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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By Derek Alan Jones in Apex * 100 Words
Take my hand as it comes. Only look at me.
This made me teary-eyed the first time I read it, and then again on subsequent reads. This is the way to write a drabble, friends. Big emotion in a precise, singular moment. This accomplishment is even more impressive when you consider that many of the key phrases are repeated multiple times. Bravo.
Twelve Things that Will Occur Immediately Following Your Invention of Teleportation
By P.A. Cornell in Factor Four * 869 Words
Having just successfully invented teleportation, you’ll take a moment to admire your own skill in miniaturizing the Wearable Teleportation Initiator Device, or WTID (you’re still workshopping the name), to the size of a jellybean.
This is a delightful story! I smiled the whole time I was reading it, and appreciated the little burst of happiness.
By Melanie Maggard in Molotov Cocktail * 746 Words
Olivia wanted to be like those women with faces that glowed from sunshine and good sex. Women who knew which men to trust, which bodies of water to dive into, which face creams wouldn’t cause cancer.
This story wormed its way into my mind and wouldn’t let go; Olivia’s intrusive thoughts resonated with me, and I imagine others will find a hint of themselves in this story, too. Maggard deftly shows the tragedy and regret of a life lived in fear.
By Camden Rose in Heartlines Spec * 1000 Words
—we’ll meet for the first time in a
tavern dinercoffee shop. I know it’s you because I’ve been looking for you all of my lives and it’s always you.
I admire the way the author shows a range of reincarnated history between this couple. The format is clever. The emotions are complex. Each scenario plays out quickly, yet conveys a depth of wonder, frustration, and love.
By Marc A. Criley in Bullet Points * 106 Words
One hundred percent fire-and-forget lethality. But when the government killed the contract the factory went rogue.
A tiny story, all dialogue, with an ending we can only hope for—because this scenario feels horrifically plausible at this point in history.
By Elizabeth Snow in MetaStellar * 819 Words
In the shadow of all these towering monuments of achievement, we still get rain, but it leaves the air tasting like pennies and tar for hours after it’s passed.
This story is set in a future where most children have never seen a real flower. I enjoyed the way the plot unfolds—so much tension in this piece!
Actually, My Experiences Are Universal!
By Juniper White in Hex Literary * 335 Words
Artists could pop one of those candy-coated globs of circuits and cells into their mouths and, when it hooked up to their brainstems, they could see their acrylics in the exact same shades she saw, correcting for defects in their sensory experiences.
This is such a startlingly weird and cool premise. I assume there are multiple layers of metaphor and meaning that I’m not smart enough to understand, but I don’t care because the ideas are so intriguing (and creepy).
Borrowed Breath and Starlit Scales
By Erin L. Swann in Flash Fiction Online * 535 Words
She froze my bones with her predatory gaze, thrilled goosebumps up my arm with a touch. Otherworldly. Dangerous. The exhilaration of floating at death’s door addicting.
The author evokes a strong sense of longing through gorgeous images and lyrical prose. I’m drawn to this romance despite the danger.
Somewhere in the Lunar Wilderness
By Michael Bettendorf in Intrepidus Ink * 972 Words
My stall at the midnight bazaar wasn’t hard to find.
I’m a sucker for stories set in mysterious markets. This one has an evocative atmosphere and a roguish protagonist. Fun! And it looks like a series of flashes with this character are on the way!
By Malda Marlys in Small Wonders * 999 Words
Nothing brought her quite as much joy as watching a disembodied foot doing its best to kick her. It did especially hate when she invented sweet, feminine deities.
This story is inventive and unexpected, but I think its greatest strength is the structure. Giving us the present time, then the past, builds curiosity and expectation. This is one of those layered stories you’ll probably want to read twice to appreciate the way it all comes together.
Bonus Rec!
By Cheryl Snell in 100 Word Story * 100 Words
Lightning lashes the sky like a torturer furious at what he’s become.
This drabble has so much energy, it feels alive. The language is vibrant and violent. I don’t know if the author had a tornado in mind when she wrote this, but she absolutely captured my tornado-alley anxiety dreams. A gorgeous story.
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If you love these stories as much as I do, please share them so others can discover these brilliant authors!
Myna Chang 
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