Self has published collections of short stories (The Quantity Theory of Insanity [1991], Grey Area [1994], Junk Mail [1995], Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough Boys [1998]), novellas (Cock and Bull [1992], The Sweet Smell of Psychosis [1996]), and novels (My Idea of Fun [1993], Great Apes [1997]). Those interested in How the Dead Live will find his short fiction interesting because it often serves as a testing ground for ideas and characters that show up in his novels. "Between the Conceits" (published in Grey Area) for instance, brings up the idea of the "eight people that matter," an idea that reappears in How the Dead Live when Lily discusses the "eight couples that mattered" during her first marriage.

Those interested in Self's other works would be well served by reading the novella Cock and Bull, which is probably as representative as any of Self's works. It is composed of two thematically related novellas...