Real Historical Figures

Many of the characters who appear throughout the collection are based on real historical figures. These characters appear in both entirely fictional scenarios and in scenarios that are based in part or in whole on actual, true events. Some of these historical figures are well-known or otherwise famous, such as the domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski (a.k.a. The Unabomber), who is the central subject of “Preference” (46). In the case of Kaczynski and other well-known figures, such as O.J. Simpson (the main subject of the previous story, “Numbers,” 45), the story focuses not on the person’s most central or infamous actions, but instead on a quirky side- or secondary effect of their actions.

For example, instead of focusing on Kaczynski’s acts of terrorism, the story focuses on the peculiarity of one of Kaczynski’s personal typewriters being sold for thousands of dollars...