The Log Goblin

by Brian Staveley

On a cold winter's night, a goblin is caught stealing firewood. Then things start getting weird.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Adult Fiction, Death, Low Fantasy

13 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2015

About the author

I live on a long dirt road in rural Vermont where I divide my time between mountain biking with my son, trying to play piano music that is far too difficult for me, running trails, doing laundry, splitting wood, thinking I really ought to wash the kitchen floor and then not, cursing at the pie crust for sticking to the surface, drinking beers with friends out by the firepit, and sometimes trying to write books.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Killin’ a thing,” he declared, “don’t make it yours.”

“It was dying already,” I protested.

“So’re you!” he said, stabbing a finger at me. “Doesn’t mean I come in yer house at night to chop you down.”

i read this one because i saw the title "log goblin" and giggled, thinking "i shall make a witty remark about greg's mom in the review for this!"

sometimes that's the only reason i need to read a book.

so, here: "log gobblin'? sounds like a typical wednesday night for greg's mom!"

OHHHHHHHHHH

apart from that unparalleled witticism, this story is pretty forgettable. it's very short and i guess it's a lovely story about human and goblin values and the way we respect and remember our dead and the shape those rituals take, but it didn't really leave much of an impression on me. probably because i was still too busy giggling over the opportunity for making dick jokes. so i guess that tells you what you should do with my opinions.

disregard as always.



read it for yourself here:

http://www.tor.com/2015/12/09/the-log...

come to my blog!

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why would a goblin steal your firewood?



Sometimes very short and simple stories work for me. This one didn't, so much; I think the language was a little too plain and choppy. But it had a few nice whimsical moments, and I liked the ending. The cover illustration is probably my favorite part, though.

Free online at Tor.com.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

When an old beech tree dies, the person who owns the land the tree's on, cuts and chops it down thinking that it'd serve as firewood but when the stack of wood starts to disappear, he finds that something strange is afoot.

It had a nice start and I really enjoyed reading it but it ended too soon, way too soon. I did not like the writing much, it was not as gripping as I would have liked it to be but the illustrated cover is very beautiful. It also has a very touching message, the kind that broke my heart.

3 stars

[Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Vermont native, I found myself easily transported into any number of the pastoral landscapes that make up my home state as I read this story. It's a very short story, deeply rooted in romanticizing those backwoods and picturesque landscapes I've fallen so in love with over the course of my life.

Staveley is a Vermont author who has been high on my list for a year+ now. I own all of his Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series but have not yet had time to prioritize them. I'm sure to change that decision as I'm interested to if his experiences as a Vermont author impact his larger stories at all.

[Lizzie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Killin’ a thing,” he declared, “don’t make it yours.”

“It was dying already,” I protested.

“So’re you!” he said, stabbing a finger at me. “Doesn’t mean I come in yer house at night to chop you down.”

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

/I was a little sad to take down the huge old beech, a wolf tree three times as large as anything else around. Most likely, it stood there when the woods were fields—a marker between properties or just a spot for the cows to graze out of the sun—and it had remained after the farmers left and the fields gave way to forest once again. It seemed a shame, somehow, to cut it down, but it was dying, and besides, a tree that size was worth more than a cord of firewood.

By the next winter I had it cut, stacked, and dried inside my shed, but it was buried near back, behind three other rows, and it wasn’t until January that I’d burned enough of the other wood to actually get at it. That’s when a strange thing started happening.
---

Short and sweet, loved it:)
Read the story here

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Log Goblin

I have come to love these Tor shorts. Perfect for unwinding at the end of the day. :)

This a curious story: part fable, part fairy tale. A farmer, the narrator, discovers the wood from and ancient tree he had cut down being stolen. He keeps watch, and unmasks the culprit - a goblin. The goblin's reason for stealing the wood, and the surprising turn the events take, form the rest of the story.

This is a pastoral about love, loss and a vanished world where lovers kissed under trees and picked berries together - as the "little folk" watched from the wings. A story that is utterly pointless - and strangely, sadly, beautiful.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly quick read, as it is a short, short-story. Goblins always cast a spell upon me, so I gobbled up this tale of the wood-stealing Goblin.

I'll keep this short...perfect for a winter's eve, preferably when the moon is out, because that's the best way to see a Goblin at midnight. It is both an adult read and one that can be told as a child's bedtime story. I wanted more, but why should the world take notice. 'Tis just a winter's tale.

Book Season = Winter (crackle of boots on snow)

[Phoenix2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and enjoyable, The Log Goblin doesn't exaggerate about what it is. And yet, it felt like reading a well crafted fairy tale. Nicely done!!

[Amy (Other Amy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I told myself I was imagining it. But when you rely on wood to cook your food, to keep you warm, to stop the pipes from freezing, you know how high your pile is, almost down to the last log, and someone, I decided after three more days of this, was taking my wood.

I caught him the next night. I stayed up late, waiting inside until full dark, then pulling on my coat and boots to go stand guard. It was cold enough that the snow squeaked. The stars were knife-sharp. I waited with my hands stuffed in my pockets, shivering and feeling foolish. I was about to head inside when I heard him coming, huffing and cursing and muttering as he made his way up out of the woods, struggling through the deep drifts toward my shed.

Neighbors have a property discussion. I honestly wanted a little more from this, but it has some nice moments and I'm feeling generous. Also I love that cover. (I'm a sucker, I know.)

Available free online from Tor: http://www.tor.com/2015/12/09/the-log...

[Scott Neumann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little feel good fable, a simple diversion from all of the horror I've been reading lately. Good introduction into the writing style of this author.

[Mili · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story, had a small break and was looking for something to fill my time. It was magical with the winter landscape and the Goblin.

[Zaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short story for winter. The atmosphere was good, playing with the cold and the warm, and the story was interesting, adding a touch of fantasy in a very normal life. I liked the Goblin's view on things and the overall philosophy. A pleasant and very quick read!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man and a goblin, sharing a winter's night together. Such beautiful imagery here. I just wish it had gone on a little longer.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story I'm going to use in class at Halloween. It's good but not great.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and made some sort of sense, but left me kind of ... empty. Not a huge bang or anything. And kinda creepy that the dead couple had a goblin for a stalker... "They made half their babies under that tree." Really? Kinda creeper there buddy.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story but it still managed to bring out the magic of reading. It also left me a little conflicted - on one hand I wanted to see more but on the other hand it's good just as it is.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Log Goblin by Brian Staveley

3 stars

The link for this Tor Short popped up on an FB group I'm in and I had some time to kill waiting around at the DMV. I definitely really enjoyed the story. It was incredibly short and I think that may have hindered my overall enjoyment for this tale.

The Log Goblin follows a man who lives in the woods and is building a wood pile. He keeps noticing his wood supplies is dwindling and catches the thief, a goblin. It's a brief look into life after death and the importance of what living and being dead is. I did enjoy the symbolism, but it also felt shoved in my face blatantly and there was no room for speculation or imagination.

Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

Plotastic Scale: 3

Cover Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of the cover and I think it's so brilliantly illustrated.

[Alex Sarll]

A sweet, slightly offbeat little winter tale. It very nearly manages the trick of feeling like a genuine old folk tale, which is a lot tougher than many writers who attempt this style seem to have expected.

[Michelle Kobus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet, and one of the most perfectly heartwarming stories you could ever hope to read.

It's free on Tor's website, here.

[M.T. DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I feel like it needs more but also that it tells so much more than is on the page.

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable short story for the winter solstice and those that appreciate the natural world.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 10 minutes read yet so dense and full of emotions.

http://www.tor.com/2015/12/09/the-log...

[Marita_z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short story! But I want more! Too small!!!!

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very short. And yet it hits straight to the heart.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A very nice short story (it takes literally 5 -7 minutes to read it). Unpretentious and simple. You can never be too warm.

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Short story bingo read)

I liked this. It's self-contained and didn’t make me feel like I missed out on a huge world, also it was quite touching for such a short story.

[Kes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weirdly, Goodreads' description doesn't include a link, so here's the link: https://www.tor.com/2015/12/09/the-lo...

I read this to the end and went: awww. It's a very self-contained piece, and, unlike most other short stories, doesn't seek to leave room for more. It's because of this that I'm giving it 5 stars.

Basically: the narrator finds out that a goblin is stealing his firewood. He follows the goblin, who reveals that he's stealing it in memory of the old couple buried beneath where the tree used to stand. The narrator relents and helps the goblin put all the wood back. The goblin then burns the wood. We end with:

I turned to him, taken aback. “I thought I might place a gravestone here, now that the tree is gone.”

“Whadda they need a gravestone for?” He gestured with a gnarled hand. “They got a fire.”

“But a fire . . .” I said, shaking my head. “It’s so short.”

He looked at me, then held his twiggy hands out to the flame. “But it’s warm.”

Awww. I loved it. The goblin liked the couple because the couple was kind and warm - and their action resonate to present day. To me, the goblin's reaction touches on the idea of actions being temporary - it's the now that matters.

I liked that the author conveyed so much in few enough words. This really does feel like a short story.

[Antonis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started very nice. It was really interesting. Then it ended...
Ok, so I know this is not a review but what am I supposed to write for a 3-4 page short story that takes 5 minutes to read? Two main and unfortunate but probably unavoidable problems: It was too short and it ended very abruptly. I've read many many short stories and I can't say I was impressed by this one. But Brian Staveley shows promise with his writing so I will definitely check some of his real longer works.

[Mountainroot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αντικειμενικά ήταν πάρα πολύ μικρό ακόμα για μικρή ιστορία και με απότομο τέλος....ΑΛΛΑ εμένα μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ και μου άρεσε και το ύφος του Staveley.
Για να δούμε τι άλλο έχει κάνει ο άνθρωπος μπας και αξίζει τελικά