The Design

by China Miéville, Gerard Doyle (Narrator)

An anatomy student cuts open a cadaver to discover impossibly intricate designs carved into a corpse’s bones—designs clearly present from birth, bearing mute testimony to . . . what?

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Science Fiction

2 pages, Audiobook

First published December 10, 2013

About the author

A British "fantastic fiction" writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" (after early 20th century pulp and horror writers such as H. P. Lovecraft), and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird who consciously attempt to move fantasy away from commercial, genre clichés of Tolkien epigons. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He has stood for the House of Commons for the Socialist Alliance, and published a book on Marxism and international law.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Matthew Lloyd]

In some of China Miéville's horror, the threat is not direct violence or physical suffering. Rather, the horror is the knowledge that you may never come to understand the mysterious glimpse of something beyond the normal that you have witnessed - that there is something to the world you will never grasp. There is some violence in this story, but it is distant, peripheral to the focus. Ultimately, though, the horror is that you cannot fully understand the trajectory your life has taken.

[Hart_D (ajibooks)]

I loved this short story and found it deeply unsettling. If I had known anything about it before I started listening, I would've realized it was extremely up my alley: it's historical and spooky, with events left open to interpretation, and the main characters are two men who are possibly in love with each other - but then, if I'd known all that, I probably wouldn't have listened to this whole anthology, and I've had a great time with it. The audio narrator (he only did this story) was perfect.

[Nicole]

okaaaay… what?? I got lost in the sauce with this one. 🥸



*listening to more free short horror audiobooks from the “Come Join Us By The Fire” anthology while on the road with my mom. Pleasantly surprised by the production of these with excellent narrators and background noises

[Misty]

Very creepy and intriguing but I wish there was more. or maybe more stories in the same universe.

[Sassy Sarah Reads]

3.5 stars

I do enjoy a Frankenstein retelling, and this one has some great and grandiose audio effects that really heighten the horror.

[Stephanie]

A gradual evolution, and what seems to be the center of the story (William's fascination with the etched bone designs) ends up being more of a driving, centrifugal force for him and our narrator Gerald to be brought together. I liked the slow reveal/suggestion that at least Gerald has unrequited feelings for William - though feelings not unknown to William, as William does confide in Gerald, and they do buy a house together and live together. So though nothing is explicit (sounds like it's historical fiction, too, so it is true to the time period and how they might 'get around' societal norms without outing themselves completely), the change Gerald makes to his will after William's passing makes it pretty clear how he feels. With that, I'd almost say a more direct yet also nuanced title might be "The Desire".

[Liz (Quirky Cat)]

The Design is the longest short story in the 'Come Join Us By the Fire' collection (which is how I listened to it), and honestly? It was the perfect conclusion to this anthology of dark and twisted tales. It was not a story that felt at all rushed, and really just took its time setting up all of the horrifying elements that came together to bring this one to life.

[Jess]

This story left me thinking, What do humans really know about our complicated body? Every day, modern science learns something new. The main character's determination to find answers to something inexplicable is admirable. Like all of us, he was searching for the meaning of life.

[Stephanie Ricker]

Gothic/speculative fiction at its best, with a deliciously ambivalent ending that had me rewinding to try to catch more clues. I have my suspicions at what Mieville was hinting at, but there's nothing conclusive to tie to. Subtly and skillfully done; 4.5 stars.

[Noemi]

Great reader.

[Robin Case]

Nice original short story. More a biological story.

[Hilcia]

4.5

[Pino]

3.5 ⭐️

[Sarah]

Listened to this one in the car with Areg. Lovely and macabre, not really scary.

When a medical student in 1920s Scotland discovers that his dissection cadaver has intricate, scrimshaw-like designs on its bones, he breaks all the rules to seeing the rest. The narrator, a fellow student who's arrived halfway through the term, is particularly intrigued by the story of the mysteriously missing corpse.

[TheBookishBabe]

yeah i didn't understand this one

[Isirla]

Very interesting and kind of spooky short story. Really enjoyed it!!

[Laura Larson]

Not a bad creepy novella, but nothing really fantastic either. The audio was made even more creepy by well-timed sound effects. I know short books like this are SUPPOSED to be kinda vague, but I can't help feeling like just a bit more clarity would have been helpful.

[K Morlando]

An Interesting short audible story