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A Calendar of Tales
This past February 4th, Neil Gaiman and Blackberry kicked off the joint #KeepMoving venture. For twelve hours, Gaiman released writing prompts through his Twitter account, themed for the twelve months of the year, with the intent of writing Calendar of Tales, a collection of new original stories based on his favorite responses.
And now those stories are here!
Ebook: http://acalendaroftales.com/
PDF: http://acalendaroftales.com/uploads/f...
Audio: https://soundcloud.com/a-calendar-of-...
And now those stories are here!
Ebook: http://acalendaroftales.com/
PDF: http://acalendaroftales.com/uploads/f...
Audio: https://soundcloud.com/a-calendar-of-...
31 pages, ebook
First published February 1, 2013
21 people are currently reading
1146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 15, 2023
Earlier this year, a dearest friend sent me a 7-day guest pass for Masterclass where I attended Neil Gaiman's Masterclass. In it, he talks about A Calendar of Tales, a project he did for Blackberry where a very short story was published for each month based on prompts Gaiman got on Twitter
The story was available for free online at the time but after much scouring I was only able to find it on Soundcloud . Prior to listening to the entire collection (Gaiman only narrated the March and October tales in the class), I went about calling Gaiman my favourite author whom I'd never read. The patron saint for goth nerds has a mellifluous voice that lends wonder and credence to his stories. Leaving me with the nagging belief that the stories could've been longer. All of them were amazing but I will only speak about my favourites.
AUGUST TALE
Bushfire, painting by Eugene von Guerard
Sometimes, compliance saves lives.
OCTOBER TALE
Les Génies des Arts, 1761 François Boucher
You don't have to make a wish to get everything you ever needed.
DECEMBER TALE
"Winter in the city," by Natalya Nechaeva
Even when losing everything, hold on to hope.
I just found out I own the short story collection. It is included in Gaiman's collection of short stories Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances. Anyone looking to read it physically should get together them there.
The story was available for free online at the time but after much scouring I was only able to find it on Soundcloud . Prior to listening to the entire collection (Gaiman only narrated the March and October tales in the class), I went about calling Gaiman my favourite author whom I'd never read. The patron saint for goth nerds has a mellifluous voice that lends wonder and credence to his stories. Leaving me with the nagging belief that the stories could've been longer. All of them were amazing but I will only speak about my favourites.
AUGUST TALE
"In Australia, the eucalypts use fire to survive."
Bushfire, painting by Eugene von Guerard
Sometimes, compliance saves lives.
OCTOBER TALE
"You ever dreamed of flying? I can give you wings."
Les Génies des Arts, 1761 François Boucher
You don't have to make a wish to get everything you ever needed.
DECEMBER TALE
"It won't be like this forever."
"Winter in the city," by Natalya Nechaeva
Even when losing everything, hold on to hope.
I just found out I own the short story collection. It is included in Gaiman's collection of short stories Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances. Anyone looking to read it physically should get together them there.
December 19, 2021
Please go to Soundcloud and listen to Neil Gaiman read these marvelous tales--one for each month of the year.
They are all stupendous, but I have a particular fondness for
May - A hilarious tale of monthly curiosities befalling an unidentified woman. “I do not have an Uncle Theobold, but I wore a pink carnation in my buttonhole and ate salads for a month anyway.”
July - An igloo of books, a broken heart, an escape.
October - OMG, the ultimate love story.
and December - A story of hope. What could be more appropriate?
These morsels will take only a few minutes of your day. I stretched them out so that I could savor them, but then I gobbled them up like a second helping when I had done.
They are all stupendous, but I have a particular fondness for
May - A hilarious tale of monthly curiosities befalling an unidentified woman. “I do not have an Uncle Theobold, but I wore a pink carnation in my buttonhole and ate salads for a month anyway.”
July - An igloo of books, a broken heart, an escape.
October - OMG, the ultimate love story.
and December - A story of hope. What could be more appropriate?
These morsels will take only a few minutes of your day. I stretched them out so that I could savor them, but then I gobbled them up like a second helping when I had done.
February 26, 2017
These tales are the result of one hell of a collaboration, Neil Gaiman, through his and his fans tweets managed to write twelve amazing short stories, here are the questions and their answers, I'll leave it to you to discover the stories... my favorite was the "October Tale"..
March 4, 2018
I enjoyed this story that he used prompts for each month to tell. This is also in Trigger Warning. Good stuff.
March 12, 2015
Neil Gaiman collaborated with millions of his fans as a part of Blackberry's Keep Moving Project and the result is phenomenal, humbling, and beautiful in every which way.
Gaiman began the project by asking his twitter followers a simple series of questions related to the months of the year. The stories were inspired by the following responses:
1.“Why is January so dangerous?”
@zyblonius replied: “Because an aging veteran just retired, to be replaced by a dangerously unqualified youth, no more than a babe in arms.”
2. “What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in February?”
@TheAstralGypsy replied: “Met a girl on beach, searching for her grandma’s pendant, lost 50 years ago. I had it, found previous Feb.”
3. “What Historical figure does March remind you of?”
@MorgueHumor replied: “Anne Bonny and her rapscallion heart, dreaming for a ship of her very own.”
4. What’s your happiest memory of April?”
@NikkiLS replied: "When the ducks would trust us again; my father & I fed them fresh bread stolen from the inn he worked at.”
5. “What is the weirdest gift you’ve ever been given in May?”
@StarlingV replied: “An anonymous Mother’s Day gift. Think about that for a moment.”
6. "Where would you spend a perfect June?”
@DKSakar replied: “A refrigerator. Summertime always makes me wish they’d make large refrigerators that people could squeeze in.”
7. “What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?”
@mendozacarla replied: “…an igloo made of books.”
8. “If August could speak, what would it say?”
gabiottasnest replied: “August would speak of its empire lasting forever whilst glancing, warily, at the leaves cooking on the trees.”
9. “Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you.”
@TheGhostRegion replied: “My mother’s lion ring, lost & found 3 times over…Some things aren’t meant to be kept.”
10. “What mythical creature would you like to meet in October? (& why?)”
@elainelowe replied: “A djinn. Not to make a wish. But for the very best advice on how to be happy w/ what you already have.”
11. “What would you burn in November, if you could?”
@MeiLinMiranda replied: “My medical records, but only if that would make it all go away.”
12. “Who would you like to see again in December?”
@Geminitm replied: “My 18 yo-runaway-self so I can show her that I find someone to love & own a home of my own – it did get better.”
Twelve stories, each screaming Neil Gaiman to a one, varying widely in mood, tone and subject matter, are absolutely delicious and will leave you with all sorts of feelings. The October tale happens to be my favorite.
From my viewpoint they are best consumed in Neil's own voice: A Calendar of Tales.
Enjoy!
Gaiman began the project by asking his twitter followers a simple series of questions related to the months of the year. The stories were inspired by the following responses:
1.“Why is January so dangerous?”
@zyblonius replied: “Because an aging veteran just retired, to be replaced by a dangerously unqualified youth, no more than a babe in arms.”
2. “What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in February?”
@TheAstralGypsy replied: “Met a girl on beach, searching for her grandma’s pendant, lost 50 years ago. I had it, found previous Feb.”
3. “What Historical figure does March remind you of?”
@MorgueHumor replied: “Anne Bonny and her rapscallion heart, dreaming for a ship of her very own.”
4. What’s your happiest memory of April?”
@NikkiLS replied: "When the ducks would trust us again; my father & I fed them fresh bread stolen from the inn he worked at.”
5. “What is the weirdest gift you’ve ever been given in May?”
@StarlingV replied: “An anonymous Mother’s Day gift. Think about that for a moment.”
6. "Where would you spend a perfect June?”
@DKSakar replied: “A refrigerator. Summertime always makes me wish they’d make large refrigerators that people could squeeze in.”
7. “What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?”
@mendozacarla replied: “…an igloo made of books.”
8. “If August could speak, what would it say?”
gabiottasnest replied: “August would speak of its empire lasting forever whilst glancing, warily, at the leaves cooking on the trees.”
9. “Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you.”
@TheGhostRegion replied: “My mother’s lion ring, lost & found 3 times over…Some things aren’t meant to be kept.”
10. “What mythical creature would you like to meet in October? (& why?)”
@elainelowe replied: “A djinn. Not to make a wish. But for the very best advice on how to be happy w/ what you already have.”
11. “What would you burn in November, if you could?”
@MeiLinMiranda replied: “My medical records, but only if that would make it all go away.”
12. “Who would you like to see again in December?”
@Geminitm replied: “My 18 yo-runaway-self so I can show her that I find someone to love & own a home of my own – it did get better.”
Twelve stories, each screaming Neil Gaiman to a one, varying widely in mood, tone and subject matter, are absolutely delicious and will leave you with all sorts of feelings. The October tale happens to be my favorite.
From my viewpoint they are best consumed in Neil's own voice: A Calendar of Tales.
Enjoy!
October 10, 2017
This was wonderful flash fiction stories based on ideas sent to Neil Gamin. Some of the stories are dark and some are hilarious.
June 23, 2013
Quick review
So I was up all night till 5 a.m. today and the last thing I read was the story of November. Kept the December tale for today(day-time) :)
Aaaannd, loved this little book. :D Especially that story of the igloo of books :D And not to mention the genie and the wishes. And the art, coolio! :D
Plus points for cat illustrations ^.^
Weirdly enough, my nightmare was inspired from this book. :/ No worries, it was just... a murder in dreams.. nothing so unusual :)
Will read again later, before writing a bigger review. =)
P.S. Neil Gaiman, this is the first piece from you, will read others sometime, love the writing style!
So I was up all night till 5 a.m. today and the last thing I read was the story of November. Kept the December tale for today(day-time) :)
Aaaannd, loved this little book. :D Especially that story of the igloo of books :D And not to mention the genie and the wishes. And the art, coolio! :D
Plus points for cat illustrations ^.^
Weirdly enough, my nightmare was inspired from this book. :/ No worries, it was just... a murder in dreams.. nothing so unusual :)
Will read again later, before writing a bigger review. =)
P.S. Neil Gaiman, this is the first piece from you, will read others sometime, love the writing style!
February 27, 2013
What a fantastic idea this is! In a collaboration with Blackberry Neil tweeted various questions relating to each month of the year and then chose one response for each month and turned it into a story. And what a fantastic bunch of stories they are too! There's an igloo made of bricks, a genie who doesn't get to make any wishes and some ducks who get their revenge. Every story is something different- they are funny, heart-warming, mysterious and generally brilliant. This short collection really shows of Gaiman's talent and his imagination.
You can download it for free here: http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/asse...
You can download it for free here: http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/asse...
April 5, 2016
I enjoyed these magical tales by Neil's own voice.
https://soundcloud.com/a-calendar-of-...
https://soundcloud.com/a-calendar-of-...
March 19, 2016
Listened to it from Neil Gaiman's voice and he made each and every tale much more magical. My favorite tales are October and January, though I loved them all ^^
October 27, 2020
A Calendar of Tales was a mixed bag for me. Some of these I really enjoyed, others I was not crazy about. This was a collection of super short stories that reflected my general mixed feelings toward short stories. Although interesting, I wasn’t as in love with this one as I have been with other stories from Neil Gaiman.
February 25, 2013
Five stars! Because it's Neil. Fucking. Gaiman, because it's so good, and because it's FREE!!
Yes, folks, it's Neil Gaiman and it's free. I'm bouncing happily on my seat when I got this, so I'll let you bounce happily on your seat, too. Go to this link to download. http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desk...
As expected from Neil Gaiman, my top fantasy writer, this anthology starts with simple ideas but turned it into beautiful stories. He tweets questions about months in a year and then the favorite answers would be turned into 12 stories. All of the stories have it's fantasy feeling, but it's range from magically adventurous into a heartwarming one.
My favorite stories? The January, July, and October tale! The January tale just leave me flabbergasted, the July tale is so bittersweet, while the October tale is just so heartwarming. Read it makes me just want to snuggle into my fluffy blanket with my cats and let the world being washed away.
Again, thank you, Mr. Gaiman. Absolutely five stars.
Yes, folks, it's Neil Gaiman and it's free. I'm bouncing happily on my seat when I got this, so I'll let you bounce happily on your seat, too. Go to this link to download. http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desk...
As expected from Neil Gaiman, my top fantasy writer, this anthology starts with simple ideas but turned it into beautiful stories. He tweets questions about months in a year and then the favorite answers would be turned into 12 stories. All of the stories have it's fantasy feeling, but it's range from magically adventurous into a heartwarming one.
My favorite stories? The January, July, and October tale! The January tale just leave me flabbergasted, the July tale is so bittersweet, while the October tale is just so heartwarming. Read it makes me just want to snuggle into my fluffy blanket with my cats and let the world being washed away.
Again, thank you, Mr. Gaiman. Absolutely five stars.
October 3, 2014
Only one of the stories really resonated with me. October--the story about the djiin.
The others were either forgettable or had neat elements or ideas but didn't have the cohesive impact that I normally attribute to Neil's short stories. Perhaps flash fiction isn't his forte. Perhaps he should have taken more time to write them. Perhaps writing from prompts was never a good idea to begin with.
Whatever the case these stories live up to my expectations of one my favorite authors only in so much as they have eminently publishable and beautiful prose, as everything Neil writes does. He is nothing if not a practiced master of his craft, but even master painters create paintings that are devoid of passion and meaning from time to time. Usually they don't put them on the internet for everyone to see, but hey, who am I to judge? He probably had fun writing them, and that makes me happy, so I'll give it a pass.
The others were either forgettable or had neat elements or ideas but didn't have the cohesive impact that I normally attribute to Neil's short stories. Perhaps flash fiction isn't his forte. Perhaps he should have taken more time to write them. Perhaps writing from prompts was never a good idea to begin with.
Whatever the case these stories live up to my expectations of one my favorite authors only in so much as they have eminently publishable and beautiful prose, as everything Neil writes does. He is nothing if not a practiced master of his craft, but even master painters create paintings that are devoid of passion and meaning from time to time. Usually they don't put them on the internet for everyone to see, but hey, who am I to judge? He probably had fun writing them, and that makes me happy, so I'll give it a pass.
January 4, 2015
I love the fighting spouse story because i find it very rare and funny. And the igloo made from books. Can i have that? With the condition that it has bare roof so i can watch stars at night. But my most favourite story will be October. About the djinn. But it reminds me of him. 'orang paling kaya adalah orang yang merasa cukup dengan apa yang dia ada'. So, i have mixed feelings after that to like it or not. Then, comes November. My favourite month. The story was ok. But, the idea was very urgh sedihnya. And lastly, December. It gets better, kan? I'll prove to myself in ten years time that it will get better! Every difficulties shall pass. I firmly believe that it will pass! And i will pass! Tibe panjang.
February 21, 2013
Isn't Neil Gaiman wonderful? A collection of tales, grown from a Twitter experiment - Neil asked a question for each month and then write a story based on the responses from other users - a fabulous collaboration that I'd like to see more of.
As with all of Mr Gaiman's short stories some are funny, some are sweet, some are melancholy, and all of them stay with you after you've finished with them, little images or moments from each popping up like thought bubbles every now and then.
The only problem I have when it comes to these is that I always want more...
As with all of Mr Gaiman's short stories some are funny, some are sweet, some are melancholy, and all of them stay with you after you've finished with them, little images or moments from each popping up like thought bubbles every now and then.
The only problem I have when it comes to these is that I always want more...
December 31, 2014
سمعت نسختهم الصوتية بصوت نيل جايمان نفسه.
عرفت عن الكتيب ده بالصدفة البحتة. أول قصة اتكعبلت فيها كانت
July Tale
وهي اللي خلتني أجيب الكتيب صوتي ومقروء علشان أستمتع بيه.
نييل جايمان من أروع الناس اللي ممكن تخوض عوالم مافيش غيره يعرف يخوضها ويطرقها زيه.
عرفت عن الكتيب ده بالصدفة البحتة. أول قصة اتكعبلت فيها كانت
July Tale
وهي اللي خلتني أجيب الكتيب صوتي ومقروء علشان أستمتع بيه.
نييل جايمان من أروع الناس اللي ممكن تخوض عوالم مافيش غيره يعرف يخوضها ويطرقها زيه.
February 25, 2013
Never, not for one moment, can you point out while reading these twelve, brilliant, short stories, that each of them are written by the same author.
Hat tip, Mr. Gaiman, and all my respect.
Hat tip, Mr. Gaiman, and all my respect.
August 4, 2014
Neil Gaiman has embarked on an interesting project with A Calendar of Tales (ebook). The monthly stories are useful for teachers who would like to utilise ebook environments for students because it demonstrates how creativity with digital literature can be collaborative. A collaborative approach to writing with ebooks can maintain an engagement with literacy on a deeper level for students. Gaiman (2013) argues that fiction is an important aspect of education systems that seek to promote cultural and social health because literacy is a fundamental element for people to communicate what is in their imagination. A Calendar of Tales promotes a range of digital literacies including those of reading, social/ collaborative, illustrations and video media production.
Gaiman's tales were inspired by twitter feeds from fans that posted a response to twelve questions for each month of the year. The use of social media in this way is consistent with the 21st Century learner's tool set and allows for the exploration of social media technologies in a deeper way. Gaiman also narrates each story and provides a link to the audio versions next to each story. Readers can further contribute to the website by creating video media for each story and these are posted on the website. The January Tale video animation by Steve Skinner follows closely the intense atmosphere and character relationships that are developed by the story. Readers can also gain inspiration from other fans who make videos that are inspired by the stories. Kevin Favis' YouTube video October Tale video may give students ideas about how to develop their media skills and utilise a range a digital literacies.
The collaborative approach to story telling in Gaiman's tales can provide a framework for the style of project that Kearney (2013) describes as transformative for literature development across a range of curriculum areas. Ohler (2013) also argues that teachers need to move toward Gaiman's multimodal approach to digital literature so that the paradigm shift from literacy to multimodality can be achieved. Biancarosa and Griffiths (2012) highlight the innovative use of chat applications such as twitter in education settings allows for students to collaborate in constructive ways to solve problems. Gaiman has applied the use of social media and chat technologies in a way that is creative and innovative. Young (2008) argues that when children collaborate on projects using social media they are often more motivated to produce a higher standard of quality because they know that their peers will be reading it. A Calendar of Tales is a valuable contribution to the growing body of digital literature for the classroom because it has the potential to engage students on a range of levels of digital taxonomies (Churches, 2009) including collaborative projects.
Biancarosa, G. & Griffiths, G.G. (2012). Technology tools to support reading in the digital age. Literacy Challenges for the Twenty-First Century, 22(2), 139-160. Retrieved from http://futureofchildren.org/publicati...
Young, P. (2008). Exploring culture in the design of new technologies of literacy. in Coiro, J., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Leu, D. J. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of research on new literacies. 325-358. Routledge.
Gaiman, N. (2013). Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. Edited version of a lecture presented to The Reading Agency, UK. http://www.gertzresslerhigh.org/apps/...
Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student‐generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169-188. http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.cs...
Ohler, J. (2013). Digital storytelling in the classroom: New media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity. Corwin Press. http://www.tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej50/r4.pdf
Unsworth, L. (2008). Multiliteracies, e-literature and English teaching. Language and Education, 22(1), 62-75. DOI: 10.2167/le726.0
Gaiman's tales were inspired by twitter feeds from fans that posted a response to twelve questions for each month of the year. The use of social media in this way is consistent with the 21st Century learner's tool set and allows for the exploration of social media technologies in a deeper way. Gaiman also narrates each story and provides a link to the audio versions next to each story. Readers can further contribute to the website by creating video media for each story and these are posted on the website. The January Tale video animation by Steve Skinner follows closely the intense atmosphere and character relationships that are developed by the story. Readers can also gain inspiration from other fans who make videos that are inspired by the stories. Kevin Favis' YouTube video October Tale video may give students ideas about how to develop their media skills and utilise a range a digital literacies.
The collaborative approach to story telling in Gaiman's tales can provide a framework for the style of project that Kearney (2013) describes as transformative for literature development across a range of curriculum areas. Ohler (2013) also argues that teachers need to move toward Gaiman's multimodal approach to digital literature so that the paradigm shift from literacy to multimodality can be achieved. Biancarosa and Griffiths (2012) highlight the innovative use of chat applications such as twitter in education settings allows for students to collaborate in constructive ways to solve problems. Gaiman has applied the use of social media and chat technologies in a way that is creative and innovative. Young (2008) argues that when children collaborate on projects using social media they are often more motivated to produce a higher standard of quality because they know that their peers will be reading it. A Calendar of Tales is a valuable contribution to the growing body of digital literature for the classroom because it has the potential to engage students on a range of levels of digital taxonomies (Churches, 2009) including collaborative projects.
Biancarosa, G. & Griffiths, G.G. (2012). Technology tools to support reading in the digital age. Literacy Challenges for the Twenty-First Century, 22(2), 139-160. Retrieved from http://futureofchildren.org/publicati...
Young, P. (2008). Exploring culture in the design of new technologies of literacy. in Coiro, J., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Leu, D. J. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of research on new literacies. 325-358. Routledge.
Gaiman, N. (2013). Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. Edited version of a lecture presented to The Reading Agency, UK. http://www.gertzresslerhigh.org/apps/...
Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student‐generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169-188. http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.cs...
Ohler, J. (2013). Digital storytelling in the classroom: New media pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity. Corwin Press. http://www.tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej50/r4.pdf
Unsworth, L. (2008). Multiliteracies, e-literature and English teaching. Language and Education, 22(1), 62-75. DOI: 10.2167/le726.0
July 22, 2014
I always amazed with author's inspiration for their stories. They said it can be from anywhere but sometimes I wonder how they create words in to become a story from the inspiration they get. Neil Gaiman is one of authors who keep amazed me, including in his collaboration with BlackBerry. How can he created short stories from limited Twitter characters sent by his followers is beyond my imagination.
My favorites are October and December stories. I love October story because it’s so sweet and can be another good twist of genie story
And love December story because I love @neilhimself follower’s tweet and how he created it into an inspiring short story.
But I also love other stories, especially February, because there is Indonesia folklore similar to this story.
And July, I like the idea of igloo of books
Aside the stories, another best part of this short stories is the art image, they are awesome. And the best of the best part is it's free, you can download it here: http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desk...
edit on 07.22.2014, I don't know what happen with the link above but it's hard to find Gaiman's story from link above. So here's another link for you to download it http://acalendaroftales.com/uploads/f...
My favorites are October and December stories. I love October story because it’s so sweet and can be another good twist of genie story
And love December story because I love @neilhimself follower’s tweet and how he created it into an inspiring short story.
But I also love other stories, especially February, because there is Indonesia folklore similar to this story.
And July, I like the idea of igloo of books
Aside the stories, another best part of this short stories is the art image, they are awesome. And the best of the best part is it's free, you can download it here: http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desk...
edit on 07.22.2014, I don't know what happen with the link above but it's hard to find Gaiman's story from link above. So here's another link for you to download it http://acalendaroftales.com/uploads/f...
February 5, 2016
<3
Egy hónap – egy történet, a történet végén egy rajongó által készített illusztráció meg Neil kérdése és a válasz, ami megihlette. Zseniális! Imádom!
Nagyon jópofák lettek ezek a röpke novellák és úgy vannak megírva, hogy szinte átragad az olvasóra a hangulatuk. ~
– Januárban démonokra vadásztunk a kölyökkel és Tizenkettővel.
– Februárban kislányok voltunk egy monokróm tengerparton, akik nyakláncokkal „játszottak”.
– Márciusban kalózhajóztunk és beleszerettünk.
– Áprilisban kacsákkal pókereztünk, mert miért ne?!, de a kacsák nagy csalók.
– Májusban furcsa üzenetek és még furcsább ajándékok érkeztek nem létező helyekről.
– Júniusban megismerkedtem egy soha egyet nem értő szülőpárossal és a szerencsétlen kölykeikkel.
– Júliusban a könyveinkből iglut építettünk és elképzeltük, hogy körülöttünk jégvilág, felettünk meg az északi fények vannak.
– Augusztusban rádöbbentünk arra, hogy semmi sem tart örökké.
– Szeptemberben bumerángos viselkedésű oroszlánfejes gyűrűkkel álmodtunk… mindig visszatért a gazdájához.
– Októberben mesei szép találkozása volt egy dzsinnek és egy illusztrátornak.
– Novemberben tűzre vetettünk mindent, amit el akartunk felejteni. (Nagyon tetszett! Keresem az én varázsbrazierem.)
– Decemberben egy nő elmondta a múltbéli, hontalan önmagának, hogy nem szabad a metsző decemberi hidegben feladnia…
…én meg inkább újraolvastam a májusi mesét, hogy egy szép esti mesével búcsúzzak a könyvtől és ne fázva.
Egy hónap – egy történet, a történet végén egy rajongó által készített illusztráció meg Neil kérdése és a válasz, ami megihlette. Zseniális! Imádom!
Nagyon jópofák lettek ezek a röpke novellák és úgy vannak megírva, hogy szinte átragad az olvasóra a hangulatuk. ~
– Januárban démonokra vadásztunk a kölyökkel és Tizenkettővel.
– Februárban kislányok voltunk egy monokróm tengerparton, akik nyakláncokkal „játszottak”.
– Márciusban kalózhajóztunk és beleszerettünk.
– Áprilisban kacsákkal pókereztünk, mert miért ne?!, de a kacsák nagy csalók.
– Májusban furcsa üzenetek és még furcsább ajándékok érkeztek nem létező helyekről.
– Júniusban megismerkedtem egy soha egyet nem értő szülőpárossal és a szerencsétlen kölykeikkel.
– Júliusban a könyveinkből iglut építettünk és elképzeltük, hogy körülöttünk jégvilág, felettünk meg az északi fények vannak.
– Augusztusban rádöbbentünk arra, hogy semmi sem tart örökké.
– Szeptemberben bumerángos viselkedésű oroszlánfejes gyűrűkkel álmodtunk… mindig visszatért a gazdájához.
– Októberben mesei szép találkozása volt egy dzsinnek és egy illusztrátornak.
– Novemberben tűzre vetettünk mindent, amit el akartunk felejteni. (Nagyon tetszett! Keresem az én varázsbrazierem.)
– Decemberben egy nő elmondta a múltbéli, hontalan önmagának, hogy nem szabad a metsző decemberi hidegben feladnia…
…én meg inkább újraolvastam a májusi mesét, hogy egy szép esti mesével búcsúzzak a könyvtől és ne fázva.
October 20, 2014
I'm generally a Gaiman fan, and his skill definitely comes shining through in these twelve short tales. Having watched the whole thing transpire via Twitter, I know that these were conceived of and written extremely quickly. Nonetheless, the stories do read pretty well overall, and I have nothing but respect for the author who can do that on such short notice. Plus, I just plain think the whole concept is pretty damned cool.
But...
Yes, there's a but. The thing is... Some of these "prompts" are almost whole microfiction stories themselves. Gaiman manages to find some sort of little spin or twist for each of them, but the more complete the picture is to begin with the less room he has to put his own stamp on them. Especially when trying to write twelve stories, even very short ones, in such a limited timeframe. Some of the stories are truly very well-done, but others seem to have suffered for a lack of development time. That's why three stars instead of four or five; the project is really interesting to watch as it unfolds, but I'm not sure that the end results are all they could be.
But...
Yes, there's a but. The thing is... Some of these "prompts" are almost whole microfiction stories themselves. Gaiman manages to find some sort of little spin or twist for each of them, but the more complete the picture is to begin with the less room he has to put his own stamp on them. Especially when trying to write twelve stories, even very short ones, in such a limited timeframe. Some of the stories are truly very well-done, but others seem to have suffered for a lack of development time. That's why three stars instead of four or five; the project is really interesting to watch as it unfolds, but I'm not sure that the end results are all they could be.
November 11, 2014
I had not heard about this unique book/project till i picked it up. It was in February, 2013 when Neil Gaiman collaborated with Blackberry for his Keep Moving project in a way which no one had ever done. He took 12 hours and released questions via Twitter, pertaining to the 12 months of the year, intending to write a collection of short stories based on his favorite responses.
He wrote all 12 stories in the span of three days and two days after recording the audio versions, the stories were completed, and then he asked his fans to submit art that will correspond to each story. Every story is accompanied with a sketch which further makes it really interesting.
Each 12 story is very different from each other -no story is alike and neither are the sketches alike. The questions which Neil asked were random as well as astonishing i.e. What would you burn in November, if you could?; What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July? and so on! And the replies from readers are equally mysterious to say the least! The result is this unique collection which we must read just to show our support for such part breaking work.
He wrote all 12 stories in the span of three days and two days after recording the audio versions, the stories were completed, and then he asked his fans to submit art that will correspond to each story. Every story is accompanied with a sketch which further makes it really interesting.
Each 12 story is very different from each other -no story is alike and neither are the sketches alike. The questions which Neil asked were random as well as astonishing i.e. What would you burn in November, if you could?; What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July? and so on! And the replies from readers are equally mysterious to say the least! The result is this unique collection which we must read just to show our support for such part breaking work.
March 12, 2013
I really am at a loss on how to define this book. While the initial idea was rather interesting and the stories born out of them have that typical Gaiman touch of fancy, imagination and that constant struggle with the self to just be a little more, they do not always meet that mark. In fact, December's tale led to a lot of worrying about the framework of time-space continuum and how it was probably going to start to unravel. August's tale would probably be the weakest.
However, October shines the strongest and the warmest with May and June having a quirky and fun touch. However, it being Neil Gaiman, all the stories are worth at least one read.
However, October shines the strongest and the warmest with May and June having a quirky and fun touch. However, it being Neil Gaiman, all the stories are worth at least one read.
December 1, 2018
4-* [Average]
1) January Tale: 3*
2) February Tale: 4-*
3) March Tale: 5*
4) April Tale: 3+*
5) May Tale: 4*
6) June Tale: 3+*
7) July Tale: 4*
8) August Tale: 3*
9) September Tale: 3+*
10) October Tale: 5*
11) November Tale: 4*
12) December Tale: 3.5*
1) January Tale: 3*
2) February Tale: 4-*
3) March Tale: 5*
4) April Tale: 3+*
5) May Tale: 4*
6) June Tale: 3+*
7) July Tale: 4*
8) August Tale: 3*
9) September Tale: 3+*
10) October Tale: 5*
11) November Tale: 4*
12) December Tale: 3.5*
February 12, 2021
Historiene om de tolv spørsmålene og svarene må du virkelig lese. De er utrolig vakre.
November 19, 2025
Some of these stories weren't really my thing, but then others were great!
July 17, 2017
This was one of those Gaiman type of ideas. He asked people to respond on twitter to a series of questions about each month. He chose to write a short story to accompany each answer, picking the ones that fired his imagination. He gave himself three days to write them all. And gets corporate sponsorship from Blackberry to do it.
Other people contributed their own responses in various art forms.
This was the post on his blog:
I chose the twelve tweets (actually -- with one exception, March, which I fell in love with, and never had any competition -- I chose three tweets for each month, as the people whose tweets were chosen had to be okay with me having chosen them, and they had to tell BlackBerry it was okay for me to use them, and some people never got back to them, so it was good to have fallbacks).
And then I spent a couple of days when I thought I was going to be writing, being filmed and interviewed for the project. There was an entire film crew based in my garage. (It is a big garage, but it took me by surprise to see it transformed into an ops room.)
And then the film crew left, and I grabbed a pen and a blue book of blank pages, and I started scribbling: March first, (that was the one I fell in love with, as I said, and is piratical) then April (which is funny) and November (which is sad), then January (sort of exciting and things go bang), October (funnyish) July (heartbreaking and hopeful, my favourite of all of them, but different people have different favourites), September (magic), June (funny), May (WEIRD), February (strange), August (short and very hot), December (sad, but I ended it on a less sad note than I had planned when I remembered that it would be the last one in the sequence).
Logan Airport in Boston had closed because of a Blizzard. I flew home in the few hours between it opening and Minneapolis St Paul airport closing in an ice storm.
Then I typed the stories out, and sent them off to BlackBerry, and waited nervously to find out if they liked them (they did, which was nice, as there was no fallback plan for what we'd do if they didn't). I dashed into a recording studio, recorded them, even did some of the voices I shouldn't have had to have done.
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/search/...
All the links are dead now, sadly.
January: “Why is January so dangerous?”
“Because an ageing veteran just retired, to be replaced by a dangerously unqualified youth, no more than a babe in arms.”
February: “What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in February?”
“Met a girl on beach, searching for her grandma’s pendant, lost 50 years ago. I had it, found previous Feb.”
March: “What Historical figure does March remind you of ?”
“Anne Bonny and her rapscallion heart, dreaming for a ship of her very own.”
April: “What’s your happiest memory of April?”
“When the ducks would trust us again; my father & I fed them fresh bread stolen from the inn he worked at.”
May “What is the weirdest gift you’ve ever been given in May?”
“An anonymous Mother’s Day gift. Think about that for a moment.”
Oh, I think there was a short film for this one…
June “Where would you spend a perfect June?”
“A refrigerator. Summertime always makes me wish they’d make large refrigerators that people could squeeze in.”
July “What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?”
“…an igloo made of books.”
Oooh I’ve seen that, too.
August “If August could speak, what would it say?”
“August would speak of its empire lasting forever whilst glancing, warily, at the leaves cooking on the trees.”
September “Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you.”
“My mother’s lion ring, lost & found 3 times over... Some things aren’t meant to be kept.”
I love this one.
October “What mythical creature would you like to meet in October? (& why?)”
“A djinn. Not to make a wish. But for the very best advice on how to be happy w/ what you already have.”
Sigh… so romantic
November “What would you burn in November, if you could?”
“My medical records, but only if that would make it all go away.”
Oh yes, if only…
December “Who would you like to see again in December?”
“My 18 yo-runaway-self so I can show her that I find someone to love & own a home of my own - it did get better.”
Ouch… yeah. It gets better, it really does.
4 stars
Other people contributed their own responses in various art forms.
This was the post on his blog:
I chose the twelve tweets (actually -- with one exception, March, which I fell in love with, and never had any competition -- I chose three tweets for each month, as the people whose tweets were chosen had to be okay with me having chosen them, and they had to tell BlackBerry it was okay for me to use them, and some people never got back to them, so it was good to have fallbacks).
And then I spent a couple of days when I thought I was going to be writing, being filmed and interviewed for the project. There was an entire film crew based in my garage. (It is a big garage, but it took me by surprise to see it transformed into an ops room.)
And then the film crew left, and I grabbed a pen and a blue book of blank pages, and I started scribbling: March first, (that was the one I fell in love with, as I said, and is piratical) then April (which is funny) and November (which is sad), then January (sort of exciting and things go bang), October (funnyish) July (heartbreaking and hopeful, my favourite of all of them, but different people have different favourites), September (magic), June (funny), May (WEIRD), February (strange), August (short and very hot), December (sad, but I ended it on a less sad note than I had planned when I remembered that it would be the last one in the sequence).
Logan Airport in Boston had closed because of a Blizzard. I flew home in the few hours between it opening and Minneapolis St Paul airport closing in an ice storm.
Then I typed the stories out, and sent them off to BlackBerry, and waited nervously to find out if they liked them (they did, which was nice, as there was no fallback plan for what we'd do if they didn't). I dashed into a recording studio, recorded them, even did some of the voices I shouldn't have had to have done.
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/search/...
All the links are dead now, sadly.
January: “Why is January so dangerous?”
“Because an ageing veteran just retired, to be replaced by a dangerously unqualified youth, no more than a babe in arms.”
February: “What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in February?”
“Met a girl on beach, searching for her grandma’s pendant, lost 50 years ago. I had it, found previous Feb.”
March: “What Historical figure does March remind you of ?”
“Anne Bonny and her rapscallion heart, dreaming for a ship of her very own.”
April: “What’s your happiest memory of April?”
“When the ducks would trust us again; my father & I fed them fresh bread stolen from the inn he worked at.”
May “What is the weirdest gift you’ve ever been given in May?”
“An anonymous Mother’s Day gift. Think about that for a moment.”
Oh, I think there was a short film for this one…
June “Where would you spend a perfect June?”
“A refrigerator. Summertime always makes me wish they’d make large refrigerators that people could squeeze in.”
July “What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?”
“…an igloo made of books.”
Oooh I’ve seen that, too.
August “If August could speak, what would it say?”
“August would speak of its empire lasting forever whilst glancing, warily, at the leaves cooking on the trees.”
September “Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you.”
“My mother’s lion ring, lost & found 3 times over... Some things aren’t meant to be kept.”
I love this one.
October “What mythical creature would you like to meet in October? (& why?)”
“A djinn. Not to make a wish. But for the very best advice on how to be happy w/ what you already have.”
Sigh… so romantic
November “What would you burn in November, if you could?”
“My medical records, but only if that would make it all go away.”
Oh yes, if only…
December “Who would you like to see again in December?”
“My 18 yo-runaway-self so I can show her that I find someone to love & own a home of my own - it did get better.”
Ouch… yeah. It gets better, it really does.
4 stars
May 19, 2017
I got this as part of the 2016 Humble Bundle. It is a revised edition published in 2016 with illustrations by Paul Roman Martinez, and it is a real treat.
The booklet includes twelve (very) short month themed stories, which Gaiman wrote by asking twelve month themed question on his Twitter, selecting his favorite answer for each question, and writing a story inspired by that answer. Paul Roman Martinez illustrated each story for the revised edition.
Like the original release, the question, answer and illustration are revealed only after the story, and do be warned, if you peak and check them before the story, it will most likely be ruined.
I found this short short story collection quite superb. Gaiman remains the king of short stories and they are all excellent. Some are funny, some are a bit sad, all are worth your time. The monthly theme is strong and not just an excuse to write twelve stories. The illustrations are also excellent, adding another layer to the enjoyment of this little gem. If I have a complaint it is that I wanted more. But considering I got this on Humble Bundle it was worth much more than I have paid for it.
A very easy to score five stars out of five.
The booklet includes twelve (very) short month themed stories, which Gaiman wrote by asking twelve month themed question on his Twitter, selecting his favorite answer for each question, and writing a story inspired by that answer. Paul Roman Martinez illustrated each story for the revised edition.
Like the original release, the question, answer and illustration are revealed only after the story, and do be warned, if you peak and check them before the story, it will most likely be ruined.
I found this short short story collection quite superb. Gaiman remains the king of short stories and they are all excellent. Some are funny, some are a bit sad, all are worth your time. The monthly theme is strong and not just an excuse to write twelve stories. The illustrations are also excellent, adding another layer to the enjoyment of this little gem. If I have a complaint it is that I wanted more. But considering I got this on Humble Bundle it was worth much more than I have paid for it.
A very easy to score five stars out of five.
April 17, 2021
Collected in Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances, this has 12 really really short stories, one for each month of the year. They are varying levels of entertaining. February (lost pendant) is a standout. In March, Mary's mother says "I do not care to talk about pirates, Mary." completely glossing over her colorful past. April (gambling ducks) was funny. September (the Lion Ring) made me a little sad. October's Genie story is probably the most satisfying one.
August 1, 2020
@neilhimself asked:
"Why is January so dangerous?"
@zyblonius replied:
"Because an aging veteran just retired, to be replaced by a dangerous unqualified youth, no more than a babe in arms."
What a wonderful and unique collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. Each month, over a calendar year, Neil tweeted out a simple question. From the thousands of replies he selected one which triggered a story in his mind. On finishing each story he again put it back to us, the readers, to produce artwork for the tale, again selecting the one he felt fitted best. Thusly, this 12 story collection was created!
Currently available for free on Kobo, this is a must have for all of his fans!
"Why is January so dangerous?"
@zyblonius replied:
"Because an aging veteran just retired, to be replaced by a dangerous unqualified youth, no more than a babe in arms."
What a wonderful and unique collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. Each month, over a calendar year, Neil tweeted out a simple question. From the thousands of replies he selected one which triggered a story in his mind. On finishing each story he again put it back to us, the readers, to produce artwork for the tale, again selecting the one he felt fitted best. Thusly, this 12 story collection was created!
Currently available for free on Kobo, this is a must have for all of his fans!
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