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 appeared in the last few weeks! It was difficult to narrow the list to a manageable number. If I missed your favorite, please post links so others can enjoy the stories. Writers deserve to know how much we appreciate their art!
By Guan Un in Nightmare * 700 Words * Audio Available
After we are married, I take my wife to the Broken Harbour. That might seem like a strange choice, but I like it there. All that forgotten machinery. The waterlogged skyscrapers. The Ferris wheel that rises above the water like a man indicating that he is drowning.
A couple of Guan Un’s stories are on my all-time favorites list, so I was excited to see that he had a new story out in Nightmare. The author introduces the story as a retelling of a Chinese folktale. I was taken in immediately by the creepy atmosphere and slightly off-kilter thoughts of the main character. The tension and ending turn are marvelously executed. And I have to say: Nightmare is kicking ass on the flash front!
Field observations of Ambula tardus on Planet IN-409
By Rebecca Roland in Nature Futures * 866 Words
One alien step takes a good human year or so to complete, and it’s not so much a step as it is sliding forward one thick limb followed by the other. Interacting with the aliens is discouraged, yet you can’t help but think of AT-313 as a friend, seeing as they waved a tendril in your direction on your first day on the planet.
This is just a lovely, lovely story. Roland gives us a unique and wonderful alien species, and a satisfying arc for the main character. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end. (Check it out before Nature locks it behind their paywall.)
By Maya Dworsky-Rocha in Flash Fiction Online * 729 Words
It sputtered and drew the eye like mirror glass among river stones, like an open flame amid fluorescents, like a perfectly normal person about to be horribly humiliated on a public train platform.
I love the way the author utilizes poetic prose while presenting an easily identifiable fear of public embarrassment. The societal elements of this world are intriguing, but the allure of the story is in the main character’s impetuous empathy. Don’t skip the author’s note at the end.
By Anne Wilkins in Apex * 900 Words
Our tattoos find each other. My black snake slithers off my shoulder and curls itself around his dragon.
“This yours?” he says, holding out his arm where the two tattoos mingle.
Wilkins presents a heartbreaking story of love in a very skewed future. The narrative is visceral and disturbing, highlighting the humanity of the main characters. Mind the content warning for this one.
By Sylvia Baedorf Kassis in Molotov Cocktail * 977 Words
With coffee pot in hand, Cheryl approached the booth he was settling into, which happened to be her favorite – the one with a perfect view of the intersection and a parkette encircled by an ornate wrought iron fence.
I do love a good diner story. The author deftly brings this liminal space to light, weaving two character arcs into a satisfying flash. This story won 2nd place in Molotov’s 2024 Killer Flash contest. This year’s winners’ list is fantastic, so check ‘em all out. Note the first place story by Chris Panatier.
By Gene Lewis Perry in 100-Foot Crow * 100 Words
It is Thursday, February 22nd, 2035, the last remaining pristine temporal preserve.
Time is such a fun concept to play with—in literary terms. But what if we could really play with time? In this drabble, Perry surfaces a desire that I haven’t seen explored in other time stories. I enjoyed this unique perspective, especially as it’s drawn so economically.
By Elia Karra in Fractured Lit * 819 Words
She cradled him once, this wine-dark sea, and she’s called for him ever since. The crash of the waves, the crunch of sand. Her ghost in the conch shell he brought with him from the Caribbean coasts. He can answer her now.
This tale of a daughter accompanying her father at his death is filled with gorgeous imagery and lyrical prose. The depth of emotion shines through the straightforward plot, leaving the reader with a sense of completion.
The Ethereal Nature of Superpowers
By Marie Croke in Apparition Lit * 1001 Words
Mother hated when we’d come back to the camper with blue staining our tongues. Those days she’d try to convince us to use the pool—where she could see straight down at our brightly-colored bathing suits—rather than the ocean. For we could breathe the water like we were fish. Would sneak up on one another, play like mermaids.
She always worried that we’d still be out there, too deep, when the power wore off.
Summer memories, flavored ice, and superpowers collide with the challenges of adulthood, where grown-up coffee drinks are not as helpful as the protagonist wishes. Croke does an admirable job of showing that familial love can be more valuable than magic. This story won the Apparition Lit July Flash Fiction Challenge.
By Jennifer Hudak in Small Wonders * 986 Words
“When you were just a baby, they tried to steal you away,” her mother began, her words as gentle as a lullaby. “They made another baby girl to leave in your place, one that looked just like you, only this baby was made of mud and moss and spider webs and dew.
This changeling tale, told from the created-creature’s point of view, explores themes of entitlement, gratitude, and worth. The protagonist’s keen wish to belong is palpable. Hudak brings these elements together in a compelling package.
Bonus Short Stories!
I love stories of the Wild Hunt. These two recent shorts approach the lore in wildly different ways. I enjoyed both & couldn’t resist sharing them even though they’re not flash!
By Aimee Picchi in Translunar Travelers Lounge * 4290 Words
The sun dropped behind the horizon, the wind picked up, and the clouds drifted across the moon. Hunting horns sounded in the distance, and the skin on Evie’s arms goosefleshed. Echoing, tender, rhythmic, insistent — the music of the hunt was the most beautiful and the most horrific she’d ever heard.
I love Translunar Travelers Lounge! And Aimee Picchi is one of my favorite writers, so, when I saw this title, I had to read it immediately. The concept of modern folks tailgating when the Hunt comes is insane in the best way. This is a story of a mother’s love, and a journey beyond self-doubt and dickish men. A very satisfying read.
Ten Ways of Looking at Snow, Reflected Off an Obsidian Armor
By Avra Margariti in Haven Speculative * 3142 Words
I should have asked sooner after the price of your boon. But my family never taught me to barter with the otherworldly creatures of the woods. Later, I would find out that, just this once, you had allowed yourself to be selfish, on top of cruel. Then again, so was I.
Margariti unites disparate fables through breathtaking prose. Her poetic expertise instills this piece with beauty and longing while extending the internal tension for maximum effect. This story’s themes echo other pieces from Margariti; fans of their work will feel right at home here. I certainly did.
If you love these stories as much as I do, please share them so others can discover these brilliant authors!
Myna Chang 