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{"id":6815469305915,"title":"Specimen","handle":"specimen","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner, 2016 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Fiction \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist, 2016 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eSpecimen\u003c\/em\u003e are a unique exploration of science and the human heart; the place where physical reality collides with our spiritual and emotional lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn “The Blood Keeper,” a young academic travels to North Korea to work on her dissertation and embarks on a dangerous affair. In “Mamochka,” which was nominated for the 2012 Journey Prize, an archivist at the Institute for Physics in Minsk, must come to terms with her daughter’s marriage to a Chinese man in Vancouver. In “Peptide P,” scientists study a disease that seems to affect children after they eat hotdogs. In “Side Effects,” a woman’s personality is altered, and not necessarily for the better, by botox injections. In “The Big One,” a woman and her daughter find themselves trapped in the rubble of an underground parking garage after an earthquake.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStylistically varied and with settings that range from North Korea and Minsk to Vancouver and Gdansk, Kovalyova is daring and confident new voice in Canadian fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-03-24T17:43:46-04:00","created_at":"2022-03-24T14:36:32-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult Award Winning","Adult Short Stories","Adult Starred Reviews","Astoria","By (author) Kovalyova Irina","pub date: 2015-05-30"],"price":1695,"price_min":1695,"price_max":1995,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":40209991893051,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781770898172","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Specimen - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":1995,"weight":299,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781770898172","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":40209993302075,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781770898189","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Specimen - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1695,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781770898189","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":40209994055739,"title":"mobi","option1":"mobi","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781770899940","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Specimen - mobi","public_title":"mobi","options":["mobi"],"price":1695,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781770899940","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_9359fb7a-19ef-4191-bcd6-79057db6472c.jpg?v=1655697949"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_9359fb7a-19ef-4191-bcd6-79057db6472c.jpg?v=1655697949","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":22245171527739,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2400,"width":1575,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_9359fb7a-19ef-4191-bcd6-79057db6472c.jpg?v=1655697949"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2400,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_9359fb7a-19ef-4191-bcd6-79057db6472c.jpg?v=1655697949","width":1575}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner, 2016 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Fiction \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist, 2016 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eSpecimen\u003c\/em\u003e are a unique exploration of science and the human heart; the place where physical reality collides with our spiritual and emotional lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn “The Blood Keeper,” a young academic travels to North Korea to work on her dissertation and embarks on a dangerous affair. In “Mamochka,” which was nominated for the 2012 Journey Prize, an archivist at the Institute for Physics in Minsk, must come to terms with her daughter’s marriage to a Chinese man in Vancouver. In “Peptide P,” scientists study a disease that seems to affect children after they eat hotdogs. In “Side Effects,” a woman’s personality is altered, and not necessarily for the better, by botox injections. In “The Big One,” a woman and her daughter find themselves trapped in the rubble of an underground parking garage after an earthquake.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStylistically varied and with settings that range from North Korea and Minsk to Vancouver and Gdansk, Kovalyova is daring and confident new voice in Canadian fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e"}
{"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487002718","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781770890152","AlsoRecommendedISBN_3":"9781770898950","AlsoRecommendedISBN_4":"9781770898950","BASICMainSubject":"FIC029000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION\/Short Stories (single author)","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIRINA KOVALYOVA\u003c\/strong\u003e has a Master’s degree in Chemistry from Brown University, a doctoral degree in Microbiology from Queen’s University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. She has previously interned for NASA and worked for two years as a forensic analyst in New York City. She was born in Russia and currently lives in Vancouver.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \/ Short Stories (single author)","BISACSubject_0":"FIC029000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIRINA KOVALYOVA\u003c\/strong\u003e has a Master’s degree in Chemistry from Brown University, a doctoral degree in Microbiology from Queen’s University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. She has previously interned for NASA and worked for two years as a forensic analyst in New York City. She was born in Russia and currently lives in Vancouver.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Kovalyova, Irina","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner, 2016 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Fiction \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist, 2016 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eSpecimen\u003c\/em\u003e are a unique exploration of science and the human heart; the place where physical reality collides with our spiritual and emotional lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn “The Blood Keeper,” a young academic travels to North Korea to work on her dissertation and embarks on a dangerous affair. In “Mamochka,” which was nominated for the 2012 Journey Prize, an archivist at the Institute for Physics in Minsk, must come to terms with her daughter’s marriage to a Chinese man in Vancouver. In “Peptide P,” scientists study a disease that seems to affect children after they eat hotdogs. In “Side Effects,” a woman’s personality is altered, and not necessarily for the better, by botox injections. In “The Big One,” a woman and her daughter find themselves trapped in the rubble of an underground parking garage after an earthquake.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStylistically varied and with settings that range from North Korea and Minsk to Vancouver and Gdansk, Kovalyova is daring and confident new voice in Canadian fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781770899940","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781770899940\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"8","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Astoria","MetaKeywords":"Short Stories; women writers; Science; STEM; Female Writers; Female Authors; Biology; Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award; Debut Collection; Art and Science; Kobo Emerging Writer Prize; Scientist; Novella; Botany; Journey Prize; North Korea; Vancouver; Canada; Canadian authors; Canadian writers; Science Fiction; Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize; Russia; Minsk","NumberOfPages":"288","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003e“To read Irina Kovalyova is to peer through a microscope and discover worlds infinitely big and exquisitely small. These stories are luminous. They capture light. They cast sharp shadows. They take root in your heart. I have never read stories like these, and I long to read more. Rare specimens, indeed.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eJessica Grant, author of Come, Thou Tortoise, winner of the Amazon First Novel Award\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"Jessica Grant, author of Come Thou, Tortoise, winner of the Amazon First Novel Award","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003e“…it’s the singularity of her point of view (the lines, edges and details, the wideness and wildness of her premises) that exalts these stories…A collection of beauty, light, colour, curios, permitting readers access into worlds that are usually unexamined, those wild spaces in between.” — \u003cstrong\u003eKerry Clare, \u003cem\u003ePickle Me This blog\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_10":"\u003cp\u003e“these immensely readable stories demonstrate that we do have imagination, we do have a sense of humour” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNational Post\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_10_Src":"National Post","OtherText_Review_11":"\u003cp\u003e“Kovalyova’s an accessible, gifted and animated storyteller — inventive, comic, insightful, fresh and always curious.” — \u003cstrong\u003eBrett Josef Grubisic, \u003cem\u003eVancouver Sun\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_11_Auth":"Brett Josef Grubisic","OtherText_Review_11_Src":"Vancouver Sun","OtherText_Review_12":"\u003cp\u003e“The influence of Russian writers shines on every page …a technical marvel” — \u003cstrong\u003eGenna Buck, \u003cem\u003eMaclean’s Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_12_Auth":"Genna Buck","OtherText_Review_12_Src":"Maclean’s Magazine","OtherText_Review_13":"\u003cp\u003e“Kovalyova's marvellous collection delivers, with stories skirting the genres of sci-fi, suspense, historical fiction, and more.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e49th shelf Summer Reading Recommendations\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_13_Src":"49th shelf Summer Reading Recommendations","OtherText_Review_14":"\u003cp\u003e“It will surprise no one that Specimen…is as intelligent and “highly original” as its flyleaf proclaims. But it might surprise some that these stories are, well, softhearted, relying as much on qualitative emotional connects as they do on data…there’s no story in this wonderful collection that isn’t engrossing.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinnipeg Free Press\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_14_Src":"Winnipeg Free Press","OtherText_Review_15":"\u003cp\u003e“...a debut collection that successfully and gracefully bridges the divide between the worlds of art and science.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_15_Src":"Publishers Weekly","OtherText_Review_16":"\u003cp\u003e“...Kovalyova’s stories remain large-hearted and generous toward their characters as they struggle to make sense of the strange worlds around them.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eKirkus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_16_Src":"Kirkus","OtherText_Review_17":"\u003cp\u003e“Diverse in setting and form, these nine stories, long-listed for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, contrast the scientific understanding of genetics with deeper wisdom about the bonds of love and family.” — \u003cstrong\u003eRebecca Foster, \u003cem\u003eForeword Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_17_Auth":"Rebecca Foster","OtherText_Review_17_Src":"Foreword Reviews","OtherText_Review_1_Auth":"Kerry Clare","OtherText_Review_1_Src":"Pickle Me This blog","OtherText_Review_2":"\u003cp\u003e“[Irina Kovalyova] is a great storyteller – astonishingly skilled at both traditional and experimental narrative. The writing is immediate, bold, and original. Lean, powerful dialogue.” — \u003cstrong\u003eCarla Gillis, \u003cem\u003eQuill \u0026 Quire\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_2_Auth":"Carla Gillis","OtherText_Review_2_Src":"Quill \u0026 Quire","OtherText_Review_3":"\u003cp\u003e“Throughout Specimen, Kovalyova pushes boundaries, going beyond “routine procedures.” She offers readers a glimpse through a literary microscope, and into our own dark spaces.” — \u003cstrong\u003eTraci Skuce, \u003cem\u003eCoastal Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_3_Auth":"Traci Skuce","OtherText_Review_3_Src":"Coastal Spectator","OtherText_Review_4":"\u003cp\u003e“… such a varied collection testifies to a roaming imagination and willingness to push the boundaries of form and technique.” — \u003cstrong\u003eSteven Beattie, \u003cem\u003eGlobe and Mail\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_4_Auth":"Steven Beattie","OtherText_Review_4_Src":"Globe and Mail","OtherText_Review_5":"\u003cp\u003e“Specimen deserves an attentive readership. Don’t let anyone tell you Kovalyova is a scientist — she is a humanist dreamer with a science day job.” — \u003cstrong\u003eAndre Van Loon, \u003cem\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_5_Auth":"Andre Van Loon","OtherText_Review_5_Src":"Toronto Star","OtherText_Review_6":"\u003cp\u003e“Like her, many of Kovalyova’s characters are scientists, and she equips them with language that is both rigorous and beautiful; …original, odd, and compelling mix of sci-fi–flavoured literature” — \u003cstrong\u003eJennifer Croll, \u003cem\u003eGeorgia Straight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_6_Auth":"Jennifer Croll","OtherText_Review_6_Src":"Georgia Straight","OtherText_Review_7":"\u003cp\u003e“Specimen combines the fresh perspective of a writer beginning her career with the confidence and impact of a veteran author.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eOpen Book\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_7_Src":"Open Book","OtherText_Review_8":"\u003cp\u003e“whip-smart debut story collection” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMetro, Bookworm Column\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_8_Src":"Metro, Bookworm Column","OtherText_Review_9":"\u003cp\u003e“I love it when impressive new work by a debut writer takes me by surprise. That’s how I experienced this series of fascinating short stories by Irina Kovalyova… Don’t assume that these stylistic innovations or the scientific nature of the content take away from the work’s emotional power. Kovalyova’s taut prose – not a word is wasted – tells stories about fear, ambition and love…there's no doubt great things are coming from this writer. Watch out for her.” — \u003cstrong\u003eSusan G. Cole, \u003cem\u003eNOW\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_9_Auth":"Susan G. Cole","OtherText_Review_9_Src":"NOW","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"A bold debut collection of short stories that explore the intersection of science and the human heart.","PrizeCodeText_0":"Short-listed","PrizeCodeText_1":"Winner","PrizeCode_0":"04","PrizeCode_1":"01","PrizeName_0":"Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize","PrizeName_1":"Kobo Emerging Writer Prize","PrizeYear_0":"2016","PrizeYear_1":"2016","ProductFormDescription":"mobi","PublicationDate":"2015-05-30","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"A bold debut collection of short stories that explore the intersection of science and the human heart.","Subtitle":"Stories","Width":"5.25","WidthCode":"in"}