This tender but surprisingly creepy coming-of-age tale exemplifies Mason's work in a nutshell -- charming yet edgy, funny yet dark, not quite indie-weird but not quite mainstream-friendly -- and it was the strength of this particular piece that largely led me to signing him to my publishing company, for the even more powerful "Sad Robot Stories" coming out later this year. A major new young voice in the Chicago literary community, Mason's star is definitely on the rise these days, and this particular story is a fine example of why people go so nuts for his work.