcap well and likes his characters, even the killers—especially the killers.”—The New York Times Book Review A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice An NPR “Book of the Day” A USA Today “Must Read” Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog that has post-traumatic stress and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust. Out of the blue, one of Will''s many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and for Will to continue to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people he is working for and the people he’s running from. With his signature blend of haunting emotional realism and fast-paced intrigue, Dan Chaon populates his fractured America with characters who ring all too true. Gazing both back to the past and forward to an inevitable-enough-seeming future, Sleepwalk examines where we’ve been and where we’re going and the connections that bind us, no matter how far we travel to dodge them or how cleverly we hide.

BONUS: This edition contains an Await Your Reply discussion guide. The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways–and with unexpected consequences–in acclaimed author Dan Chaon’s gripping, brilliantly written new novel. Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can’t stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden, who has been missing for ten years. Hayden has covered his tracks skillfully, moving stealthily from place to place, managing along the way to hold down various jobs and seem, to the people he meets, entirely normal. But some version of the truth is always concealed. A few days after graduating from high school, Lucy Lattimore sneaks away from the small town of Pompey, Ohio, with her charismatic former history teacher. They arrive in Nebraska, in the middle of nowhere, at a long-deserted motel next to a dried-up reservoir, to figure out the next move on their path to a new life. But soon Lucy begins to feel quietly uneasy. My whole life is a lie, thinks Ryan Schuyler, who has recently learned some shocking news. In response, he walks off the Northwestern University campus, hops on a bus, and breaks loose from his existence, which suddenly seems abstract and tenuous. Presumed dead, Ryan decides to remake himself–through unconventional and precarious means. Await Your Reply is a literary masterwork with the momentum of a thriller, an unforgettable novel in which pasts are invented and reinvented and the future is both seductively uncharted and perilously unmoored.

Dan Chaon''s first collection offers thirteen deft stories detailing the panicked angst of the American generation now approaching thirty. His characters are unnerved by the discrepancy between their youthful expectations and adult reality; they long for understanding and acceptance but are thwarted by failed love, family disruptions, dull work, and sexual confusion. His perfect pitch captures voices that still believe in life, but can''t quite manage their lives.

“Eerily beautiful . . . [Chaon] is the modern day John Cheever.”—Boston Sunday Globe “Powerful and disturbing . . . The shocks in this collection are many.”—The Washington Post These haunting, suspenseful stories by acclaimed author Dan Chaon feature scattered families, unfulfilled dreamers, anxious souls—lost, fragile, searching characters who wander between ordinary life and a psychological shadowland. They have experienced intense love or loss, grief or loneliness, displacement or disconnection—and exist in a twilight realm, in a place by the window late at night when the streets are empty and the world appears to be quiet. But it is not, and neither are you. And since you cannot sleep, you stay awake. “Chaon is able to create fully realized characters in mere pages. . . . This collection is further proof that Chaon is one of the best fiction writers working right now.”—Omaha World-Herald “There are not many fiction writers who can do what Dan Chaon can do. . . . [He is] a literary force.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “Intense and suspenseful . . . a highly recommended work, not to be missed.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Mesmerizing . . . gripping, masterful fiction.”—The Plain Dealer “Superbly disquieting.”—The New York Times Book Review Don’t miss the exclusive conversation between Dan Chaon and Emma Straub at the back of the book. Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Two sensational unsolved crimes—one in the past, another in the present—are linked by one man’s memory and self-deception in this chilling novel of literary suspense from National Book Award finalist Dan Chaon. Includes an exclusive conversation between Dan Chaon and Lynda Barry NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Wall Street Journal • NPR • The New York Times • Los Angeles Times • The Washington Post • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly “We are always telling a story to ourselves, about ourselves.” This is one of the little mantras Dustin Tillman likes to share with his patients, and it’s meant to be reassuring. But what if that story is a lie? A psychologist in suburban Cleveland, Dustin is drifting through his forties when he hears the news: His adopted brother, Rusty, is being released from prison. Thirty years ago, Rusty received a life sentence for the massacre of Dustin’s parents, aunt, and uncle. The trial came to epitomize the 1980s hysteria over Satanic cults; despite the lack of physical evidence, the jury believed the outlandish accusations Dustin and his cousin made against Rusty. Now, after DNA analysis has overturned the conviction, Dustin braces for a reckoning. Meanwhile, one of Dustin’s patients has been plying him with stories of the drowning deaths of a string of drunk college boys. At first Dustin dismisses his patient''s suggestions that a serial killer is at work as paranoid thinking, but as the two embark on an amateur investigation, Dustin starts to believe that there’s more to the deaths than coincidence. Soon he becomes obsessed, crossing all professional boundaries—and putting his own family in harm’s way. From one of today’s most renowned practitioners of literary suspense, Ill Will is an intimate thriller about the failures of memory and the perils of self-deception. In Dan Chaon’s nimble, chilling prose, the past looms over the present, turning each into a haunted place. “In his haunting, strikingly original new novel, [Dan] Chaon takes formidable risks, dismantling his timeline like a film editor.”—The New York Times Book Review “The scariest novel of the year . . . ingenious . . . Chaon’s novel walks along a garrote stretched taut between Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Hitchcock.”—The Washington Post

A playfully macabre and utterly thrilling tale about orphaned twins on the run from their murderous uncle who find refuge in a bizarre traveling carnival, from master of literary horror Dan Chaon It’s 1915 and the world is transforming, but for thirteen-year-old Bolt and Eleanor—twins so close they can literally read each other’s minds—life is falling apart. When their mother dies, they are forced to leave home under the care of a vicious con man who claims to be their long-lost uncle Charlie, the only kin they have left. During a late-night poker game, when one of his rages ends in murder, they decide to flee. Salvation arrives in the form of Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders and father to its many members. He adopts Bolt and Eleanor, who travel by train across the vast, sometimes brutal American frontier with their new family, watching as the exhibitions spark amazement wherever they go. There’s Minnie, the three-legged lady, and Dr. Chui, who stands over seven feet tall; Thistle Britches, the clown with no nose, and Rosalie, who can foretell the death of anyone she meets. After a lifetime of having only each other, Eleanor and Bolt are finally part of something bigger. But as Bolt falls in deeper with their new clan, he finds Eleanor pulling further away from him. And when Uncle Charlie picks up their trail, the twins find themselves facing a peril as strange as it is terrifying, one which will forever alter the trajectory of their lives. An ode to the misfits and the marginalized, One of Us is a riotous and singularly creepy celebration of the strange and the spectacular and of family in its many forms.

A blockbuster anthology of original, blood-curdling vampire fiction from New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors, including Charlaine Harris, whose novels were adapted into HBO’s hit show True Blood, and Scott Smith, publishing his first work since The Ruins. Before being transformed into romantic heroes and soft, emotional antiheroes, vampires were figures of overwhelming terror. Now, from some of the biggest names in horror and dark fiction, comes this stellar collection of short stories that make vampires frightening once again. Edited by New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden and featuring all-new stories from such contributors as Charlaine Harris, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Scott Smith, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Michael Kortya, Kelley Armstrong, Brian Keene, David Wellington, Seanan McGuire, and Tim Lebbon, Seize the Night is old-school vampire fiction at its finest.

« Safety Man, le parfait compagnon de la femme urbaine ! Conçu comme un élément visuel dissuasif, Safety Man ressemble à un homme grandeur nature qui pèserait 80 kilos, mesurerait 1 mètre 80, donnant ainsi aux autres l''impression que, seule chez vous ou au volant de votre voiture, vous êtes protégée. » C''est ce que Sandy pouvait lire sur la notice de ce qui n''aurait dû rester finalement... qu''un jouet dans son carton ! Cette nouvelle est extraite du livre Parmi les disparus. Temps de lecture estimé : à partir de 20 minutes.

« Chaon confirme son statut d''auteur majeur de la littérature américaine contemporaine. » Le Figaro « Dan Chaon nous avait subjugués avec Une douce lueur de malveillance. Il frappe plus fort encore avec Somnanbule. » Les Echos Au volant de son camping-car, accompagné de Flip, son fidèle pitbull, Will Bear sillonne les routes d''une Amérique ravagée par les coupures de courant et envahie de drones géants. En tant que mercenaire itinérant, il accomplit sous de multiples identités diverses missions, parfois au péril de sa vie : assassinats, pose d''explosifs, transport de prisonniers... Mais sa bonhommie naturelle et ses microdoses quotidiennes de LSD l''aident à garder le sourire. Jusqu''à ce qu''une jeune femme l''appelle sur l''un de ses téléphones, pourtant intraçables. Elle prétend être sa fille biologique et se dit en grand danger. Est-ce la vérité ou un piège mortel ? Faut-il se débarrasser d''elle ou au contraire saisir cette opportunité pour enfin changer de vie ? Jouant avec les codes du roman noir et de la dystopie, Dan Chaon nous propulse dans un monde dominé par la violence et la technologie - un univers à la fois si loin et si proche du nôtre. « Mon livre préféré a longtemps été Mrs Dalloway de Virginia Woolf, mais j''en ai un nouveau : Somnambule de Dan Chaon. C''est un roman initiatique, au sens le plus abouti du terme. Une expérience de lecture unique. » Laura Kasischke

Après un formidable recueil de nouvelles (Parmi les disparus), Dan Chaon signe un premier roman qui confirme un talent singulier et intense. Le Livre de Jonas, ce sont trois existences - celles d''une mère et de ses deux fils - qui défilent à travers un kaléidoscope de souvenirs et de blessures. À la mort de sa mère, Jonas Doyle, un jeune homme de 25 ans, se met en quête de son frère aîné, abandonné à la naissance, et dont il ignore tout. Troy Simmens, lui, a grandi dans l''affection de sa famille adoptive sans pour autant parvenir à combler cette part manquante liée au secret de ses origines. Étrangers l''un à l''autre, Jonas et Troy vont finalement se retrouver dans l''ombre de leur mère, Nora, qui ne s''était jamais pardonné d''avoir abandonné un enfant. Mais leur rencontre ne sera pas celle que Jonas avait imaginée... « Ce n''est pas seulement un très bon roman, c''est un livre bouleversant où la vérité, quand elle surgit, s''entoure de mystères qu''elle parvient finalement à éclairer. » The Los Angeles Times « Un roman qui habite littéralement le lecteur tant par ce qu''il dit que par ce qu''il suggère. » The New York Times

Après son dernier roman, Cette vie ou une autre, Dan Chaon renoue avec la nouvelle, le genre littéraire qui l''a révélé lors de la parution de Parmi les disparus. Sobriété et élégance du style. Puissance émotionnelle de personnages aux vies apparemment ordinaires : un père de famille dont le petit garçon fait des cauchemars en trouve la cause dans son propre passé ; un homme tout juste veuf tente désespérément de déchiffrer des mots qu''il imagine lui être destinés ; un jeune homme réalise que la maison dont il a hérité à la mort de ses parents est habitée par une force obscure ; une femme divorcée se retrouve face à une existence qu''elle n''avait pas imaginée... De la réalité, Dan Chaon fait surgir l''étrangeté. Une étrangeté obsédant et intranquille qui donne à ses nouvelles une profondeur et une tension dramatique inattendues. « Le John Cheever d''aujourd''hui. » The Boston Sunday Globe « Constamment surprenant et superbement inquiétant. » The New York Times Book Review

« Nous n''arrêtons pas de nous raconter des histoires sur nous-mêmes. Mais nous ne pouvons maîtriser ces histoires. Les événements de notre vie ont une signification parce que nous choisissons de leur en donner une. » Tel pourrait être le mantra de Dustin Tillman, psychologue dans la banlieue de Cleveland. Ce quadragénaire, marié et père de deux adolescents, mène une vie somme toute banale lorsqu''il apprend que son frère adoptif, Rusty, vient d''être libéré de prison. C''est sur son témoignage que, trente ans plus tôt, celui-ci a été condamné à perpétuité pour le meurtre de leurs parents et de deux proches. Maintenant que des tests ADN innocentent son frère, Dustin s''attend au pire. Au même moment, l''un de ses patients, un policier en congé longue maladie, lui fait part de son obsession pour une étrange affaire : la disparition de plusieurs étudiants des environs retrouvés noyés, y voyant la marque d''un serial killer. Pour échapper à sa vie personnelle, Dustin se laisse peu à peu entraîner dans une enquête périlleuse, au risque de franchir les limites que lui impose son rôle de thérapeute. Plongée dans les ténèbres, celles d''un homme submergé par ses propres contradictions et les failles de sa mémoire, Une douce lueur de malveillance est un livre virtuose et vénéneux. Une écriture glaçante, une inventivité littéraire qui bouscule les structures du roman contemporain : rarement un écrivain aura su explorer le mystère de l''identité avec un réalisme aussi obsédant.

Lucy a quitté le lycée et sa famille pour suivre un professeur charismatique qui n''est peut-être pas celui qu''elle croyait, Miles recherche son frère jumeau disparu depuis dix ans et qui a sans doute causé la mort de leurs parents, le jeune Ryan est bouleversé d''apprendre la véritable identité de son père : trois personnages totalement étrangers les uns aux autres, et dont les destins viennent s''entre-mêler de manière vertigineuse. Comme dans un jeu de pistes, Dan Chaon, finaliste du National Book Award, établit des correspondances subtiles entre ces trajectoires, transformant peu à peu son récit en un véritable suspense psychologique, à la croisée des univers de David Lynch et de Don DeLillo. Une démonstration de virtuosité et d''audace littéraires sur l''érosion de l''identité dans un monde de plus en plus virtuel.

Accueilli avec enthousiasme par la presse, Parmi les disparus, publié en 2001 aux Etats-Unis et finaliste du National Book Award, a révélé un nouveau talent. Troublantes, belles et émouvantes, ces nouvelles explorent les fractures qui émaillent nos existences. Qu''il évoque les relations familiales, conjugales ou amicales, Dan Chaon restitue avec une grande sensibilité les sentiments et les pensées, parfois obscurs et contradictoires, que l''on se cache les uns aux autres par peur ou par amour.