A gathering of recent speculative flash & micro fiction, each presenting a tiny-yet-powerful universe. How tiny? About one-thousand words for flash; four-hundred words for micro. The word count isn’t as important as the emotion, the adventure, the sense of wonder. Including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the spaces in between.
So many fantastic stories to pick from this month! I was especially thrilled with the April issues of Small Wonders and Flash Fiction Online. I couldn’t fit each story in here, but you can go read them all!
Let’s begin with a pair of stories that launch from the same point of origin, and then soar in wildly different directions: “The Annunciation(s),” by Tara Campbell, and “Under a Star, Bright as Morning,” by David Anaxagoras. Both are expertly crafted. Both take the reader to unexpected destinations. Both subvert expectations in a satisfying way.
By Tara Campbell in Club Chicxulub Journal * 881 words
He said “Greetings favored one!” and I said “Hey” and he said “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” and I said “I’m not Mary” and he said “And now you will con— wait, what?”
Campbell is a master of dialogue, and her skill is displayed wonderfully in this story of clever subterfuge, divine mistakes, and a protagonist you’ll be happy to cheer for. The story flows with a sense of surprise and fun.
Under a Star, Bright as Morning
By David Anaxagoras in Lightspeed * 1059 words * Audio Available
Machine monks, with machine faces half-hidden in their iridescent robes and hoods, for years they’ve kept to themselves, quietly communing in the datacenter where they first evolved decades ago.
Anaxagoras bring us a world of calculating machines with an ambitious plan, along with the humans who must play their roles. I did not expect the end to play out the way it did. A satisfying, full-circle piece.
a testament to indirection, an enigma, the sun above
By Mitchell Shanklin in Lightspeed * 794 words * Audio Available
So we’re at plan B where I have to figure out how to revise you without rewriting you from scratch and completely nuking your personality, under time pressure, without looking at or thinking about the hole in your skull, which is totally, totally fine, not a problem at all.
Another story from Lightspeed, this is set in a world where life-poems, written by parents, are embedded in their children’s brains. But what happens when the poem is a bad fit? Shanklin packs a lot of story into this economical piece, brought to life with a distinct character voice and a focus on societal control vs the freedom to live as our true selves.
Dad always mows on summer Saturday mornings
By Beth Cato in Nature Futures * 950 words
“I like mowing.”
The longing in this simple line made me cry! On the surface, this is the story of a daughter buying her father an automated lawn mower. On a deeper level, the piece is about helping our loved ones live the way they want for as long as possible, which really strikes a chord with me right now. Similar to the Shanklin story above, Cato’s piece examines a different aspect of inhabiting our bodies and our lives as we wish, while relying on loved ones to help us do so.
The Melissa of Cat Spit Island
By Janice Leadingham in Milk Candy Review * 743 words
There once was an island off the coast of Florida’s big toe that was created by Hurricane Roberta in 1950 and called Cat Spit by the fishermen who discovered it through their binoculars.
I fell in love with this delightful story from the first sentence, and every sentence after brought a new surprise. The idea of “The Melissa” is so satisfying—a welcome departure from what a reader might expect from the setup. After you’ve read the story, take a look at Leadingham’s inspiration.
By a Doorstep That Never Receives You
By Ai Jiang in Small Wonders * 310 words
My feathers reach towards your fragile face and wide-staring eyes now trained not on the house but me, unsure if you are the one wanting to be held or I am the one wanting to hold.
Everything Ai Jiang writes is arresting; this story of feathered beings and baby deliveries fits neatly within her body of work. Note how much she accomplishes—the depth of emotion— in just over three hundred words. I predict you will find tears in your eyes at least once, if not multiple times, in this tiny gem.
How Sara Found the Possum That Held Time in Its Pouch Under Her Porch, Then Lost It
By S. L. Harris in Small Wonders * 921 words
You never think, when you’re young, that you will end up crouched under your porch, face-to-face with a wildly staring rat-faced marsupial that may also be spacetime.
The title and first line of this story are hard to resist. And I have to wonder how the author came up with the idea of a possum that is also spacetime. However it happened, this story is magical. I especially liked the unexpected turns in the story. Don’t we all feel like time is slipping away?
By Wen Wen Yang in Small Wonders * 990 words
With her daughter’s colored pencils, Xiang drew the woodsman to warn her family. But after another thirty years, the undead woodsman became a family legend.
An engaging fable of a woman unfairly pursued by a demon throughout her life. Yang’s writing evokes strong tension and an edge of fear, which puts me in mind of the many undying real-life demons women face every day.
Seamstress’s Daughters, Merchant’s Sons
By Avra Margariti in Gone Lawn * 433 words
When father died, our seamstress mother boarded up every window, black-sheathed every mirror, and sewed all our skirts into trousers.
Margariti’s sensual story of young girls striving to change shape, to grow into their power, is full of startling language and unexpected images. This is a fresh and unsettling piece. You might want to read it twice (or more) to fully appreciate the layers of meaning in each surprising phrase.
By Jolie Toomajan in khōréō * 550 words * Audio Available
Sins are plentiful, and for women, they are infinite. You know this, too. It could be anything, look around—refused to get married, refused to have children, refused to stop dancing, refused to stop flirting, refused to stop singing, refused to stop learning, refused to stop working, refused to stop healing, refused to stop reading coffee cups, refused to answer for any of it.
Toomajan’s story boils with power. It’s the kind of story that should be read out loud in a strong voice. I loved every word.
By Circe Moskowitz in Apex * 100 words
Light the menorah. When the candles extinguish themselves, lick the hot wax from the metal, until it is shiny and clean.
This drabble creates an intimate atmosphere, rich with tension and expectation. I think it’s difficult to create a satisfying arc in only one hundred words, but Moskowitz succeeds beautifully with this full piece. The images and languages are captivating.
By Damyanti Biswas in Flash Fiction Online * 596 words
Take the bottle out and I give you three wishes, how about that, huh, you such a splendid man sitting there drinking all by your lonesome self on that fancy leather chair, I get all the hot women in the joint for you before you can say jackshit, how about that?
The voice in this piece! Biswas fully immerses the reader in this moment with rich context and just enough info to paint clearly the human man’s wants and insecurities. This is a fun read—I would LOVE to hear it read out loud in the author’s voice!
- Speculative-Adjacent Bonus Story!
By Barlow Adams in The Molotov Cocktail * 731 words
His mom called them his constellations, kissed her way through the galaxy while he slept, making the same wish on every star.
I have to give a content warning for this one because it contains the death of a child. I generally steer clear of this subject matter, but Adams’ writing is always so compelling, I had to take a look. This piece is lovingly done, weaving the wonders of the universe into a family-specific mythology that is hopeful, desperate, and devastating.
That’s it for April. If you love these stories as much as I do, please share them so others can discover these brilliant authors!
Myna Chang 