One of the great pleasures in reading short fiction is discovering new perspectives; uncovering vivid, at times uncomfortable visions of the past, present and future. Such visions can taper in intensity when written for the long form, but short stories are more like dreams: strange, subversive imaginings that resonate in our otherwise homogenised lives.

Tim Richards’s Thought Crimes is a compendium of such visions. It’s deeply unsettling, eerily prescient, unpredictable and exquisitely written. It’s also one of the best books of 2011, and deserves to be an instant cult classic. Style-wise, Richards bears passing similarity to US enfant terrible George Saunders, but with less didacticism and a willingness to reign in otherwise unwieldy ideas. In Richards’ stories, babies appear on doorsteps, aliens travel highways with new-age truckies, and in stand-out story ‘V2’, concrete truths evaporate to leave only uncertainty.

To say any more would be to deny the reader an unforgettable experience. Be warned also that Thought Crimes is not for the squeamish. It is, however, required reading for anyone doubting the power of quality fiction to engage, enrage, or empower the reader.

Laurie Steed is a writer, reviewer, and short story enthusiast. You can follow him on twitter - @