Aliens & anorexia

First published in 2000, 'Aliens & Anorexia' defined a female form of chance that is both emotional and radical.

Unfolding like a set of Chinese boxes, with storytelling and philosophy informing each other, the novel weaves together the lives of earnest visionaries and failed artists.

Its characters include Simone Weil, the first radical philosopher of sadness; the artist Paul Thek; Kraus herself; and 'Africa', Kraus's virtual S&M partner, who is shooting a big-budget Hollywood film in Namibia.