"There's an itch in my mind, but I can only find it occassionally. It's like rummaging through a box of ancient refuse and incomprehensible knick-knacks and suddenly feeling the two-pronged bite of a snake between your fingers; you recoil. shrinking, but your curiosity is irreversibly piqued. You want to empty the box into the light of day regardless of the danger - or maybe even because of it."
So writes author Mac Tonnies in the early pages of the second volume of Posthuman Blues, a compilation of his best and most thought-provoking work from the popular weblog of the same name, which he ran from 2003 until his tragic death in 2009. This volume covers the years 2005 and 2006. The result is a pastiche of original fiction, poetry, art, photography, observations about day-to-day life in the American midwest during the first decade of the 21st century, and trenchant commentary on current events and subjects that he found of interest, many of which were related to the paranormal, futurism and posthumanism. It presents a compelling portrait of a thoughtful man and the complex times in which he lived, rendered with intelligence, imagination, and a wickedly absurdist sense of humor.
About the Author: Mac Tonnies (1975 - 2009) was an American author, futurist, and journalist whose work focused on transhumanism, science fiction, space exploration, the paranormal, and the human condition. He grew up in Independence, Missouri, and graduated from Ottawa University with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature, after which he lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where he supported himself by working at various "nine-to-five" jobs while he pursued a career as a writer. Tonnies' first book, Illumined Black, was a collection of short stories published in 1995. After The Martian Apocalypse, a speculative look at the possibility of life on Mars, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2004. His third book, The Cryptoterrestrials, was published posthumously in 2010. Tonnies was featured in the 2007 television documentary Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings, as well as an episode of the Canadian television series Supernatural Investigator in 2008. In 2007 he co-wrote the science fiction play Doing Time with Canadian filmmaker Paul Kimball. His popular blog, Posthuman Blues, was described by The Pitch in 2004 as "one of Kansas City's best blogs."
Mac Tonnies passed away in 2009 of cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 34. His personal website remains active, at mactonnies.com; Posthuman Blues can still be found in its entirety at posthumanblues.com.