Imagining One, I Took the Other

You come home to find yourself on TV. A decommissioned Concorde jet takes a job at a ­T-Mobile store. A princess is propositioned by a cosplayer. A young art historian discovers a gift for zoning out. A New York stockbroker becomes addicted to the pursuit of “good vibes only.” A despondent coffee enthusiast, struggling to navigate the web portal for medically assisted death, decides it might be easier to live.

These are some of the circumstances of Imagining One, I Took the Other—Thomas Laprade’s collection of uncanny modern-day fables, fairy tales, and fan fictions. Accompanied by the artist’s drawings, the book charts the limits of imagination in a world where every choice is overwhelmed by the tantalizing promise, or imperative, of ­endless growth and possibility.

‘Put down your phone and pick up this charming, addictive book instead.’ — Stephanie LaCava, author of Nymph

‘Imagining One, I Took the Other sits you down and spins 21st-century folklore that disorientates, defamiliarizes, and entertains, in a polyphonic portrait that leaves the world more enchanted.’ — Dean Kissick

‘I loved reading this book, and I''ve not loved reading anything for a long time. Contemporary narrative prose gets a reboot with the appearance of Imagining One, I Took the Other.

Laprade’s settings, in these fourteen collected works—whether office or backyard or T-Mobile store—are a view into an environment of belief-opinions. Drenched in projections that everything can be explained, that there’s an answer to every question, and loaded with unending “how to” life guides, our lived culture is wonderfully seen by Laprade. Imagining One, I Took the Other is worthy scrutiny indeed.

Laprade conjures his worlds with so much perceptiveness, without being didactic or mocking in tone…these texts don’t scream hey reader this is funny this is satire this is smart; they just are.’ — Constance DeJong, author of Modern Love

Thomas Laprade (b. 1991) is an artist, writer, and cultural producer who studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Montez Press Radio.