On Valentine’s Day we are doing something entirely different.  A Tuesday author event at  6:00 PM.  And this author is going to give you plenty to talk about later in the evening over an intimate dinner.  Matt Ruff will give a presentation on his latest book, The Mirage.  What if the Twin Towers were not in New York but in Baghdad?  11/9/2001 Christian fundamentalists hijack four jetliners and slam two of them into the Tigris and Euphrates World Trade Centers in Baghdad. The third Jetliner crashes into the Arab Defense Ministry in Riyadh. Courageous passengers bring down the fourth jet before it can reach its intended target, thought to be the Holy city Mecca.  In 2009 Homeland Security is dealing with suicide bombers while the Marines are trying to subdue the insurgents wrecking havoc in Virginia.  Yet there are nebulous hints that this world is all a mirage. Mustafa al Baghdadi, a Homeland Security Agent, keeps hearing odd stories when he interrogates suicide bombers.  All the usual suspects show up: Sadaam Hussein, Bushes 1 and 2, Osama, and there is a marvelous cameo with Lyndon Baines Johnson. Bold, brash and brilliant, Mirage turns the world upside down and gives it a good shake.  I liked the characters a lot!  Mustafa is a sympathetic, intelligent man. Amal is a woman working in a very male dominated society, she is whip smart, an integral part of Mustafa’s team but has her own battles to fight.  This is the best sort of book, a great story that keeps you turning pages, makes you laugh at times, and definitely makes you think.  Matt Ruff’s other books include Bad Monkeys, Set This House In Order, Fool on the Hll, and Sewer Gas & Electric.   Matt is an inventive, talented author, and I think this is his best book!