Short Fiction · Theme
The Absurd and Inexplicable
How Short Fiction develops The Absurd and Inexplicable.
Many stories embrace absurdity, such as disappearing fire plugs, tiny people, and shared grotesque dreams, using surreal events to explore human responses to the inexplicable.
Where it surfaces
- The Six Fingers of Time
The faceless Old Man, the six-fingered hand, and the mysterious choice Vincent faces introduce an absurd and inexplicable element to his otherwise rational pursuit.
- McGonigal's Worm
The absurdity of McGonigal's Worm being the only hope for fertility, the superstitious belief in caged worms, and the ironic return of pregnancy in the worm lab underscore the inexplicable nature of the catastrophe.
- In the Garden
The garden's perfection, the beings' claims, and the sudden shift to a commercial exploitation plot highlight the absurdity of the situation.
- The Weirdest World
The chapter centers on the weirdness of the world, highlighting events that defy logic and reason.
- I
The absurdity of the situation—a superior being captured by primitive humans, mistaken for a blob, and sold to a reptile farm—underscores the inexplicable nature of the encounter.
- II
The blob's existence and abilities (flying, talking, multiple voice boxes) are treated as both wondrous and absurd by the humans.
- Seven-Day Terror
The disappearances defy logic and science, yet are caused by a child's simple toy, highlighting the absurdity of the inexplicable.
- Dream World
The shared nightmare is a bizarre, inexplicable phenomenon that defies rational explanation, featuring grotesque imagery and causing societal upheaval.
- Sodom and Gomorrah, Texas
The entire premise—a census taker counting tiny, intelligent beings, a thirty-five-year treadmill imprisonment, and a town destroyed by a grain-of-sand weapon—embodies the absurd and inexplicable nature of the narrative.