Yasutaka Tsutsui, "The Very Edge of Happiness"

People are going nuts.

(from Salmonella Men on Planet Porno)

Expecting the worst, we’d brought blankets with us. The others went to sleep, but I had to drive on through the night. If I thought we’d be stationary for a while, I’d rest my head on the steering wheel and take a nap. Then, when the traffic started moving again, I’d be woken by the driver behind me blowing his horn. With so much congestion, at least there was no fear of causing a major accident. Everyone was falling asleep at the wheel; the worst that could happen was a minor bump from behind.

The first couple pages were annoyingly familiar: OMG society, you make me so angry and disconnected! Then things got awesomely weird. Crazy weird, with people just going nuts for no reason. I don’t wanna spoil it, but there’s a real The Happening vibe at one point. And then the end — it’s just so striking and sick and messed up. How meaningful it all is is up for debate. If nothing else, it’s certainly unforgettable.

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