A 20-something UCLA graduate, Christina Han wasn't happy with the prospect of settling down with either a career or a significant other. The idea of home ownership and retirement plans alarmed her. So Han took those quarter-life blues and turned them into a collection of stories entitled, "Leprechauns, The Perfect Man and Other Mythical Creatures."

Rather than rehash realist depictions of aimless young adults already imprinted in pop culture (in films like "Reality Bites" and "Clerks"), Han has instead spun those questions about uncertain futures and societal expectations into fantastic tales. In Han's stories, God and Satan aren't above conspiring with each other to shape up heaven and hell, respectively ("The Engagement of Heaven and Hell"), and Mrs. Claus along with a female reindeer overthrows Santa and takes over the entire North Pole operation ("The Boyfriend Joke").

While the premises may induce a giggle, the ideas behind the stories also offer thought-provoking issues of everyday life, especially for younger people just finding themselves. "I think the one that a lot of people can relate to is 'The Boyfriend Joke,'" Han said. "It has to do with sexism and frustration with your place in life. It's also about doing something to change it rather than expecting other people to change it for you. 'The Engagement of Heaven and Hell' suggests that there is no black and white, but there's a lot of gray in all situations. People might find it surprising that demons and angels would work together, but that's always been reality. We all have a good side and a bad side, and the stories are indicative of what's going on in all of us."

At the heels of a literary movement where writers (notably George Saunders and Aimee Bender) have accrued not just a loyal following but serious accolades for their irreverently humorous and fabulist stories, Han is paying respect to these writers while carving out her own style.

"I don't know many humor writers in their 20s, and I feel like I'm bringing a fresh voice to the genre," Han said. "I love David Sedaris, but his work is more from a point of view that he's already worked through his problems. I'm in the thick of it; my characters are disgruntled, they're drinking too much, their arms and legs fall off. When I finish a story that I feel good about, I get a broader view of my problems, and I don't feel so badly that I've chosen to follow the steps of someone like Vladimir Nabokov, who toiled for six years to get 'Lolita' published."

While she hopes that her tales of lascivious leprechauns and Animatronic ghosts of dead Presidents entertain, Han wouldn't mind if the book also struck a more serious chord with her readers. "I don't really claim that I'm a writer," she said. "I just want people to pick up one of my stories and have a good laugh and forget about their problems for a little bit. If they find value in my stories, it motivates me to push the boundaries of my writing."

Han, whose work has appeared in JANE Magazine and music publications Mean Street and Agouti, will self-publish the story collection in June. "Leprechauns, The Perfect Man and Other Mythical Creatures" will be available off her Web site: www.christinareads.com.