What do you think?
Rate this book
Small Matters
In these pages you will discover new worlds and a boy who opens a gate to another world; a man willing to break the laws of space and time for love; a simple working man thrust into the center of a legend out of folklore; and many more. The universe is vast, but it is the small matters which dominate our lives.....
- GenresShort Stories
112 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 7, 2013
It took me some time to get to this collection but I've had a lot of fun reading it today. It's called Small Matters and I think the title is very apt, both because the stories are such tiny little pieces of their own worlds and because each of them is its own sort of subtly nuanced tale. I'm going to review each story in turn:
Faces in the Wall: Have you ever found yourself staring at a wall or ceiling and seeing images there in the wood grain? This is exactly what Tommy has been doing to cope with his parents fighting and his imagination has been building an entire world there in the small confines of his room. One night he sees something new and with it comes a new hope for escape. This one's very subtle and touches on the sort of things kids do to cope. I could really identify with Tommy and his view of the world and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I Do What I Can: One day working at the overwhelming and overrun gas station next to an amusement park Wes witnesses a terrible accident and comes away feeling as if he did all he could, but did he? There's more to Wes than at first it appears and he's about to be called to task for his inaction. I like what this has to say about the way people see their part in accidents and the what if of having the power to do more. Would we really save everyone we could and if we did, what would be the cost?
Gary: This one is dark as coal and very bitter. Here we meet Gary one of the slimiest creeps you could ever meet and Mr. Emmitt a man gone cold looking for revenge. It gives us a hard look at life and the truth of revenge. It put me in mind of Stephen King's story 'Dolan's Cadillac' and the harsh dark world of Frank Miller's Sin City comics, very cold and honest.
First in Flight: A reporter shows up at a nursing home in search of Leon Wright a man with a very interesting past he might just be recapturing in the middle of the night. Super powers meets conspiracy and the tragic irony of surprises. Lots of whimsy here and a few surprises as well. One of the best in the collection.
Jake Henry was a Cash Ringin Man: Remember that story about John Henry and the steam drill? Yep, this is a fun take on that old classic told through the eyes of a future father. In this take the man in question is facing down robots who threaten to put his convenience store and gas station clerk days in his past. with this one we get a sense of Kanuckel's humor and wry smirk at everyday life. It's really a great piece and recalls the old Asimov stories as much as it does John Henry. Just wait until you get to the end!
The Rending: This one takes place in the world of Winter's Heart (the author's fantasy novel which I highly recommend) and features a traveling group of warriors looking for an evil goblin king named Gjork who now has the power of rending. What is rending? It's far more complicated than it first appears and as we're about to find out so is the story. This is one of my other favorites because it's such a tricky little piece.
Second Chance: This one is a tragic tale about love lost and unrequited, dreams fullfilled and a life wasted. It goes so many places and is a very personal take on the what if story. It's sad but very honest, taking the truth up, down and straight through to the bitter end. I can't help but respect it's conclusions.
Troll Day: Here we meet Pete a little boy who isn't too keen on books or using his imagination but has a grandpa and a father who love them and are desperate to get him involved in their tradition. This is one of my other favorites precisely because its so imaginative. We get right inside Pete's head and get to meet a very familiar face in his grandfather. It's as much about that sense of wonder as it is about the sense of loss found when the generations and our traditions with them slip apart.
The Girl with the Frostbite Smile: This one is a neat little tale about a man who meets the woman of his dreams while working in a store in the city. It really shows off Kanuckel's ability to catch the little details in human interaction and the immediacy that each moment can have. Who is this girl and what's so unique about her? What will happen when he follows her into the night? It's one of the best stories in the collection and a really great story about being lost in the moment.
Small Matters is a short read and well worth your time, it's got good solid little tales that can eat up an afternoon and leave you with some memorable imagery, maybe even a few thoughts on the points presented by each story. It's also got a nice price at .99 cents. Go pick up a copy!
Faces in the Wall: Have you ever found yourself staring at a wall or ceiling and seeing images there in the wood grain? This is exactly what Tommy has been doing to cope with his parents fighting and his imagination has been building an entire world there in the small confines of his room. One night he sees something new and with it comes a new hope for escape. This one's very subtle and touches on the sort of things kids do to cope. I could really identify with Tommy and his view of the world and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I Do What I Can: One day working at the overwhelming and overrun gas station next to an amusement park Wes witnesses a terrible accident and comes away feeling as if he did all he could, but did he? There's more to Wes than at first it appears and he's about to be called to task for his inaction. I like what this has to say about the way people see their part in accidents and the what if of having the power to do more. Would we really save everyone we could and if we did, what would be the cost?
Gary: This one is dark as coal and very bitter. Here we meet Gary one of the slimiest creeps you could ever meet and Mr. Emmitt a man gone cold looking for revenge. It gives us a hard look at life and the truth of revenge. It put me in mind of Stephen King's story 'Dolan's Cadillac' and the harsh dark world of Frank Miller's Sin City comics, very cold and honest.
First in Flight: A reporter shows up at a nursing home in search of Leon Wright a man with a very interesting past he might just be recapturing in the middle of the night. Super powers meets conspiracy and the tragic irony of surprises. Lots of whimsy here and a few surprises as well. One of the best in the collection.
Jake Henry was a Cash Ringin Man: Remember that story about John Henry and the steam drill? Yep, this is a fun take on that old classic told through the eyes of a future father. In this take the man in question is facing down robots who threaten to put his convenience store and gas station clerk days in his past. with this one we get a sense of Kanuckel's humor and wry smirk at everyday life. It's really a great piece and recalls the old Asimov stories as much as it does John Henry. Just wait until you get to the end!
The Rending: This one takes place in the world of Winter's Heart (the author's fantasy novel which I highly recommend) and features a traveling group of warriors looking for an evil goblin king named Gjork who now has the power of rending. What is rending? It's far more complicated than it first appears and as we're about to find out so is the story. This is one of my other favorites because it's such a tricky little piece.
Second Chance: This one is a tragic tale about love lost and unrequited, dreams fullfilled and a life wasted. It goes so many places and is a very personal take on the what if story. It's sad but very honest, taking the truth up, down and straight through to the bitter end. I can't help but respect it's conclusions.
Troll Day: Here we meet Pete a little boy who isn't too keen on books or using his imagination but has a grandpa and a father who love them and are desperate to get him involved in their tradition. This is one of my other favorites precisely because its so imaginative. We get right inside Pete's head and get to meet a very familiar face in his grandfather. It's as much about that sense of wonder as it is about the sense of loss found when the generations and our traditions with them slip apart.
The Girl with the Frostbite Smile: This one is a neat little tale about a man who meets the woman of his dreams while working in a store in the city. It really shows off Kanuckel's ability to catch the little details in human interaction and the immediacy that each moment can have. Who is this girl and what's so unique about her? What will happen when he follows her into the night? It's one of the best stories in the collection and a really great story about being lost in the moment.
Small Matters is a short read and well worth your time, it's got good solid little tales that can eat up an afternoon and leave you with some memorable imagery, maybe even a few thoughts on the points presented by each story. It's also got a nice price at .99 cents. Go pick up a copy!
March 18, 2014
I really enjoyed this book and was a little sad that there weren't more stories so I could carry on reading it. You can picture a lot of them carrying on into longer stories and I would be lying if I didn't say I'd like to see them do just that, which isn't to say they weren't ended well, because they were, but is more to say that Michael crafts worlds you find yourself wanting to immerse yourself in and stay.
WARNING: Mild to full on spoilers ahead. Read on at your own risk.
In particular, I found myself wanting more of the world of the superiors. The two stories, I do What I Can and First in Flight, give you brief glimpses of a world where a minority of people have developed super human abilities, but Michael takes this idea and runs in a different direction than what you might think. Instead of making the characters the typical superhero types he makes them people that are just trying to get on with their lives, which I find far more interesting. If you really think about it these people would be hunted, captured and researched without end and that is no life to live. The reality is that it would be better to hide your abilities than to flaunt them and this is the direction he takes. I really enjoy it when authors take an idea and flip it into something new.
Gary was another of my favorites. It was an interesting little revenge tale gone awry. I'm a huge fan of stories that don't end on a happy note and this one really satisfied my taste.
The first story, Faces in the Wall, really struck a note with my childhood. When I was a young boy I also pictured faces and forms in various textures like wood grain and tiles. I can really sympathize with the poor boys plight and his desire to escape.
The geek in me had a certain appreciation for The Rending. I used to play a lot of RPG's, Magic The Gathering and even some Dungeons & Dragons when I was in high school and it felt like a nice little wink and nod to those days.
The Girl with the Frostbite smile is the story that comes the closest to horror, which is the genre closest to my heart, and served as nice ending story. I really like it's ending and I have to admit, I didn't see it coming. Even though Josef gets a little creepy, stalkerish, you still find yourself rooting for him to get the girl and in a way I suppose he does end up getting inside her. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more. (Sorry, I had to.)
Overall I'd have to say it's a collection well worth checking out.
WARNING: Mild to full on spoilers ahead. Read on at your own risk.
In particular, I found myself wanting more of the world of the superiors. The two stories, I do What I Can and First in Flight, give you brief glimpses of a world where a minority of people have developed super human abilities, but Michael takes this idea and runs in a different direction than what you might think. Instead of making the characters the typical superhero types he makes them people that are just trying to get on with their lives, which I find far more interesting. If you really think about it these people would be hunted, captured and researched without end and that is no life to live. The reality is that it would be better to hide your abilities than to flaunt them and this is the direction he takes. I really enjoy it when authors take an idea and flip it into something new.
Gary was another of my favorites. It was an interesting little revenge tale gone awry. I'm a huge fan of stories that don't end on a happy note and this one really satisfied my taste.
The first story, Faces in the Wall, really struck a note with my childhood. When I was a young boy I also pictured faces and forms in various textures like wood grain and tiles. I can really sympathize with the poor boys plight and his desire to escape.
The geek in me had a certain appreciation for The Rending. I used to play a lot of RPG's, Magic The Gathering and even some Dungeons & Dragons when I was in high school and it felt like a nice little wink and nod to those days.
The Girl with the Frostbite smile is the story that comes the closest to horror, which is the genre closest to my heart, and served as nice ending story. I really like it's ending and I have to admit, I didn't see it coming. Even though Josef gets a little creepy, stalkerish, you still find yourself rooting for him to get the girl and in a way I suppose he does end up getting inside her. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more. (Sorry, I had to.)
Overall I'd have to say it's a collection well worth checking out.
October 16, 2013
Several of Kanuckel's short stories would make excellent novels. Some stories are haunting, others are just wondrous. The characters he creates for his readers are real and likeable- even loveable and tangible. We all know them and want to follow them and keep them with us. Excellent and an easy read. 'Small Matter's makes the reader yearn for more. I foresee a very successful literary future for Kanuckel.
November 9, 2013
Charming and thought provoking collection of short stories. I appreciated the skill with which this author brought a narrative to life in such a short space. The first story, 'Faces in the Wall' was my favorite. Fairytales and magic blending with reality has always been a wonderful subject for my contemplation.
I didn't enjoy the emotional, darker stories as much, but I still appreciate the skill with which they are carefully woven.
'The Rending' was also a story that I connected with as it had the ingredients I love - elves, magic, fantasy, adventure, etc with a brilliant twist at the end.
With stunning descriptions and intriguing story-lines, Michael manages to draw the reader into his tales as if he were the pied piper.
There are a few reoccurring themes that link a few of the stories - another interesting touch that adds something more to the collection.
I enjoyed this author's writing as well as his respect for the intelligence of his readers, and looking forward to more of his work in the future.
I didn't enjoy the emotional, darker stories as much, but I still appreciate the skill with which they are carefully woven.
'The Rending' was also a story that I connected with as it had the ingredients I love - elves, magic, fantasy, adventure, etc with a brilliant twist at the end.
With stunning descriptions and intriguing story-lines, Michael manages to draw the reader into his tales as if he were the pied piper.
There are a few reoccurring themes that link a few of the stories - another interesting touch that adds something more to the collection.
I enjoyed this author's writing as well as his respect for the intelligence of his readers, and looking forward to more of his work in the future.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews