hwango

I have just finished reading "Bats of the Republic," a deeply strange book.
It consists of various different things, including:

* Letters written by Zadock Thomas to Elswyth Gray in 1843 while he is
on a mission for her father to deliver a mysterious letter, a task he
must complete in exchange for Mr. Gray to permit him to propose to
Elswyth.

* A story set in 2143 about Zeke Thomas, probable descendant of
Zadock. He has been given several documents after his grandfather
passes away, including a sealed letter that may be the letter that was to have
been delivered by Zadock. Zeke is in a relationship with a woman named
Eliza Gray, though in this case "Gray" is a surname given to her by the state
because she is an orphan.

* Letters written in 2143 to Eliza Gray by her father, who was forced to
abandon her to the state due to political stuff and is writing letters
to leave to her after he is dead. Many of these letters deal with
information regarding Zadock Thomas and his journey, which he has been
studying in order to confirm the truth of Zeke's bloodline.

* Pages from the novel "The Sisters Gray," which appears to be a
fictionalized accounting of the lives of Elswyth Gray and her sister.
In this novel there are references to a futuristic story written by
their aunt called "The City-State," which appears to be about the events
occurring in 2143.

...like I said, it's deeply strange.