"Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil" by Ananda Lima is a mesmerizing debut of surreal fiction that explores themes of intimacy, haunting, and hunger through a collection of captivating tales. At its core is the story of a writer who, after an encounter with the devil at a Halloween party in 1999, finds herself continually entangled with him throughout her life. She writes stories for him—narratives that blend the impossible with the profoundly true.

Lima's narratives transport readers into surreal landscapes across the United States and Brazil, where vending machines dispense bite-size Americans and ghosts of the not-quite-dead wander. Within these surreal settings, she deftly explores the experiences of modern Brazilian-American immigrants, delving into themes of ambition, fear, longing, and the quest for belonging. Her storytelling reveals the porousness of narratives and the places we call home, inviting readers to question the boundaries between reality and fiction.

Praised for her exquisite imagination and singular voice, Lima's work has drawn comparisons to literary luminaries like Bulgakov and Lispector, as well as contemporary writers such as Ted Chiang, Carmen Maria Machado, and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Her prose is both profound and wry, infusing the surreal with humor and wisdom.

"Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil" includes a range of stories including "Rapture," "Ghost Story," "Tropiclia," and others, each offering a unique exploration of the human experience through a fantastical lens. Recommended for fans of Carmen Maria Machado's "Her Body and Other Parties" and V. E. Schwab's "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue," Lima's debut promises an unforgettable journey into the uncanny and profound.

Critically acclaimed and recommended by publications like Chicago Review of Books and Electric Literature, Lima's collection is a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the strange and familiar alike. ❤️📚❤️