Michael Cunningham

Specimen Days spans hundreds of years, from the Industrial Revolution to a post-apocalyptic world (you can decide how far in the future that is). It’s filled with ghosts, terrorists, neurotics, aliens, adolescent prophets, and artificial humans. This all might sound more like Neil Gaiman rewriting the Left Behind series than classic Cunningham, but if Specimen Days lives up to the ambition of this Pulitzer winner’s previous works, we’re guaranteed another languorous, haunting tale. A week after the book’s publication (on June 14), Cunningham will appear at the Fitzgerald with the poet Marie Howe as part of the Literary Friendships With Garrison Keillor series. Fitzgerald Theater, 651-290-1221, www.fitzgeraldtheater.org