The Thing About Space

by Shaun Powell

When Clare surrenders the spare-room in her Dublin apartment to Bunker, an online marketplace for lodgings and home-stays, she doesn't think much of the fleeting guests that come to stay. In fact, she does her best to avoid them.

Struggling to finish her sophomore novel, and lumbering through life in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy, Clare has lost her way.

But when Zoe, a mysterious and magnetic young woman from Belfast, checks in, Clare can't help her curiosity, and it's this unexpected encounter that will lead her on an extraordinary night around The Fair City - a night that will change Clare's life forever.

THE THING ABOUT SPACE is a striking story about love, loss and friendship, and all the space in-between. Composed entirely in lockdown during the Covid-19 Pandemic, the novella is the debut release from Shaun Powell, an Irish writer who has previously garnered close to ONE MILLION READS online with his earlier work.

Genres: LGBT

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2020

About the author

The first story I ever wrote was about a trip to Hollywood with my family - I was seven years old. My mam proudly displayed it on the fridge and thus began my passion for writing and sharing.

In a small town in Ireland, with a population just shy of 3000, I spent most of my adolescence writing unsolicited short stories in my room, submitting them excitedly to my English teachers for critiques and validation. One swore I'd be an author one day - another thought I was a nuisance but we won't get into that - but it wasn't until I started publishing online that the idea of a career in writing really became an aspiration.

I quickly amassed close to one million collective reads online and since then have begun work on my debut novel, Volatile States. In the meantime, I will be releasing a series of novellas, the first being "The Thing About Space."

Reviews

[Jordon Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart. Shaun Powell has left it so full and satisfied.

This story about Clare, an author who's struggling to write her next book after the loss of a friend, is written so beautifully. I quite literally can't get over how stunningly Powell crafts his words and brings the story to life. And then as if his words aren't beautiful enough, Powell weaves a torrent of emotion through the story that by the end of the book leave you with a serene sense of contentment.

I sincerely, and highly, recommend Shaun Powell's The Thing About Space.

[Connor Stompanato · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thing About Space is a great short novella that would be perfect for reading in one sitting. It deals with themes of loss, grief, sexuality, friendship, depression and eating disorders in a very well balanced way that isn't too heavy. Throughout the book there is a hopeful atmosphere where you know something good has to happen soon.

Claire and Zoe are both interesting characters, with Zoe having a mystic, almost magical feeling to her that leaves you wondering whether or not she even exists. I enjoyed watching Claire progress throughout the book and even though it all takes place in the space of 24 hours, you see a real change in her by the end that was lovely to witness.

[Noelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Well, that's the thing about space, Clare," she said. "There's so many ways to fill it."

Cute novella following a day - and night - in the life of Clare, a young writer who is dealing with the loss of a friend. It touches briefly on themes such as grief, mental illness, and eating disorders. I really wish this had been longer, but it works really well just as it is.

[Alan Bolger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful novella, which really give you back more than the couple hours of reading you give it. The development of Clare and Zoe’s relationship is really effective in revealing the wider loss and grief which is being tackled. In particular, the notion of not wanting to fill the gap left behind by loss in order to maintain closeness is really poignant. The contextual setting and references also really help with the books resonance. Probably the only negative is that the descriptive language feels a little clunky at time - and there are moments where more could have been said by writing less.

[Reading_between_the_lines · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will break your heart before fixing it again!

The Thing About Space is a story about love, loss and everything in between.
It follows a pair of girls on a night out in Ireland's capitol city, Dublin. They drink, they dance, they have a fairly regular night out, however, full of grief and tragedy. Shaun Powell manages to capture the stages of grief astoundingly well and opens a window into what becomes of a person when they experience something unbelievably heart-breaking and are struggling to pick up and collect the ruins, and how sometimes the people we meet in our darkest moments can be the ones to help find the last, remaining pieces of ourselves.
This is a five star story, and ill fight anyone who disagrees 😇

[Anaju Prim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história tocante sobre amizade, perda, dependência e regeneração.

Shaun Powell retrata muito bem a insegurança de não se saber mais quem é ao perder alguém e sentir que perdeu parte de si.
Uma novela que descreve como as pessoas podem trazer luz para as nossas vidas se apenas deixarmos elas se aproximarem.

"She was a blessing. In every way a person can be
without being a fantasy."