In a story by this author, a man anxious about getting married has a dream in which a shopkeeper sells him a hot new type of fabric called “wife.” A fictional version of this author gives the name “Caracas” to an (15[1])inanimate object that manages to (15[1])contract syphilis. (15[1])This writer marries a humanoid balloon in a story titled (15[1])for his “wife,” by Tommaso Landolfi. This author wrote a story in which a painter buys opium from a Persian, gets high, proposes marriage to a (*) prostitute, (-5[1])and finally slits his throat. The dogs Meggy and (10[1])Fidel are overheard gossiping in another story (10[2])by this author, in which the impending accession of Isabella II inspires Poprishchkin (10[1])(poe-PRISH-kin) (-5[1])to declare himself king (-5[1])of Spain. For (10[1]0[2]-5[1])10 points, (-5[1])name this Ukrainian author of fantastical (10[1])stories like “Nevsky Prospect” and “Diary (10[1]-5[1])of a Madman.” ■END■