Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan by William Brian Johnson

Joe's lived here all his life, but he's not from around here. Street names are different, landmarks lie, and even money shows presidents he's never known. Some versions of Fort Wayne, Indiana are apocalyptic wastelands, others harbor darker secrets. When trouble strikes, Joe opens a trash can and tears a sixth-dimensional rift in reality. Inside lies a void where he glimpses the multiverse and rides unknown currents to another Fort Wayne, hoping this one might finally feel like home. He emerges at the same time, same date, in a different universe. With each crossing, his memories slip away. Only Nobuyuki, his shape-shifting kitsune companion, remain constant, and they are hiding secrets about Joe's past that he may never remember. In a multiverse where the next trash can might lead to salvation or doom, Joe must find his way back before he forgets what home is.

Adult • Fantasy/Magical Realism • Fantasy/Science Fantasy • Fantasy/Mythic, Retelling, and Folklore • Science Fiction/Weird • Science Fiction/Parallel and Alternate Universe

Content Warning: death, traumatic memories, car wreck