Cameron a Straughan

The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen Cameron a Straughan

Anthony Zen is an eccentric, free-spirited young man who collects round objects and shares his flat with a ringing cat. He lives in an unnamed city and works at a place called 'WORK', where he diligently shuffles papers and sharpens pencils. He is set upon by a wide variety of modern, commonplace problems yet chooses to deal with them in a playful, mischievous manner in his search for enlightenment, inner peace and a really good pair of trousers. In Anthony's universe, even the most mundane day-to-day activity can - and probably will - spiral into absurd, surreal chaos. With a healthy sense of the absurd, liberal doses of humour, two cups fantasy, dollops of surrealism and a pinch of shocking unpredictability, 'The Surreal Adventures of Anthony' reflects our modern predicament. The twenty-three short stories collected in 'Anthony Zen' share common themes including the struggle to remain an individual, the impact of a poor work / life balance, loss/disregard of spirituality, difficulty living in the moment, maintaining relationships, embracing the inner child's sense of wonderment and fun and coping with expectations that don't match reality. While these themes are fundamentally serious, 'Anthony' reaches for the light. Thus, serious messages are interspersed with moments of levity. These are stories that don't forget to loosen up and have some fun. After all, laughter is the best medicine.