Selin belongs to that rare type of writer who tells a story not straightforwardly but through a series of carefully chosen and cleverly arranged vivid details. Many of his stories resemble video-clips-visual, sparkling with humor, aphoristic comparisons, apt observations, and ready wit. He often employs fantastic plots involving unexpected metamorphoses to convey his wonder at life's inscrutable mysteries and inimitable beauty. In the long story "The Parachutist," Death offers the hero, a cha