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Boy: Built for Love
A Short story from Matt Shaw, the author of "The Missing Years of Thomas Pritchard"
No parent should have to bury their own child and yet that was exactly what they had to do. Stillborn; a young boy never to open his eyes to take in the world around him. And now Lucy and Jack's marriage was on the verge of crumbling under the strain of the grief they struggled to cope with. A grief made worse when the doctors tell them they'll never be able to have a child of their own due to complications from the last pregnancy. But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if there was a way of using science and technology to create a son they could love? What if Jack was able to use Artificial Intelligence to create A Boy: Built to Love? Is the answer to their problems to be found within the world of science-fiction or are they setting themselves up for yet more grief and sadness?
No parent should have to bury their own child and yet that was exactly what they had to do. Stillborn; a young boy never to open his eyes to take in the world around him. And now Lucy and Jack's marriage was on the verge of crumbling under the strain of the grief they struggled to cope with. A grief made worse when the doctors tell them they'll never be able to have a child of their own due to complications from the last pregnancy. But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if there was a way of using science and technology to create a son they could love? What if Jack was able to use Artificial Intelligence to create A Boy: Built to Love? Is the answer to their problems to be found within the world of science-fiction or are they setting themselves up for yet more grief and sadness?
42 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2016
About the author
Matt Shaw
544 books2,255 followersBiography
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 14, 2025
3.5 stars. This had never almost choked up a few times. Loss of a child, a strained marriage, residual trauma, trying to right the wrong…all of it was written masterfully by Matt Shaw. Very powerful content in a tearjerker of a premise. I kept feeling like this was going to pivot hard into a horror at some point and there was plenty to work with there. However, it kept more a real world sort of horror, which can sometimes be even worse than some fantastical element. So, why the lower rating? It moved way too quickly and needed a lot more development to make this beautiful story take full effect. If this was twice as long, I probably would have rated it 4-4.5 stars. It’s that good, just too abbreviated. A good outing from Shaw.
March 7, 2016
Read this in one sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 8, 2016
Poignant
This was a lovely story about both parents grieving over their son James. It was heart breaking to read. Jack the husband watches his wife Lucy go downhill bit by bit so in desperation he decides to build a robotic boy for them both to love. Will this save them both???I loved it just sorry it was too short. Good one Matt
This was a lovely story about both parents grieving over their son James. It was heart breaking to read. Jack the husband watches his wife Lucy go downhill bit by bit so in desperation he decides to build a robotic boy for them both to love. Will this save them both???I loved it just sorry it was too short. Good one Matt
July 24, 2016
This is a very un-Matt Shaw-like book. It is the story of a couple who lost their baby boy and what it has done to them. It is incredibly sad. I kept waiting for the "horror" aspect to show up until I realized the horror occurred before the book began--when the baby died.
The wife just seems to drift through the entire story, unable to be in the present. The husband wants to do something--anything--to help his wife, but he has also gone a little off the deep end, too. He was just as broken as his wife, but society dictates that he has to be strong for her, so he goes back to work and has to push his sadness aside.
Until he can't anymore.
In the end, what the husband has done ends up being a comfort for him alone and you're left wondering if it will be enough, if anything can be enough after the loss he has suffered.
There are few things sadder than losing a baby immediately after its born. The feelings of loss, anger, hopelessness, and love are all beautifully written. Matt Shaw proves you don't need a "horror" book to experience horror and that is probably the scariest thing for all of us.
The wife just seems to drift through the entire story, unable to be in the present. The husband wants to do something--anything--to help his wife, but he has also gone a little off the deep end, too. He was just as broken as his wife, but society dictates that he has to be strong for her, so he goes back to work and has to push his sadness aside.
Until he can't anymore.
In the end, what the husband has done ends up being a comfort for him alone and you're left wondering if it will be enough, if anything can be enough after the loss he has suffered.
There are few things sadder than losing a baby immediately after its born. The feelings of loss, anger, hopelessness, and love are all beautifully written. Matt Shaw proves you don't need a "horror" book to experience horror and that is probably the scariest thing for all of us.
July 6, 2016
More please?!
So hard to write a review when I can hardly see from crying.
Beautiful, emotional and tragic. I really don't have the words to explain how this story touched my heart.
Matt your talent to reach my emotions never ceases to amaze me. With the story its not fear, disgust, terror, horror and dread that we are used to from your other books. This is a unique and emotive story of loss and love and I felt every part of it.
Bravo. I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing the story was longer, perhaps a sequel!? I would love to sit down and blank out the world for a while and lose myself in a continuation novel.
Blown away. A must read!! X
So hard to write a review when I can hardly see from crying.
Beautiful, emotional and tragic. I really don't have the words to explain how this story touched my heart.
Matt your talent to reach my emotions never ceases to amaze me. With the story its not fear, disgust, terror, horror and dread that we are used to from your other books. This is a unique and emotive story of loss and love and I felt every part of it.
Bravo. I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing the story was longer, perhaps a sequel!? I would love to sit down and blank out the world for a while and lose myself in a continuation novel.
Blown away. A must read!! X
April 27, 2016
This is a bit of a departure from what I've read of Mr. Shaw's work, but it was a quick easy read and I enjoyed it. It wasn't twisted horror, but a more human story. I liked it.
March 26, 2022
Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t get the ending of this one. Still enjoyed 98% of it though.
April 16, 2024
I really enjoyed this story. I have read quite a few of Mr. Shaw's books, but this is absolutely my favorite. I find it sweet, beautiful and sad all at once. Its so short, but in its time it gets its point across so well.
(IT IS N O T EXTREME HORROR
(IT IS N O T EXTREME HORROR
August 4, 2016
I'm Hooked!!
I'm still reeling. This story from the first had me interested, but by the end I was so emotional. I don't want to share too much. Simply know that this story truly makes you feel! I am thankful to my friend for making me aware of Mr. Shaw's writing. I'm hooked!
I'm still reeling. This story from the first had me interested, but by the end I was so emotional. I don't want to share too much. Simply know that this story truly makes you feel! I am thankful to my friend for making me aware of Mr. Shaw's writing. I'm hooked!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews