CAUGHT IN A STILL PLACE <i> by Jonathan Lerner (Serpent’s Tail: $9.95) </i>

A weird, almost hallucinogenic novel of post-apocalyptic life in the Florida Keys. Government has collapsed, leaving Jonathan Lerner’s bizarre cast of characters struggling half-heartedly to preserve the guttering flame of civilization. Lerner seems to be offering a testament to the enduring powers of love and friendship, but the two get rather muddled when a gay man and a heterosexual woman inexplicably decide to become bedmates.