IT'S difficult to know what say about this curiosity of a book. It's just weird, quirky if you're in a generous mood.

Apart from the weird and wonderful contents and the strange title, one of the attractions of this book must be its binding. Following McSweeney's 23, which was bound in plain, grey cardboard but had the most beautifully designed sleeve, a work of art in itself, number 24 has what the publishers call "a highly theoretical but potentially amazing Z binding". It's got two canvas-covered fronts but only one back which means when you've finished reading the first part, you flip over the book and don't see the back but another front, the second part, forming in effect a Z shape.

As to the content, the first part contains six action-packed short stories, all by male writers with such differing writing styles that it is hard not to be entertained by this book. The second part pays homage to famous experimental American writer Donald Barthelme.

This section includes remembrances of Barthelme by his contemporaries and two of his early, uncollected works - The Bed and Pages From the Annual Report - out of print for over three decades, but re-produced in Mc- Sweeney's 24 for the first time.

If you're already a fan of contemporary American fiction, this book would look good in your collection,. If you're new to it, it's an intriguing introduction to a genre that is highly undervalued.