In 1968, the hottest day of the year turns tragic for a sixteen-year-old boy, forever shaping how he sees himself. A little girl disappears on her fifth birthday from a laundromat across the street from a funeral home. A man kills himself by blowing up a high-tech TV in 2005. A late-night drive to confess his unrequited love leads another man to a powerful transformation. These four snapshots are among the eight stories composing this collection from newcomer Lawrence Benson. Mad World takes a hard, often sardonic, look at contemporary issues such as depression, racism, sexual abuse, drug addiction, and suicide. Despite its grim subject matter, Mad World manages to offer up a reflection of humanity's best, as the characters inhabiting Benson's stories stumble towards a deeper knowledge of themselves and the hope of healing.