Tiny Deaths

A collection of fourteen little stories, most of which contain some surreal or fantastical element. Death is a recurring theme, as are bad/loveless relationships and characters with less than zero emotional intelligence.

The best of these were, in their own deeply strange ways, good enough that they left me sort of sitting there going "wow" afterward. But even the ones that didn't seem, to my rational brain, as if they should be particularly effective stories were still somehow weirdly compelling, and the combined result made for a decidedly memorable reading experience. I don't think this one is for everybody, but if "dark and strange and affecting in ways you don't necessarily even always understand" is your jam, this one will probably show more be your jam. show less

The scripts of my favorite Doctor Who writer generally show a skill of depicting real people with real problems in surreal fashions, so it was no surprise that Rob Shearman's collection of short stories did the same. Much of the collection deal with death: dealing with it, avoiding it, experiencing it. And so many of the stories end bleakly; my favorite was probably the one about a man who went to Hell to find out if he really loved his wife, but still never got an answer. Some of them were hilarious, some of them macabre, frequently stories were both. How could you not like a story about the only man in the world not to get advanced notification of his time and cause of death, due to a clerical error? Or the man who has to room with show more Hitler's dog in Hell? They're almost all potent stories on their own; together, they make for a fantastic and clever first book. Shearman had better come up with more soon; I'll be there in an instant. show less

Tiny Deaths is a collection of imaginative, wry, oddly thoughtful, and wonderfully entertaining short stories (or perhaps that is oddly imaginative and wryly thoughtful...). A young girl is reincarnated as an ashtray in her parents' livingroom; a man finds himself in hell with Hitler's dog as his roommate; an elderly man discovers his old television set is bleeding; in order to right a wrong done, the 'gods' send everyone on earth notice as to the time, date & nature of their death...well, all except one man...
Strangely odd but uncannily familiar, these stories are about grief, death, love, marriage, and all manner of human relationships, a worthy read for those of us who like to read outside the box once in a while.

Pitch-black humor with a fantasy twist. A little too black for my tastes--I ended up more depressed than smiling. But I loved the surreal elements. Humor is highly subjective, so I'd still recommend this book to anyone who likes to read--and think--a little off the beaten path.

Robert Shearman is an acclaimed playwright and radio scriptwriter who recently released his first short story collection. He's also the man responsible for the Christopher Ecclestone-starring Doctor Who episode 'Dalek'. Yeah - you're paying attention now, aren't you?

'Tiny Deaths' features some of the best short stories I've read in some time... and I have been reading quite a few lately. I often say that anthologies like this can be hit and miss affairs - some stories catch fire in your imagination, while others have you skipping the pages. It's unusual to find a collection where virtually every story has me gripped... I say 'virtually' because, rather ironically, the title track here - essentially Ken Grimwood's 'Replay' retold with show more Jesus as its comedic protagonist - unfortunately left me cold... The rest though - wow.

Read the full review at my blog. show less

This is a great collection of strange short stories. No matter how bizarre the characters or situations are though, Shearman writes about them with such true emotion and honesty that you can't help but FEEL. Honestly, I shed a tear when a woman gave birth to a rusty tea kettle. How often can you say THAT after reading a story? I definitely recommend this book!

I LOVED these stories. Coming to the end was like a tiny death for me. I can't wait to read more by Shearman. I've never seen Dr. Who but I will definitely look for it now. What an imagination! What a mind!! What a writier!!! The best I've read in a long time.