If you've ever conjured up the horrific idea of the death of a child or contemplated the annihilation of a city via some natural disaster then you may find T. C. Boyle's short story "chicxulub" particularly moving. Like I did. I was blown away. I found it hard to focus for a while. I couldn't help thinking about it.

Our reactions to petty personal tragedies are oversized, and in the great scheme of things, all personal tragedies are perhaps not much more then petty. And yet, any of us would happily trade the life of an entire remote city if that meant saving the life of our own children.

Is this inspite of or because of our fleeting existence?

Is what makes us human the ability to find joy in the trivial - knowing well how horrible everything really is?

T. C. Boyle wants us to question our false, fleeting emotions and our false Gods in a story that, despite all that, is ultimately about redemption, albeit of a very dry kind.

The story was published in The New Yorker in March 2004 and is available to read online for free .

Another great way to enjoy this story is to have Lionel Shriver read it for you. You can hear it along with a conversation on the New Yorker podcast below.

http://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction/lionel-shriver-reads-t-c-boyle