Wave Forms and Doom Scrolls
Daniel Scott Tysdal
November 9, 2021
186 pages | ISBN 978-1-989496-38-1
**Shortlisted for the 2022 ReLit Award for Short Fiction**
**Finalist for the 2021 Foreword INDIES Award in Short Stories**
In his debut collection of short stories, Daniel Scott Tysdal delves deep into the human experience with beautifully drawn and often profoundly flawed characters. Looking unflinchingly at the darkness of society, at suicide, at internet trolls, at violence, the powerful empathy of his writing brings significance to even the most tragic moments. These stories have intricate and unexpected plots, filmic descriptions and crisp writing, but what will stay with the reader is the way Wave Forms and Doom Scrolls breaks the reader's heart and then puts it back together again filled with compassion for these lost souls.
Advance Praise
"Here’s a collection of stories that is part experiment, part essay, part movie adaptation all within the boundaries of prose, in this form-bending fiction debut. Waves Forms and Doom Scrolls is the voice of that passionately nosy neighbour, or that keenly observant professor, or that guilty bystander, who, like the rest of us, is trying to make sense of what keeps people here. It's eerie and thoughtful, with a hint of horror and cinéma vérité, making a painter, director and composer out of Daniel Tysdal. True to his origin, this is the work of a hyphenated poet." – Téa Mutonji, author of Shut Up You’re Pretty and winner of the 2020 Trillium Book Award
Reviews
Library 2022 (Lisa de Nikolits, the Minerva Reader, 07/08/2022)
"These fabulous and twisted short stories put on a clinic and if we were to liken the collection to Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, these would be fireball bonbons that you can't resist guzzling in short order."
The Summertime Hotlist (The Quarantine Review, Issue 12, Summer 2022)
"Tysdal provides a conscience and sensitivity to our voyeuristic culture. His stories speak from the medium itself, understanding how we interact with information and how it interacts with us. In a world where reality is TV, and everyone is part of an audience, Tysdal shows us the impact of approaching life like an interactive media experience. Often the narrative voice of the stories take us into the characters’ lives, [while] keeping us on the outside looking in. This highly enjoyable collection transforms how the reader will see social media and the world outside of their smartphone and laptop."
Wave Forms and Doom Scrolls (Quill & Quire, 10/11/2021)
"Award-winning poet Daniel Scott Tysdal’s first fiction collection casts an unflinching eye at the darker stuff of life: suicide cults, internet trolls, violence, and more. While weaving intricate plots, Tysdal renders his often deeply flawed characters with empathy."
‘Bloody, clever and a touch blackhearted,’ a debut fiction collection from Edmonton’s Daniel Scott Tysdal grips like a pit bull (Brett Josef Grubisic, The Toronto Star, 28/10/2021)
"While Tysdal’s themes look measured and sedate, the guts of the stories writhe and churn with double-toothed sharks and other fearsome creatures of the deep."
Wave Forms and Doom Scrolls (Lisa de Nikolits, Goodreads, 25/09/2021)
"Darkly satirical in the best possible way [...] I loved the brilliant tension, the shocking incisiveness and the way each story holds a mirror to the sociology of now."
Interviews
E274 with DANIEL SCOTT TYSDAL (Jamie Tennant, Get Lit, 17/02/2022)
Jamie Tennant and Daniel talk about his collection of short stories.
Daniel Scott Tysdal Examines the Darkness, Strangeness, & Flickering Hope of Life in the 21st Century in His Spectacular Debut Story Collection (Open Book, 30/11/2021)
"I took this as the opportunity to delve into autofiction and speculative creative non-fiction, to explore the boundary between story and essay."
The Writing Moment with... Spooky Season (Daniel Scott Tysdal, Open Book, 20/10/2021)
Daniel gives some writing exercises to get you writing this spooky season.
Articles
Booze and Books for the Holiday Season (Mark Sampson, Wolsak & Wynn blog, 16/12/2024)
Daniel's book is included in this cool roundup of booze and books.
Craving CanLit 2022 (Scotiabank Giller Prize blog, 25/07/2022)
Daniel's story collection appears on this list of fiction and graphic novels published between October 2021 and September 2022 that celebrates Canadian authors.
23 Canadian collections to read for Short Story Month (CBC Books, 17/05/2022)
A round-up of collections of short stories to read for short story month.
Short fiction from Norma Dunning, David Huebert, Alix Ohlin among works shortlisted for 2022 ReLit Awards (CBC Books, 09/05/2022)
A nice write-up about the ReLit Awards shortlist.
2021 Foreword INDIES Finalists in Short Stories (Foreword INDIES, 14/03/2022)
Wave Forms and Doom Scrolls is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Award in Short Stories.
30 Canadian books coming out in November we can't wait to read (CBC Books, 01/11/2021)
Daniel's stories make this CBC list of books coming out in November we can't wait to read.
On Our Radar: Internet Trolls, Black Histories, Mental Illness, and Hawaiian Shirts (Kerry Clare, 49th Shelf, 18/10/2021)
Daniel's book is featured on 49th Shelf's "On Our Radar" roundup!
65 Canadian works of fiction to watch for in fall 2021 (CBC Books, 12/08/2021)
Daniel's collection of stories makes the CBC's list of Canadian works of fiction to watch for in fall 2021.
Most Anticipated: Our 2021 Fall Fiction Preview (49th Shelf, 12/07/2021)
Daniel's collection makes the 49th Shelf's list of Most Anticipated Fall Fiction Preview.
The Writing Moment with... Word Service (Daniel Scott Tysdal, Open Book, 28/05/2021)
Daniel discusses the word service, what it means to him, and how its meaning has been changed during the pandemic.
Excerpt
Click here to read an excerpt of Wave Forms and Doom Scrolls.
About the Author
Daniel Scott Tysdal is the ReLit Award-winning author of three books of poetry, the poetry textbook The Writing Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating Poems (Oxford University Press) and the TEDx talk "Everything You Need to Write a Poem (and How It Can Save a Life)." His short fiction has earned a number of honours, including the Thomas Morton Prize for Fiction and runner up for the Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award. His short film adaptations of his stories "Humanity's Wing" and "Wave Form" have screened internationally. He teaches at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
