Forthcoming April 2027

One Big Place

The Saur Stories of Richard Chwedyk

With an introduction by Janis Ian

Includes the Nebula Award-winning novella “Brontë’s Egg”

Pre-order direct from the publisher

ONE BIG PLACE — E-book Edition $10.00 Buy now

ONE BIG PLACE — Paperback [U.S. only] $25.00 Buy now

Cover art by Bryn Barnard

The Saurs did not ask for the lives their makers gave them. Genetically engineered to look like cartoon dinosaurs, the right size for children to play with, they endured all the things that happen to childhood toys—but they can think, and speak, and learn, and so much more. For some, this discovery came too late. 

But the Saurs who were rescued now dwell in a mansion designated to keep them sheltered and safe from human hands that can harm them—especially those of the company that made them, which still has designs on these small, quirky creatures; designs that Tom and the staff of the Atherton Foundation must be on guard to thwart. Freed to follow their dreams and ambitions, the Saurs demonstrate capabilities that range from heart-warming to awe-inspiring, their antics hilarious, their compassion deeply moving. It’s hard to believe so many mind-bending events can happen under a single roof, but to the Saurs, it’s One Big Place.

This volume for the first time collects all five of Richard Chwedyk’s celebrated Saur novellas, including the Nebula Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated “Brontë’s Egg,” with an additional forward from the irascible mini-stegosaur Agnes.

Praise for the Saur stories

“The long-awaited collection of Richard Chwedyk’s marvelous Saur stories is in your hands! Let go of your human ego, and prepare to be delighted, touched, horrified, a little ashamed, and very deeply involved in the adventures of these small creatures with big personalities. Every one of them will become someone that you care about and wish that you knew. Chwedyk is a gifted, beautiful writer who pulls you in from page one. Any time we have the chance to listen in on the lives of these tiny creatures who were created for the pleasure of humans and discarded by them almost as quickly, we pay attention. It’s time that many more people had a chance to discover the delights herein.”
—Jody Lynn Nye, author of the Lord Thomas Kinago saga and co-author of the Myth-Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve

“Richard Chwedyk’s whimsical, wonderful Saurs, the protagonists of his dinosaur fables, enact dramas that cover a wide range of the human condition. Smooth writing and terrific imagination make these stories classics.”
—Jeffrey Ford, Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Award, Stoker Award nominee, author of Pandemonium Waltz

“We live in a dark era. What we need now is tiny organic replicas of dinosaurs living in a big old house and dealing with life’s problems with charm and a few helpful humans. (I should mention that the Saurs are intelligent and can talk. They are not toys. They are people). Their problems are real: human cruelty and indifference, corporate greed. But the Saaurs are indomitable, even if very small. I see them as Every Reptile. These stories are sometimes funny and sometimes sad, always charming and—in spite of all the problems the Saurs face—hopeful. I strongly recommend this book to people who love dinosaurs and people who want some time away from the darkness of this age.”
—Eleanor Arnason, author of A Woman of the Iron People, Otherwise Award winner

“Jurassic Park meets Toy Story in Richard Chwedyk’s delightful Saur stories. Some time in the next century toy companies sell miniature bio-engineered dinosaurs to kids all over the world, until the toys begin to demonstrate enough autonomy and intelligence that they fall out of fashion. The last few Saurs in existence now live quietly in group homes, where they have tiny adventures. These hilarious tales, packed with action and humor in equal measure, contain aliens, robots, flying cars, Tyrannosaurs that write science fiction under pseudonyms, cardboard castles, shoebox labs, and much, much more. The Saur stories are part of the foundational science fiction of the 21st Century. Visionary, scientifically plausible, and grappling with the existential issues of our time—the rise of non-human intelligence, and our role and responsibility in creating it—and somehow still hugely entertaining, these tales are told with enormous heart. They are a balm for the soul.”
—John O’Neill, editor, Black Gate, author (as Todd McAulty) of The Robots of Gotham

“In the tradition of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau …  it might even be perhaps a bit Dickensian in its sentimentality. The home for biopet saurs has metaphorical reverberations that ambiguously evoke abandoned pets, orphans, and abused children.”
—David G. Hartwell, The Year’s Best SF

“Chwedyk writes this story with such angst and pathos that it becomes difficult to read through the tears which fill your eyes. The story could be a statement about modern life and the things we discard as children only to return to as adults … This is simply the best short story I have read in the past ten years.”
—Science Fiction Chronicle

“Glimmers with wonderful ideas, the writing is excellent, the development of the saurs moves along … wow, I really do want to read what happens next.”
—Sherwood Smith, Nebula Award-nominated author of Crown Duel

“Heartwarming and poignant.”
—Locus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

• On the Island Where the Dinosaurs Live

• A Preface by Agnes A. Stegosaur

• The Measure of All Things

• Brontë’s Egg

• In Tibor’s Cardboard Castle

• Orfy

• The Man Who Put the Bomp