A Postmortem Dream

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This book, published by Twisted Spoon Press in Prague, showcases a notable ghost story by Ladislav Klíma. It centers on Matthias Lebermayer, a corpulent shopkeeper who finds himself in a surreal state of existence—either dead, dreaming, or caught in a blend of both. As he navigates these blurred realities, he is haunted by a mysterious man in a shabby suit, who utters the cryptic phrase: "Five fields I have passed." This phrase evokes a sense of dread and leads to disorienting shifts in time and space. Lebermayer grapples with the meaning of these words while his life intertwines with another. The narrative resonates with echoes of Poe and Plato's Myth of Er, delivered with Klíma's characteristic blend of horror, wit, and humor. Originally, only the first part of this novella was published in a magazine in 1920, accompanied by a brief coda. This format persisted in Czech editions for 70 years, despite Klíma's completion of a second part and notes for continuation, which remained unpublished. This translation brings together all existing material, complemented by exclusive illustrations from Pavel Růt for this limited edition.