A young backpacker in Thailand searching for something different learns of the existence of an idyllic island which is not even on the map. The novel describes his jungle journey to reach the island where he discovers a secret commune of international drifters living off fish and pot. The man's arrival coincides with growing tension between factions, leading to the commune's violent demise. A first novel.

When Carl awakens from a coma after being attacked on a subway train, life around him feels unfamiliar, even strange. He arrives at his best friend's house without remembering how he got there; he seems to be having an affair with his secretary, which is pleasant but surprising. He starts to notice distortions in his experience, strange leaps in his perception of time. Is he truly reacting with the outside world, he wonders, or might he be terribly...