Yeah, I can definitely see the comparison, and I enjoy that attitude a lot more than magic realism, though that may just be me. Speaking of which, I need to read some more Rushdie. Just a word of warning, I dunno if you've read The Virgin Suicides or not, but Middlesex is much, much better, in my opinion. But hopefully it'll just be one of many great books to come.

Eugenides had a good short story in the New Yorker a week or two ago. I dunno if he has enough for a collection yet, but I'm definitely intrigued to check that out if it happens.