With a tip of the hat to Kafka, and Damien Broderick onboard as co-author, this story finds giant roaches being used as Mata Hari spies in a surreal future. From prolific, genre-breaking writer Paul Di Filippo's Wikiworld, this short story is one of a set of mind-bending tales of humanity's alternate pasts, all too recognizable present, and far-flung futures.

ChiZine Publications (CZP) curates the best of the bizarre, bringing you the most excitingly weird, subtle, dark, and disturbing literary fiction. Look for more titles in the ChiZine short stories collection to build your digital library.