Giant Bones is one of seven disparate tales set in the same world, but with each tale featuring very different people in very different places of that world. The first of these tales is the novel The Innkeeper's Song, which sets the tone for the six novellas, including Giant Bones, that Beagle subsequently sets in the same world. The Innkeeper's Song emphasizes characterization over plot and plays with traditional folklore, including unicorns; Giant Bones and the other novellas similarly emphasize characterization, with each rewarding its readers with insights, gently sentimental in the case of Giant Bones, into the human condition.