Fragile Things
Encyclopedia
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders is a collection of short stories
and poetry
by English author, Neil Gaiman
. It was published in the US
and UK
in 2006 by HarperCollins
and Headline Review.
Most of the stories in this book are reprints from other sources (magazines, anthologies
, and even CD
sleeves).
Gaiman says in the introduction
that the original title for the collection was These People Ought to Know Who We Are and Tell That We Were Here, after a word balloon in a Little Nemo in Slumberland strip.
The three stories not included in the British edition are included in the British edition of Smoke and Mirrors.
for Best Collection, and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" won for Best Short Story and was nominated for a Hugo Award
. Other Locus Award winners included in this collection are "Sunbird" (2006 short story), "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Nameless House of the Night of Dread Desire" (2005 short story), "A Study in Emerald" (2004 novelette) and also winner of the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story
, "Closing Time" (2004 short story), and "October in the Chair" (2003 short story).
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
by English author, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
. It was published in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 2006 by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
and Headline Review.
Most of the stories in this book are reprints from other sources (magazines, anthologies
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
, and even CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
sleeves).
Gaiman says in the introduction
Introduction (essay)
An introduction is a beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the following writing. The introduction is usually interesting and it intrigues the reader and causes him or her to want to read on. The sentence in which the introduction begins can be a question or just a statement...
that the original title for the collection was These People Ought to Know Who We Are and Tell That We Were Here, after a word balloon in a Little Nemo in Slumberland strip.
Stories and poems included
- "The Mapmaker" - a very short story included in the book's introduction.
- "A Study in EmeraldA Study in Emerald"A Study in Emerald" is a short story written by British fantasy and graphic novel author Neil Gaiman. The story is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche transferred to the Cthulhu Mythos universe of horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. It won the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. The title is a reference to...
" - a Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
/Cthulhu MythosCthulhu MythosThe Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
pastiche written for the anthology Shadows Over Baker StreetShadows Over Baker StreetShadows Over Baker Street: New Tales of Terror! is an anthology of stories, each by a different author and each concerning an exploit of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes set against the backdrop of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos... - "The Fairy Reel"
- "October in the Chair"
- "The Hidden Chamber"
- "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire"
- "The Flints of Memory Lane"
- "Closing Time"
- "Going Wodwo"
- "Bitter Grounds"
- "Other People"
- "Keepsakes and Treasures"
- "Good Boys Deserve Favors"
- "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" - not present in the British paperback from Headline Review.
- "Strange Little Girls"
- "Harlequin ValentineHarlequin Valentine"Harlequin Valentine" is a bloody and romantic short story and graphic novel based on the old Commedia dell'arte and Harlequinade pantomime....
" - "Locks"
- "The Problem of Susan"
- "Instructions"
- "How Do You Think It Feels?" - not present in the British paperback from Headline Review.
- "My Life"
- "Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot" - not present in the British paperback from Headline Review.
- "Feeders and Eaters"
- "Diseasemaker's Croup"
- "In the End" - not present in the British paperback from Headline Review.
- "Goliath" - set in the Matrix universe and included with The Matrix ComicsThe Matrix ComicsThe Matrix Comics is a collection of short comic book stories set in the fictional universe of The Matrix series, originally released as webcomics on the series' official website from 1999 to 2004,...
Vol. 1 - "Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a GreyhoundGreyhoundThe Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, and Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
" - written for the album Scarlet's WalkScarlet's WalkScarlet's Walk is the seventh album released in singer-songwriter Tori Amos' solo career. The 18-track concept album details the cross-country travels of Scarlet, a character loosely based on Amos, as well as the concept of America post-September 11th . The album was the first released by Amos on...
, by Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
. - "How to Talk to Girls at PartiesHow to Talk to Girls at Parties"How To Talk To Girls At Parties" is a science fiction short story written in 2006 by Neil Gaiman.It is about a couple of British 1970s teen-aged boys, Enn and Vic, who go to a party to meet girls, only to find that the girls are much different than they imagined.The story follows Enn, a shy boy...
" - "The Day the Saucers Came"
- "Sunbird" - a story in the style of R. A. LaffertyR. A. LaffertyRaphael Aloysius Lafferty was an American science fiction and fantasy writer known for his original use of language, metaphor, and narrative structure, as well as for his etymological wit...
- "Inventing AladdinAladdinAladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
" - The Monarch of the Glen - a novella-length sequel to Gaiman's novel, American GodsAmerican GodsAmerican Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow. It is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, being preceded by Good Omens ,...
The three stories not included in the British edition are included in the British edition of Smoke and Mirrors.
Awards
Fragile Things won the 2007 Locus AwardLocus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for Best Collection, and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" won for Best Short Story and was nominated for a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
. Other Locus Award winners included in this collection are "Sunbird" (2006 short story), "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Nameless House of the Night of Dread Desire" (2005 short story), "A Study in Emerald" (2004 novelette) and also winner of the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story
Hugo Award for Best Short Story
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
, "Closing Time" (2004 short story), and "October in the Chair" (2003 short story).