A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
Birds are the last of the dinosaurs. Tiny velociraptors with wings. Devouring defenseless wiggly things and, and nuts, and fish, and, and other birds. They get the early worms. And have you ever watched a chicken eat? They may look innocent, but birds are, well, they're vicious.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the predatory nature of birds, connecting them to their ancient dinosaur ancestors.
In this quote, Neil Gaiman highlights the often-overlooked brutality of birds, juxtaposing their perceived innocence with their predatory instincts. By referencing their lineage as dinosaurs, particularly velociraptors, Gaiman invites us to reconsider our view of these creatures, showing that even as they exhibit charming behavior, they are still fierce hunters, capable of consuming the vulnerable in their environment.
Themes
BirdsNaturePredationDinosaursVelociraptors
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of predators in ecosystems.
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As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
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Nothing’s changed. You’ll go home. You’ll be bored. You’ll be ignored. No one will listen to you, really listen to you. You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.
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I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
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