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A Beautiful Accident
“In a culture where ritualized torture is used to teach its people strength through long-suffering, a foreign sufferer unintentionally teaches them something stronger . . . something gentler.”
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
38 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2015
5 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Peter Orullian
50 books311 followersPeter Orullian has worked in marketing at Xbox for nearly a decade, most recently leading the Music and Entertainment marketing strategy for Xbox LIVE, and has toured as a featured vocalist internationally at major music festivals. He has published several short stories. The Unremembered is his first novel. He lives in Seattle. "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 3, 2020
The thin tip of the branding iron glowed a mellow orange, two gentle swoops intersecting near the top. I knew the symbol, just as I knew why it was being used. It was the Mal numeral three, and marked the number of cycles I’d been enduring Talenfoier—a very old word interpreted by modern linguists to mean torture of the captive. But I’d studied its Mal lingual root, so I knew better. Refinement through pain was its truer meaning.
this was a brutally gorgeous read about a culture in which pain is administered as a rite of passage to promote strength in its people, and an outsider who is enduring the rituals in order to prove his worth and recover an object important to his own people.
orullian does a really good job setting up this world and its belief systems. and it's all revealed in an almost lulling prose, lingering over the details of scarification and ritualized infliction of pain. but it doesn't read like torture porn - there's a poetry to it, one that employs all the senses: the smells of hot iron and charred flesh, the artful arrangement of scars, the sound of heated metal against the skin, the taste of words, and of course - the pain of the cruciations.
Being branded hurt like all the glories of hell, so-called. The burn didn’t sink inside me, though. I wouldn’t allow it. The pain of the brand took hold in my skin, but that was all.
vendanj endures the repeated sessions, comforted by the gift of his people - a healing capability that lessens the effects of the rituals.
that is, until he meets seelia, a native mal woman who is undergoing her own pain rituals, and who scoffs at his evasive techniques that undermine the lessons of suffering.
“It’s arrogant to try and avoid the pain that finds you. As if you don’t deserve it.”
what follows is a friendship of sorts; a sharing of philosophies as the story languidly explores endurance, mercy, sacrifice, and ethical responsibility.
it's beautiful, brilliant, and shocking. a lovely little burst of a novelette that hits each of its points without coming across as preachy or overworked. quiet, lovely, companionable pain.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2015/01/a-...
come to my blog!
March 30, 2015
o, is for Orullian
4 Stars
I forced myself to relax, like a viola string tuned down a pitch. I’d found that doing so also made these sessions pass more quickly. Not because my refiner worked any faster. Relaxing into the pain just seemed to change my perception of time.
I adored this Tor shortie! The Mal's lifestyle of refinement through pain was completely fascinating to me. And rather than being done in the, now tropey, sexual manner Orullian chose an almost clinical avenue to explore this concept.
I cannot begin to list the number of times I have heard the above, and I wholeheartedly believe it BUT what's so interesting about the idea of the Mal's culture is not that they believe that pain makes you stronger but rather to fully explore pain in all its entirely is the only avenue to strength. So they submit their bodies to regulated, constant pain ON PURPOSE!
The main character is not a Mal, he is from another very interesting people, and thus is not meant to be able to endure Talenfoier (The act of ceremonially burning a person to refine them). He has come to bring back an object stolen from his people and has been informed he must survive Talenfoier in order to obtain it and bring it back to his home.
The pain scenes were handled incredibly well, and while there was a few squicky moments for me (the tar, eeeek) I loved the overall message of this story. I wish there were more to this story, not because it isn't a complete tale but because I was so intrigued by the idea behind these two different cultures. I look forward to reading more stuff by Orullian in the future.
January 16, 2015
Spectacular sensory exploration as well as fundamental differences in belief systems in this short story. How two diametrically opposed viewpoints can simultaneously be valid is quite gloriously done. There are no "new" ideas, and one can easily make correlations between extant cultures for those espoused.
April 20, 2015
Anything I could say wouldn't do this story justice. Thoughtful, interesting, and philosophical. One of those stories I'll keep thinking about for a long time to come.
January 16, 2015
Holy fuck that was beautiful.
March 4, 2015
Description: “In a culture where ritualized torture is used to teach its people strength through long-suffering, a foreign sufferer unintentionally teaches them something stronger . . . something gentler.”
http://www.tor.com/stories/2015/01/a-...Opening: The thin tip of the branding iron glowed a mellow orange, two gentle swoops intersecting near the top. I knew the symbol, just as I knew why it was being used.
September 15, 2015
I don't really know what to think about this. I find the idea of truth-through-masochism repellent, far too reminiscent of the worst of religions, denying today in the search for TRUTH, a ridiculous & ultimately doomed proposition.
It's a free short story, so you might want to read it & see what you think.
http://www.tor.com/2015/01/07/a-beaut...
It's a free short story, so you might want to read it & see what you think.
http://www.tor.com/2015/01/07/a-beaut...
March 6, 2015
I would say this is closer to a 3.5 for me.
This is a slow quiet burn of a story. I loved the idea of these two cultures clashing, one of mercy and healing and one using the pain as a tool to forge a stronger society.
And the relationship between the two main characters was beautifully written and developed.
I would have liked to know a little more about the importance of this sword that he is there to recover, and I felt like the part about the painters was a bit unnecessary, but maybe that was just me. Or maybe I just didn't care for the placement of the reference to the artists. It was only two paragraphs long, but it was placed during the very first conversation that the two characters have and I felt it pulled away for that brief moment when we should have still been there in that moment.
Overall a brief and aching read, the scene with the infant will stick with me for some time, I think. Thanks go to Karen for bringing this one to my attention.
This is a slow quiet burn of a story. I loved the idea of these two cultures clashing, one of mercy and healing and one using the pain as a tool to forge a stronger society.
And the relationship between the two main characters was beautifully written and developed.
I would have liked to know a little more about the importance of this sword that he is there to recover, and I felt like the part about the painters was a bit unnecessary, but maybe that was just me. Or maybe I just didn't care for the placement of the reference to the artists. It was only two paragraphs long, but it was placed during the very first conversation that the two characters have and I felt it pulled away for that brief moment when we should have still been there in that moment.
Overall a brief and aching read, the scene with the infant will stick with me for some time, I think. Thanks go to Karen for bringing this one to my attention.
January 9, 2015
Story about ritualized torture and scarring and the art of pain...
September 16, 2015
It was sound. It was not obvious. It was short.
Maybe I didn't get it--I think I did--but it would been more effective at half the length.
Nice, evocative cover art.
Maybe I didn't get it--I think I did--but it would been more effective at half the length.
Nice, evocative cover art.
May 18, 2015
Sorry to say this disappointed me. It sounded like such an interesting story. But I felt that the execution was too tiresome and uneventful.
February 20, 2015
Another great tor.com short. This one follows an outsider attempting to undergo, understand, and embrace the pain-based learning/philosophy of a neighboring country. Peter Orullian sets up the cultural differences and the slight magic/superhuman capabilities in the world very well. The language sets the tone just as well as anything else. I could easily envision everything I was reading, despite the text itself lacking many descriptors. I would be very interested in reading more set in this universe.
Read
September 15, 2015What was that? How do I even rate this? I couldn't even begin to tell you how I feel about it because I don't really know. A town where people self-torture and apparently torture each other, and everyone seems OK with this set up. A man from another town shows up to get something back from these people and decided to have himself tortured to earn their respect so maybe they would give him the item back. So disturbingly backwards you have to read it to believe it. Here's the link http://www.tor.com/2015/01/07/a-beaut...
July 28, 2018
3.5 Stars.
August 6, 2020
My man is obsessed with breasts. He even introduced a character's breasts before ever describing the rest of her. I had to laugh. The rest of it - too forced and preachy for me.
March 3, 2021
Interesting, but left me with way too many more questions to feel complete.
December 6, 2023
3.5 stars
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would after the first couple pages. It really manages to look at pain through different lenses.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would after the first couple pages. It really manages to look at pain through different lenses.
February 23, 2015
Lately I’ve been trying to get into reading more short fiction. By “more” I mean that lately I’ve started to read short fiction. Before A Beautiful Accident and a couple others I found while perusing Tor’s website, Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks was probably the only short fiction I had read (or is that too long to classify as such?). As you can see, I don’t even fully know the parameters of what makes something short fiction or not! What’s a novella for that matter?
All that book jargon aside, I was impressed by Mr. Orullian and his ability to compress so much into so few pages. I assume writing a good short story requires different skills than writing a good novel. Some of these skills are overlapping but most are unique to each. In most cases, writing a novel affords you far more time to gain the reader’s trust. A short story on the other hand requires that you hit the ground running and let the chips fall where they may hoping the reader hangs on. Mr. Orullian succeeded here with me. I was surprised by how much I cared about the characters despite the few pages I spent with them.
Despite that, the climax still didn’t hit me as hard as I think it could have. Maybe it’s because I’m new to short stories in general, but it seemed a little (dare I say it?) rushed. This isn’t so much a stab at Mr. Orullian or the story as it’s more about me learning to adjust accordingly. The characters flashed through so many emotions so quickly it was hard to keep up. However, that didn’t excessively hurt the novel and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it given that it’s good, it's free, and it only takes 20 minutes.
All that book jargon aside, I was impressed by Mr. Orullian and his ability to compress so much into so few pages. I assume writing a good short story requires different skills than writing a good novel. Some of these skills are overlapping but most are unique to each. In most cases, writing a novel affords you far more time to gain the reader’s trust. A short story on the other hand requires that you hit the ground running and let the chips fall where they may hoping the reader hangs on. Mr. Orullian succeeded here with me. I was surprised by how much I cared about the characters despite the few pages I spent with them.
Despite that, the climax still didn’t hit me as hard as I think it could have. Maybe it’s because I’m new to short stories in general, but it seemed a little (dare I say it?) rushed. This isn’t so much a stab at Mr. Orullian or the story as it’s more about me learning to adjust accordingly. The characters flashed through so many emotions so quickly it was hard to keep up. However, that didn’t excessively hurt the novel and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it given that it’s good, it's free, and it only takes 20 minutes.
September 5, 2015
"A Beautiful Accident" by Peter Orullian (10983 words)
This isn't a terribly long novelette but boy does it seem to feel like it. Not in a bad way, really, but reading about extended torture, both physical and emotional, is just draining, and I did feel a bit drained by the time I got to the end of this. The setting is fascinating, and the culture of the Mal is obviously one that supposed to inspire some revulsion in the reader. A place that tortures all of its citizens, that believes pain unavoidable and so denies the smallest easing of it. I mean, the work is Mal, so it's kind of obvious they're supposed to be "bad." That there is another side to their philosophy is interesting, that there are those among them that believe and who find virtue in that way of life is interesting and a credit to the story. Of course, it doesn't really work to alleviate the problems with the Mal, because if there are ways that people didn't have to suffer and die, then it seems inhumane to take away people's choice in if they want to accept it. And by indoctrinating the children to this, that choice is effectively taken away. So it's a layered story, and well done and well balanced. The relationship between the characters is one of friendship and is well done and refreshing, but I think drawing any conclusions from this story out is fraught. I liked the story over all, though, and for it being a lot about torture means it's done something right.
This isn't a terribly long novelette but boy does it seem to feel like it. Not in a bad way, really, but reading about extended torture, both physical and emotional, is just draining, and I did feel a bit drained by the time I got to the end of this. The setting is fascinating, and the culture of the Mal is obviously one that supposed to inspire some revulsion in the reader. A place that tortures all of its citizens, that believes pain unavoidable and so denies the smallest easing of it. I mean, the work is Mal, so it's kind of obvious they're supposed to be "bad." That there is another side to their philosophy is interesting, that there are those among them that believe and who find virtue in that way of life is interesting and a credit to the story. Of course, it doesn't really work to alleviate the problems with the Mal, because if there are ways that people didn't have to suffer and die, then it seems inhumane to take away people's choice in if they want to accept it. And by indoctrinating the children to this, that choice is effectively taken away. So it's a layered story, and well done and well balanced. The relationship between the characters is one of friendship and is well done and refreshing, but I think drawing any conclusions from this story out is fraught. I liked the story over all, though, and for it being a lot about torture means it's done something right.
September 24, 2016
Please give my review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/review/RGNBNFX...
This is an intriguing and well-developed short story.
Vendanj is a Sheason and Seelia is a Mal. Sheason and Mal seem to be two regions of the world they inhabit. The Mals seem to be masochists who have made the acceptance of pain part of their cultural values. The Sheasons seems to have some kind of ability to heal themselves and others through their will. Vendanj is undergoing the three-stage "excruciations" of the ritual of the Talenfoier. He is seeking honor within the Mal system in order to recover some kind of steel that the Mals have taken.
The story explores the Mal ideology, through Vendanj's submission to torture and through his relationship with Seelia. The story is a sketch that does a fair job of outlining a different culture. I was put in mind of Donald Kingsbury's Courtship Rites.
This is an intriguing and well-developed short story.
Vendanj is a Sheason and Seelia is a Mal. Sheason and Mal seem to be two regions of the world they inhabit. The Mals seem to be masochists who have made the acceptance of pain part of their cultural values. The Sheasons seems to have some kind of ability to heal themselves and others through their will. Vendanj is undergoing the three-stage "excruciations" of the ritual of the Talenfoier. He is seeking honor within the Mal system in order to recover some kind of steel that the Mals have taken.
The story explores the Mal ideology, through Vendanj's submission to torture and through his relationship with Seelia. The story is a sketch that does a fair job of outlining a different culture. I was put in mind of Donald Kingsbury's Courtship Rites.
March 16, 2018
This story is beautifully written but I advise people who could be triggered by self harm against reading this story as this topic is constantly discussed.
I think Orullian has a beautiful writing style and I want to read more by him only to experience more of his style. I love the world's descriptions and the atmosphere of this story.
The characters are also well developed.
I don't know what to say. This story was such a good read.
I think Orullian has a beautiful writing style and I want to read more by him only to experience more of his style. I love the world's descriptions and the atmosphere of this story.
The characters are also well developed.
I don't know what to say. This story was such a good read.
May 19, 2015
A solid 3.5 for me. Vague references to an some steel ingot took away a star (at the end of the story I still did not see it)... but the interplay between two different cultures (embodied in the two main characters) coming to some sort of middle ground and even settling into a sort of friendship was nice.
February 19, 2015
This is a truly beautiful, yet harrowing story of love and sacrifice, but not in the traditional sense. I thought it was very well done, just the right length, leaving a wanting for more, but giving the reader enough to satisfy plot points raised during the story. I thought it was almost perfect, at least for myself.
April 9, 2015
An interesting discussion about the ways of the mal and the outsiders ways. This could have been much more gripping had the discussions been about certain situations rather than just generally. This was the first novella I read from tor. Will read more and see how they are.
October 8, 2019
An excellent treatise on on the philosophy of suffering. This was the last book of this series until the final tome of the Trilogy is released. The whole series is a genius work on Music and Suffering
January 7, 2015
Wow. This was a great piece of writing with great depth and meaning. I will have to move The Unremembered up in my 'to read' pile.
loved the frontispiece that accompanied as well.
loved the frontispiece that accompanied as well.
September 4, 2016
Quite a pretty read :)
March 12, 2015
Beautiful
June 14, 2015
In a culture where ritualized torture is used to teach its people strength through long-suffering, a foreign sufferer unintentionally teaches them something stronger.
May 8, 2016
Interesting concepts but not sure I loved this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews