Fragile Things
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders is a collection of short stories, poems, and one novella by English author Neil Gaiman, first published in 2006 by William Morrow in the United States and Headline Review in the United Kingdom.[1][2] The book comprises 31 pieces that span a wide range of genres and tones, including dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, and literary pastiches, with themes exploring the uncanny, the mythical, and the human condition.[3] Notable inclusions are the Hugo Award-winning short story "A Study in Emerald", a reimagining of Sherlock Holmes in a Lovecraftian alternate history; "Sunbird", a tale of an epicurean club hunting a legendary bird; and original stories like "How to Talk to Girls at Parties", set at a surreal teenage gathering.[1] The collection draws from Gaiman's contributions to anthologies such as The Matrix Comics and Legends of the Riftwar, alongside new works, and is introduced by a preface reflecting on the fragility of stories.[3] Fragile Things received critical acclaim for its imaginative prose and versatility, earning the Locus Award for Best Collection in 2007 and the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection in 2007.[4][5] It has been praised by outlets like Publishers Weekly for blending enchantment with disturbance, cementing Gaiman's reputation as a master of short fiction.[3]Background
Development and Inspiration
The stories in Fragile Things were conceived and written over the span of more than a decade, primarily during the 1990s and early 2000s, drawing from Gaiman's experiences as a prolific contributor to anthologies, magazines, and commissioned works. Many pieces originated as responses to editorial invitations or thematic prompts, allowing Gaiman to explore experimental forms and cross-genre blends within constrained formats. For instance, the collection includes reprints from diverse sources such as CD liner notes and unpublished manuscripts, reflecting Gaiman's habit of repurposing ideas from his broader oeuvre, including echoes of the mythological and introspective narratives developed in his Sandman comics series during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[6][7] "A Study in Emerald," a Hugo Award-winning crossover blending Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes with H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror, was first published in the 2003 anthology Shadows Over Baker Street, edited by Michael Reaves and John Pelan. This story emerged from Gaiman's interest in Victorian detective fiction reimagined through eldritch lenses, showcasing his penchant for subverting classic genres. Similarly, the novella "The Monarch of the Glen" serves as a direct sequel to Gaiman's 2001 novel American Gods, first appearing in the 2003 anthology Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy, edited by Robert Silverberg; it expands on the protagonist Shadow Moon's post-novel wanderings in Scotland, incorporating mythological elements inspired by ancient epics like Beowulf.[8] Other tales drew from personal and cultural touchstones, emphasizing Gaiman's focus on ephemeral human experiences. "How to Talk to Girls at Parties," an original piece debuting in the 2006 collection, was inspired by Gaiman's own adolescent encounters with awkward social navigation and the allure of the otherworldly, written in a single day to capture the disorientation of teenage discovery. The assembly of the book culminated in early 2006, when Gaiman finalized a 6,000-word introduction and suggested story order for his editor, Jennifer Brehl, gathering previously scattered works into a cohesive volume that highlights narrative fragility without overemphasizing it as a singular motif.[9][10]Author's Intent
Neil Gaiman described Fragile Things as a deliberate compilation of short, ephemeral works designed to showcase "fragile things"—delicate moments of wonder, loss, and imagination that echo the storytelling style of his Sandman era. In a 2006 interview, he expressed his enthusiasm for crafting the collection, stating, "Really I just loved the idea of just creating something where each short story is a person and it’s just a little fragile moment. Again, these fragile things." This intent focused on capturing transient experiences rather than expansive narratives, allowing each piece to stand as a self-contained, vulnerable artifact.[7] The blending of fiction and poetry in the volume was meant to reflect life's impermanence, with the subtitle Short Fictions and Wonders underscoring Gaiman's aim to experiment with forms that evoke both the ordinary and the extraordinary. He highlighted the freedom of short-form writing, noting, "If writing a novel is a year’s exile to a foreign country, writing a short story is a weekend spent somewhere exotic," which enabled a focus on pure, unencumbered storytelling without overarching themes or prolonged development. This structure positioned the book as a cohesive "little book of stories," emphasizing discovery through lesser-known and newly composed pieces over a retrospective of his most acclaimed works.[7] Personal dedications shaped the emotional core of Fragile Things, with the main dedication reading: "For Harlan Ellison and Ray Bradbury, and for the late Robert Sheckley, masters of their craft," tying its themes of fragility to Gaiman's experiences of loss among family and friends. These influences infused the collection with a sense of mourning and resilience, as Gaiman sought to honor those who supported his career while exploring grief's impact on creativity. Furthermore, he intended the book to balance darkness and whimsy, serving as a bridge between his expansive novels like American Gods and the concise panels of his comics, addressing perceptions of his "amphibious" identity across mediums: "I didn’t like the fact that there was something rather amphibious about me—at least in their heads—back when I was writing comics."[7][11][12]Publication
Editions and Formats
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders was initially released in hardcover on September 26, 2006, by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins in the United States, and simultaneously by Headline Review in the United Kingdom.[13] The edition spans 400 pages and carries the ISBN 978-0-06-051522-5 for the US version.[14] It debuted at a list price of $26.95 USD.[2] Subsequent editions included a US paperback released on October 2, 2007, by William Morrow Paperbacks, also 400 pages long.[15] In the UK, the paperback edition from Headline Review, published on April 5, 2007, excluded the story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" due to its prior appearance in Gaiman's earlier collection Smoke and Mirrors.[16] International translations followed, with the French edition Des choses fragiles appearing on April 17, 2009, from Au Diable Vauvert,[17] and the German Zerbrechliche Dinge: Geschichten & Wunder released in February 2010 by Klett-Cotta (Hobbit Presse).[18] A mass market paperback edition was released on January 25, 2022, by William Morrow, spanning 384 pages (ISBN 978-0-06-051523-2).[19] The audiobook version, narrated by Gaiman himself, was issued in 2006 by HarperAudio and runs approximately 10 hours and 47 minutes, featuring dramatic readings of the stories and poems.[20] Special editions from 2006 include signed limited hardcover printings by William Morrow, prized by collectors for their scarcity.[21] E-book formats became available starting in 2007 through HarperCollins digital platforms.[22]Dedication and Preface
The collection Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders opens with a dedication to Gene Wolfe and his wife Torie, honoring their profound influence on Neil Gaiman's development as a writer.[23] Gaiman's introduction serves as the preface, an introspective essay that establishes the collection's contemplative tone and provides contextual insights into its creation. Spanning approximately five to seven pages, it blends poetic reflection with autobiographical elements, offering readers a guided entry into the volume without revealing spoilers for the individual pieces. Gaiman describes the title's origin in a dream, where the phrase "I think...that I would rather recollect a life mis-spent on fragile things than spent avoiding moral debt" emerged, capturing the book's central motif of vulnerability in human experience, including the ease with which people, dreams, and hearts can shatter.[24] Written in the years following significant personal losses in 2003, the introduction reflects on storytelling as a means to navigate grief and impermanence, while delivering meta-commentary on the selection of stories—many drawn from commissions, collaborations, or unpublished works that align with themes of wonder and transience.[25] It functions as a metaphorical "map" to the collection's diverse "wonders," previewing the origins of key entries like the Hugo Award-winning "A Study in Emerald" through brief, personal anecdotes that highlight their evolution from idea to finished form. The style is lyrical and self-reflective, contrasting the more concise, fantastical narratives that follow and inviting readers to appreciate the fragile interplay between reality and imagination.Contents
List of Works
Fragile Things comprises an introduction and 31 pieces of short fiction, poetry, and a novella, spanning approximately 400 pages in the original hardcover edition, with cover art by Dave McKean.[26] The collection features 23 short stories (including the introductory essay treated as a short piece), 8 poems, and 1 novella, with about 15 works reprinted from prior anthologies and periodicals such as The Infinite Matrix.[27] The UK edition omits four stories.[2] Below is the complete chronological inventory:| Title | Type | Page Range (US Hardcover Example) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Essay/Short Piece | ix-xii |
| A Study in Emerald | Short Story (Novelette) | 3-28 |
| The Fairy Reel | Poem | 29 |
| October in the Chair | Short Story | 31-38 |
| The Hidden Chamber in the House of Love | Poem | 39-42 |
| Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire | Short Story | 43-46 |
| The Flints of Memory Lane | Short Story | 47-52 |
| Closing Time | Short Story | 53-58 |
| Going Wodwo | Poem | 59 |
| Bitter Grounds | Short Story (Novelette) | 61-78 |
| Other People | Short Story | 79-82 |
| Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story | Short Story | 83-90 |
| Good Boys Deserve Favors | Short Story | 91-96 |
| The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch | Short Story | 97-104 |
| Strange Little Girls | Short Story | 105-112 |
| Harlequin Valentine | Short Story | 113-120 |
| Locks | Short Story | 121-124 |
| The Problem of Susan | Short Story | 125-132 |
| Instructions | Poem | 133-136 |
| How Do You Think It Feels? | Poem | 137 |
| My Life | Poem | 139-142 |
| Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot | Short Story | 143-158 |
| Feeders and Eaters | Short Story | 159-164 |
| Diseasemaker's Croup | Short Story | 165-170 |
| In the End | Poem | 171 |
| Goliath | Short Story | 173-186 |
| Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky | Short Story | 187-194 |
| How to Talk to Girls at Parties | Short Story | 195-202 |
| The Day the Saucers Came | Poem | 203 |
| Sunbird | Short Story (Novelette) | 205-222 |
| Inventing Aladdin | Short Story | 223-230 |
| The Monarch of the Glen | Novella | 231-366 |