Tales of the Out & the Gone (2006)

Amiri Baraka's Tales of the Out & the Gone, an aptly titled book, is an eccentric brew of sci-fi and social commentary. The first half (''War Stories''), penned during the '70s and '80s, is a black-nationalist-inspired reconstruction of traditional storytelling. ''Norman's Date,'' the account of a playboy's night out, and ''Blank,'' an eerie case of corporate-world amnesia, boast plot twists and unconventional dialogue. In the book's second half, experimental story-poems use ''Rhythm Spectroscopic Transformation'' and ''crazy-ass flying Reeboks'' to show America's power imbalance, and ways the disadvantaged can escape.