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.
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Speculative writers are angry right now! And also terrified. I’m seeing this in the slush pile, and other slushers & editors are telling me they’re seeing it, too. These emotions are reflected in many of this month’s recs, but there also is hope and humor. Maybe you’ll find a few moments of escape in these stories.
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By Ian Li in Small Wonders * 989 Words
In this city where rivers of residents rush from sky-trains to mag-tunnels, under skies dripping with flashing advertisements, her throat feels perpetually parched from talking to people that don’t care about anyone but themselves.
I’ve seen a fair number of stories about desperate people forced to sell their precious memories. Li subverts this trope beautifully, taking it in a direction I didn’t expect. Who doesn’t need a little burst of hope these days?
Something Out of a Horror Movie
By Mario Aliberto III in Milk Candy Review * 670 Words
The Bad Girl tells The Final Girl to Fuck off, that she hopes the campers are breaking curfew, telling ghost stories, toilet papering cabins, or sharing sloppy first kisses, because a little trouble is good for the little dorks.
So many of us are enraged at the role society has forced on us. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to stories like this. Potential and joy are almost within reach…but we know what happens to girls in these movies. Aliberto captures this character arc with precise, visceral prose.
Instructions for Good Boys on the Interplanetary Expedition
By Rachael K. Jones in Lightspeed * 752 Words
Spotnik knows the humans haven’t forgotten him, because kibble still clatters into Spotnik’s bowl at six a.m. sharp.
A sweet dog waits for his humans to come home from an interstellar mission. (I’m not crying.) And how great is the name Spotnik??
By Corey Farrenkopf in Flash Fiction Online * 919 Words
The other version of her sits on the roof, ghost shimmer radiating off translucent skin, eyes black, flood waters lapping at gable ends.
A story of magic and climate change and family ties. As always, Farrenkopf sketches compelling layers of meaning in a small word count.
By Helen Mayger in 100-Foot Crow * 100 Words
As if every parent doesn’t use AI to cherry-pick baby genes.
A couple of fun twists in this drabble! The complete society is suggested through sharp details, allowing the story to focus on the specific turns of the protagonist’s fate.
These Hearts, Who Once Held Up the Sky
By Rob Haines in Factor Four * 999 Words
We sustain the stars, and the stars make the world turn. And locked in that flow state, that ecstasy of competence, there is one cost inconceivable until the cracks start to show.
I fell in love with the epic scope of this flash. The lyrical language is gorgeous and the characters’ emotions feel real. I read this as a metaphor for found family, for casting off crushing responsibility or familial pressure. Other readers might find different themes in this moving story.
By Thomas Barlow in Nature Futures * 867 Words
Normally, I’m not one for real life; reality is only three-dimensional after all. Like most people, I prefer to see things properly curated in my dreams.
When people tell us who they are, we should believe them. I don’t want to say anything that might spoil this story because I love the way the plot/theme unfolds. Read it quick, before the paywall kicks in.
Medical records from the Center for the Study of Temporal Disorders, Pediatric Department
By Diana Peterfreund in Nature Futures * 909 Words
Patient is 13-year-old male. This is our second meeting. Referred by PCP for threatening to go back in time to kill his grandfather. At this meeting, he announced he did.
This is delightful! Several time travel tropes come into play, resulting in a convoluted and delicious state of chaos. Told through medical notes, the protagonist’s detached voice allows the plot to shine.
Bonus Recs!
Samantha Mills is back in Uncanny with another story for our times: 10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days. If you haven’t already read Rabbit Test, you should. (Yes, I know I recommended this story before. I’ll probably rec it again someday.)
And speaking of stories I continue to rec, take a look at another Mills story, Kiki Hernandez Beats the Devil, in PodCastle. This one is pure fun.
That brings me to PodCastle. Those folks have been on fire lately! Check out How to Steal the Plot Armor, written by Luke Wildman and narrated by Hollis Monroe. I laughed out loud multiple times. Here’s Part Two.
After that, listen to Redo, written by Brigitte Winter and narrated by Julia Rios. Be sure to stick around for Matt Dovey’s commentary at the end.
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If you love these stories as much as I do, please share them so others can discover these brilliant authors! And be sure to rec your own favorites – I’m sure I missed a bunch of great stories this month!
Myna Chang 