purplecat | Tiny Deaths (Reply)

You're viewing

purplecat's journal
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: site light

As usual I seem to be horribly behind on my reading pile. Tiny Deaths is a volume of short stories by Rob Shearman, who wrote the Dalek episode of the Eccleston Doctor Who season. Tiny Deaths caused quite a stir when it was released and went on to win the World Fantasy 2008 Award for best collection. It is, indeed, a pretty stonking collection of stories floating around the themes of love and death and, often, the impact of one upon the other.

They are all beautifully written (and gabcd86 will triumph to learn there are plenty of run on sentences). Given the themes, I don't think anyone will be surprised to learn that, while not uniformly depressing most of them are at least melancholic. I'm not sure what genre they are. Few of them are straightforward realist stories, but I would hesitate to call them science fiction or fantasy or even magic realism. Many of them are everyday seeming tales with one striking image or idea. For instance the central image in Static is of a bleeding television.

`TVs don't run on oil,' explained the repair man. `That doesn't make any sense.'

However this isn't the start of a tale of rampaging vampiric household appliances, but instead a terribly poignant story of an old man, grieving for his dead wife and possibly in the first stages of dementia.

My only caveat about the book is that I don't think Tiny Deaths is necessarily a book you would want to devour in one sitting, any more than you'd eat a whole quality stilton in one go (or (given some people on my flist) at least not without some good biscuits and a decent red for variety).

The award was thoroughly deserved and the book is highly recommended.

From:

Anonymous This account has disabled anonymous posting.

OpenID (will be screened if not validated)

Dreamwidth account

If you don't have an account you can create one now.

Subject

HTML doesn't work in the subject.

Formatting type

Message

Captcha Response (paste here)

If you are unable to use this captcha for any reason, please contact us by email at support@dreamwidth.org

Profile

purplecat

June 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Tags

100 papers [10]
absent friends [2]
academia [87]
- dead scientists [2]
- edinburgh informatics [3]
- groups
  - dream [2]
- impact [1]
- public understanding [28]
  - lego rover [21]
- publications [50]
- scientists
  - aaron sloman [1]
  - alan bundy [4]
  - douglas hofstadter [1]
  - john mccarthy [2]
- talks [22]
- teaching [1]
administrivia [1]
agents of shield [1]
ai [28]
- agents [24]
  - ail [9]
  - bdi [11]
    - goals [2]
  - groups [3]
  - languages
    - agentspeak [1]
    - oopl [1]
  - organisations [3]
- automated reasoning [7]
  - rippling [1]
  - sat [1]
  - smt [1]
- ethics [7]
- explainability [2]
- hybrid systems [1]
- knowledge representation [1]
- lego robots [1]
- planning [1]
- robotics [4]
aisb [10]
amazon [1]
anecdote [1]
arthuriana [6]
bernice summerfield [6]
- review [5]
birthday [11]
books [54]
- author
  - andrew cartmel [3]
  - ben aaronovitch [4]
  - c s lewis [1]
  - charlotte bronte [1]
  - craig hinton [2]
  - david mcintee [1]
  - david whittaker [1]
  - dorothy l sayers [1]
  - iain m banks [2]
  - ian rankin [2]
  - j r r tolkien [1]
  - jacqueline rayner [2]
  - jane austen [1]
  - jeff vandermeer [1]
  - jim mortimore [1]
  - jonathan blum [2]
  - justin richards [3]
  - kate orman [2]
  - kelly hale [1]
  - lance parkin [4]
  - lawrence miles [6]
  - mags halliday [5]
  - malcolm hulke [1]
  - marc platt [2]
  - mark michalowski [3]
  - mary stewart [1]
  - megan whalen turner [3]
  - michael moorcock [2]
  - neal stephenson [3]
  - paul cornell [4]
  - paul dale smith [5]
  - paul magrs [11]
  - philip purser-hallard [10]
  - phyllis ann karr [1]
  - rob shearman [3]
  - rosemary sutcliff [2]
  - sara paretskey [1]
  - shakespeare [1]
  - simon guerrier [2]
  - terrance dicks [2]
  - terry pratchett [1]
  - tolkien [3]
castle [1]
christmas [2]
class [7]
- review [7]
computer science [15]
- complexity theory [4]
- game theory [5]
  - economics [1]
- np problems [1]
- verification [3]
  - induction [1]
conferences [3]
- aamas [1]
- arw [1]
- clima [1]
conventions [6]
- eastercon [11]
  - 2010 [2]
  - 2011 [4]
  - 2012 [1]
  - 2015 [1]
  - 2025 [1]
- lass o gowrie [1]
crochet [40]
- amigurumi [11]
- garment [5]
- moogly cal [8]
- non-euclidean [10]
current events [24]
dark [1]
- icons [1]
diary [14]
doctor who [966]
- books [45]
  - annual [8]
  - cover [50]
    - benny adventure [1]
    - eda [4]
    - misc [9]
    - missing adventure [1]
    - new adventure [10]
    - nuwho [2]
    - pda [7]
    - target [16]
  - edas [2]
  - nas [4]
  - new series [9]
  - pdas [1]
  - storybook [1]
  - time and relative disse [5]
- comic [11]
  - fifth doctor [2]
  - first doctor [3]
  - fourth doctor [2]
  - second doctor [2]
  - sixth doctor [2]
  - third doctor [1]
- costume bracket [117]
- factsheet [1]
- fandom [2]
- fanzine [8]
  - channel d [1]
  - dwb [2]
  - skaro [1]
  - tides of time [1]
  - web planet [4]
- fiction [1]
  - martha [1]
  - thirteen [1]
  - yaz [1]
- icons [66]
  - ace [1]
  - adric [1]
  - amy+rory+river [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - barbara+ian [1]
  - ben [1]
  - bill+nardole+twelve [1]
  - chang lee [1]
  - cybermen [1]
  - dalek [1]
  - dan [1]
  - doctor+master [1]
  - dodo [1]
  - eight [1]
  - eleven [1]
  - eleven+river [1]
  - faction paradox [1]
  - fifteen [1]
  - four [1]
  - four+leela [1]
  - four+sarah [1]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - graham+ryan [1]
  - harry [1]
  - ian [1]
  - ice warriors [1]
  - jamie [1]
  - jamie+victoria [1]
  - jamie+zoe [1]
  - jo [1]
  - katarina [1]
  - leela [1]
  - liz [1]
  - mel [1]
  - nardole [1]
  - nyssa [1]
  - one [1]
  - osgood [1]
  - peri [1]
  - polly [1]
  - romana [1]
  - romana1 [1]
  - romana2 [1]
  - ruby [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [1]
  - sarah+three [1]
  - sea devils [1]
  - seven [2]
  - shalka [1]
  - silurians [1]
  - six [1]
  - sontarans [1]
  - steven [1]
  - susan [1]
  - tegan [1]
  - tegan+turlough [1]
  - the master [3]
  - thirteen+yaz [1]
  - three [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - two [1]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [1]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
  - zygons [1]
- new series [6]
- nuwho rewatch [72]
- paper dolls [79]
- picture [213]
  - ainley master [2]
  - alien [1]
  - amy [1]
  - amy/rory [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - behind the scenes [13]
  - bill [1]
  - bonnie langford [1]
  - cast [3]
  - clara [1]
  - convention [1]
  - daphne ashbrook [1]
  - david tennant [1]
  - delgado master [3]
  - donna [2]
  - dvd cover [5]
  - dwm [4]
    - cover [2]
  - eighth doctor [1]
  - eleventh doctor [3]
  - eleventh doctor episo [6]
  - elizabeth sladen [1]
  - exhibition [1]
  - fanart [8]
  - fifth doctor [4]
  - fifth doctor episode [7]
  - fiftheenth doctor epi [1]
  - first doctor [4]
  - first doctor episode [16]
  - fourth doctor [5]
  - fourth doctor episode [7]
  - frazer hines [2]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - india fisher [1]
  - jamie [4]
  - jo [3]
  - joanna lumley [1]
  - jodie whittaker [4]
  - k9 [1]
  - leela [2]
  - martha [3]
  - matt smith [1]
  - mickey [1]
  - missy [1]
  - monster [13]
  - new adventures [1]
  - nicholas courtney [2]
  - nicola bryant [1]
  - ninth doctor [1]
  - ninth doctor episode [1]
  - patrick troughton [1]
  - paul mcgann [1]
  - pearl mackie [2]
  - peri [2]
  - peter capaldi [1]
  - production team [1]
  - puzzle [1]
  - river song [1]
  - romana [3]
  - romana 1 [1]
  - romana 2 [2]
  - rose [3]
  - rowan atkinson [1]
  - russell t davies [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [4]
  - second doctor [6]
  - second doctor episode [7]
  - seventh doctor episod [6]
  - shalka doctor [1]
  - sixth doctor [5]
  - sixth doctor episode [4]
  - susan [1]
  - sylvester mccoy [2]
  - tardis [3]
  - tegan [2]
  - tenth doctor [2]
  - tenth doctor episode [9]
  - the brigadier [1]
  - the master [3]
  - theatre [2]
  - third doctor [5]
  - third doctor episode [2]
  - thirteenth doctor [2]
  - thirteenth doctor epi [2]
  - tom baker [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - tv movie [1]
  - twelfth doctor episod [3]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [3]
  - villain [1]
  - web planet [2]
  - william hartnell [2]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
- rec [1]
- review [429]
  - book [34]
    - non-fiction [7]
  - film [1]
  - tv [395]
    - classic [150]
    - new new series [11]
    - new series [233]
- russell davies [3]
- steven moffat [2]
- the randomizer [152]
- verity podcast [1]
- whordle [4]
dolls [78]
- lego [5]
  - nasa [3]
- paper dolls [79]
dreamwidth [3]
edinburgh [8]
- festival [1]
exercise [18]
- running [37]
  - london marathon [19]
facebook [5]
faction paradox [3]
- review [3]
family [12]
- b [23]
  - animals [1]
  - dinosaurs [16]
  - fossils [4]
  - media stardom [19]
- cousins [1]
- days out [1]
- g [4]
  - school [1]
fandom [3]
fandom friday [2]
fandom stocking [1]
fanfiction [3]
feminism [5]
films [8]
follow friday [7]
food [51]
- heston blumenthal [1]
- recipe [40]
fools and heroes [11]
fossil friday [54]
friends [2]
genealogy [16]
granny's diary [5]
grimm [1]
- icons [1]
history [4]
holidays [57]
- cleveland way [5]
- cornwall [3]
- hadrian's wall [23]
- orkney [13]
- ridgeway [3]
- scotland [2]
- snowdonia [5]
- wales [2]
- west highland way [9]
house [16]
i have no tag for this [24]
i saw this last week [108]
icons [43]
- castle [1]
- ladybird books [1]
iris wildthyme [5]
- review [4]
jobs [3]
kin-strife [10]
linkspam [21]
livejournal [14]
lizzie bennet diaries [1]
mathematics [21]
- formal proof [1]
- logic [1]
- non-euclidean [10]
- philosophy [6]
  - proof [2]
- verification [1]
mcu [2]
- icons [1]
  - natasha [1]
media stardom [7]
meme [65]
meta [1]
model checking [4]
- systems
  - java pathfinder [3]
oxford [1]
performing [1]
- music [1]
philosophy [8]
- ai [2]
- ethics [2]
- mathematics [3]
picspam [102]
- castle [27]
- hobbit hole [6]
- house [2]
- prehistoric monument [93]
- roman remains [8]
- travel [58]
  - holidays [35]
  - work related [22]
pokemon go [2]
- icons [1]
primeval [59]
- fiction [1]
  - becker [1]
  - blade [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - lester [1]
  - ryan [1]
  - ryan/stephen [2]
- icons [4]
  - abby/ryan [1]
  - becker [1]
  - becker/lester [1]
  - becker/matt [1]
  - becker/ryan [1]
  - blade/lester [1]
  - claudia/lester [1]
  - connor [1]
  - connor/lester [1]
  - danny [1]
  - danny/ryan [1]
  - jess/ryan [1]
  - lester [1]
  - lester/ryan [1]
  - nick/stephen [1]
  - ryan [1]
- review [45]
programming [14]
- ail [1]
- languages
  - agentspeak [2]
  - jason [1]
  - java [5]
  - maude [2]
  - prolog [2]
projects
- eass [13]
- mcapl [13]
- platform grant [1]
- rais [2]
- verifiable autonomy [1]
- vps [2]
random doctor who picture [265]
random poetry [1]
rant [6]
reading listening watching [93]
rec [1]
- humour [1]
resolutions [14]
review [590]
- book [136]
  - non-fiction [37]
    - history [25]
      - science [9]
- comic [2]
- film [9]
- tv [409]
  - class [6]
  - internet [1]
  - merlin [2]
  - sarah jane adventures [5]
  - survivors [4]
roleplaying [24]
ros [1]
science [1]
science fiction [2]
science
- astronomy [1]
  - apod [1]
share
- twitter [2]
social networking [3]
- google+ [2]
- tumblr [1]
star wars [2]
- dolls [1]
  - lego [1]
the expanse [2]
- icons [1]
  - crew [1]
the prisoner [1]
- icons [1]
theorem proving [6]
- middle-out reasoning [3]
- proof planning [5]
  - critics [2]
  - rippling [3]
- proof specification lang [2]
- systems
  - isabelle [2]
  - isaplanner [4]
  - maude [1]
  - proof general [3]
- theory slicing [1]
- tptp thf [3]
throwback thursday [53]
- an oxford childhood [12]
- ancestors [3]
- arthurians [6]
- conventions [1]
- dad [3]
- docsoc [1]
- family [1]
- larp [3]
- oules [1]
- politics [1]
- running [1]
- wheatley [3]
tolkienery [7]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - sauron [1]
torchwood [5]
- review [13]
travel [65]
- commuting [2]
- work related [34]
traveller [6]
tv [29]
- blakes seven [1]
- buffy [1]
- firefly [2]
- sapphire and steel [1]
urban dead [5]
web stuff [1]
wierd spam [2]
world war z [1]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
writing [2]

Active Entries

Style Credit

Base style: Transmogrified by Yvonne
Theme: Sleeping Warrior by dancing_serpent

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags