Odd Little Things
A Book of Short Stories
Odd Little Things is a collection of seventeen short stories that range from the whimsical to the macabre, often placing extraordinary or mythological elements within the framework of mundane, everyday life. Written primarily during 2020, many of the stories reflect the surreal environment of the COVID-19 lockdowns, using satire and fantasy to explore human behaviour under pressure.
From a suburban family trying to manage a growing dragon to two strangers causing a national crisis simply by blocking each other's path on the sidewalk, these tales remind us that life is rarely predictable. Whether it’s a ghost ship haunting the M25 or a bored housewife suddenly granted absolute imperial power, the stories blend the mundane with the miraculous in ways that are as touching as they are absurd. Perfect for readers who enjoy a mix of folklore, satire, and a healthy dose of the uncanny.
An Odd Collection
The collection is characterised by its unpredictability. In some tales, the fantastical is treated as a bureaucratic or social inconvenience, such as in "Step Change," where a simple sidewalk impasse between two strangers escalates into a national emergency involving the army and the Prime Minister.
Other stories provide fresh perspectives on folklore or history; "The Julieta Maldita" reimagines a 16th-century Spanish galleon haunting a modern-day pile-up on the M25, while "The Bergzwerge Mining Disaster" presents a farcical gritty police procedural that mirrors the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The collection also explores nostalgic and childhood themes, particularly in "The Prank," which follows a group of kids in the 1980s who attempt to use a decomposing dog and a walkie-talkie to scare their rivals. The book concludes with "Small Talk," a poignant dialogue between two spirits in the afterlife reflecting on the "fluff" and heartache of their recently ended lives.
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Key Themes & Style
The Intersection of Mundane and Mythical
A recurring style is the "matter-of-fact" treatment of the impossible. Dragons are kept in garden sheds ("The Elf, The Witch and The Forgetful Dragon"), and the tides are manually turned by two bickering old women living in a sea cave ("The Turning").
Absurdist Satire
The stories frequently poke fun at authority figures and bureaucracy. "The King's Four Advisors" serves as a fairy-tale parody of governmental mishandling of a plague, while "Doris, Your Highness" depicts a woman using nuclear codes to settle a local jam-making dispute.
Loneliness and Redemption
Beneath the humor, several stories handle deeper emotions. "The Cuckooman" explores a woodcarver’s grief and guilt through a mystical encounter that leads to a magical kind of peace.
Meta-fiction and Hoaxes
The story "Camber McGraham's Compendium of the Uncanny" uses a "book within a book" style, exploring the history of a discredited Victorian author obsessed with monsters and goats
