The stories in Etgar Keret’s latest collection, AUTOCORRECT, falls between flash fiction and short stories. But the brevity belies the thoughtfulness and creativity found in these pieces.

Occasionally provocative, sometimes philosophical, often humorous, and almost always powerful, the tales are easily read but also require some pondering and consideration. Populated by everyday characters, doppelgängers, angels, lovers, perfectionists, kids, AI friends, liars and dreamers, they offer glimpses into their interior lives in this world and in alternate or future ones. Here are more than 30 stories of humanity in worlds of uncertainty, longing, small pleasures and big ideas.

The book opens with “A World Without Selfie Sticks,” which is not quite surreal and nearly futuristic, thus setting the tone for the entire collection. In it, a man meets who he believes to be his ex-girlfriend in a New York coffee shop when she is supposed to be in Australia.

"Effective, moving and dynamic, AUTOCORRECT is great fun to read but also full of compelling possibilities and serious questions. Keret is masterful here, taking us to settings --- both physical and emotional --- that are all too familiar yet somehow topsy-turvy."

“Not-Debbie” reveals that she is part of a hit reality show from another universe competing for millions and the ability to return to her home planet. All she has to do is correctly identify the one thing that exists in her world but is missing on earth. The first contestant to say it out loud is the winner, and “the rest of the contestants have to live the rest of their lives in the alternate universe they’ve been sent to, never really knowing if they’ve lost the game or if it’s still on.”

The narrator and Not-Debbie begin a brief but fulfilling affair, as she explores his world in search of what is missing and as she comes to be the Debbie he never really knew before he lost her. The sense of dislocation, desire for connection and meaning, and playfulness of the story are hallmarks of this collection and Keret’s style.

The titular story also explores time and relationships as a father and son are stuck in a loop of one morning full of small frustrations, miscommunication and pettiness that lead to tragedy and regret. In “Guided Tour,” Meron and Rona are the last two humans on earth, giving interstellar visitors tours of Ramat Gan’s Great Synagogue, stadium and theater, regaling them with the tale of Romeo and Juliet, which was once performed there. The alien tourists seem to be keeping Meron alive so that they can hear the story of humanity and its big romantic heart. Even a very short story like “Lucky Us,” which is just about two full pages in length, offers something greater than its word count as two writers discuss their craft and both the immortality of art and the mundane task of work.

Keret often delivers a last sentence like a punchline --- quippy, honest, unexpected and keen. Sharing them in a review would give too much away, but suffice to say that they perfectly punctuate these stories with sharp insight and fascinating perspective.

Effective, moving and dynamic, AUTOCORRECT is great fun to read but also full of compelling possibilities and serious questions. Keret is masterful here, taking us to settings --- both physical and emotional --- that are all too familiar yet somehow topsy-turvy. They force us to think carefully and ask us to find silliness in pain and seriousness in absurdity.