A man loses his arm. And then it grows back. At least, thats what the post-coma part of his brain tells him its doing. At least thats what his post-coma doctors wont confirm or deny. So why is everyone so skeptical about something he clearly knows is happening? THE CALAMITIES is a dystopian cultural satire set sometime in the latter part of the 21st century in a world pretty much destroyed by an unrelenting series of natural and man made disasters. Chaos reigns. Governments have fallen and have been replaced by individual citizen duchies. Every idea that held promise in the beginning of the century from medical cures to energy solutions has failed. Communications are rare, the population has been made ignorant, and so they are complacent. THE CALAMITIES is the account of Johns journey of discovery, revelation, relationships, and his observations of a world gone terribly wrong, all while his arm, ripped from his shoulder by vicious, hormonally enhanced coyotes, begins to grow back. Its a journey that will reveal, not that John is going crazy with his obsession and hallucinations of a regenerating arm, but that hes an alien from the faraway and undiscovered planet of Valaria. He just doesnt know it. Managing to be fun in spite of a bleak storyline, the novel is worthy of comparison to wacky/sad futures such as Gary Shteyngarts Super Sad True Love Story (2011). Kirkus Review