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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Starting this month’s recs with a couple of diaspora stories. Gretchen Tessmer and Carol Scheina explore the longing for a home that is beyond reach, but also the disconnect when children have no memory or desire for a lost homeland. These two stories are evocative and heartbreaking. I think you’ll find much to admire in both.
By Gretchen Tessmer in Nature Futures * 989 Words
They should have taken us earlier or left us to die with the others. They waited too long. We remember too much.
This tale of planetary loss due to unchecked pollution focuses on a woman’s desire to see again the apple orchard where she’d spent time with her father as a child. The longing is painful. As always, Tessmer grounds the story in a unique setting for maximum effect on the reader. Be sure to read the author’s notes at the end.
The Scent of a Thousand Homeless Footsteps
By Carol Scheina in Small Wonders * 868 Words
We couldn’t take our land with us when we escaped the demon infestation, so I bottled up our familiar aromas.
This story is grounded in the fragrances of home, and how those smells evoke memories—and power. Scheina’s prose is filled with rich details, chronicling a people’s escape from demons, their will to survive, and the adaptations that must be made to keep going. Gorgeous language and images throughout, as I’ve come to expect from Scheina’s writing.
The Undulating Movement Of The Predatory Arthropod At The 10-Year College Reunion
By Sumitra Singam in Gooseberry Pie * 351 Words
When you bare your teeth for tearing flesh with all the other tight and toned roots touched up stiletto red nails butts perky in dry-cleaned peach satin wife-and-mother ants, I take off my stockings.
This gloriously weird and sensuous micro unfolds in increasingly unexpected turns. The energy and tension sing. This is a great example of how very much can be accomplished in a tiny word count. Read this piece, and then go find more of Singam’s work.
By Shana Ross in MetaStellar * 1196 Words
Truth wars. It’s why we’re here. We’re profiteers of a sort, hawking what’s needed for the fight.
This story is longer than I usually include in my roundups, but I got sucked into this one and had to share it. Ross’s premise is unique and alluring. A magical shop that sells honesty? Sounds good, right? But Ross subverts expectations by delving into the darker side of our culture, revealing a layer of terrifying real-life truth. Masterfully done.
By Colin Alexander in Punk Noir * 200 Words
It was never gonna be astronauts. Armstrong-types wanna come home to ticker tape parades, and nobody’s coming back from Mars.
This tiny story is a punch in the face. How do you get farmers on Mars? And what happens after that? Alexander gives us a full story arc that is both tense and satisfying, painting a fully-realized society in only 200 words.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Teleporter
By M. J. Pettit in Flash Fiction Online * 999 Words
On Deneb, alone among transit hubs, they don’t jettison the remnants once the teleport has broadcast all the necessary information onto the next destination.
Pettit takes a cool approach to the teleportation twin-maker trope, allowing our main character to encounter a version of himself left behind at a transit hub. How do their lives differ now? It’s fun to see the way these characters have evolved after separation, and to contemplate the havoc such technology could unleash.
By Andrew Kozma in Flash Fiction Online * 813 Words
You have been murdered.
This you know, but you want to keep it on the down low.
A woman patches up her body after a brutal murder so she can proceed with a long-planned dinner party. The vibe in this piece really hit me, evoking all kinds of emotions—sadness, anger, frustration. I read this as a metaphor for all the ways women are expected to bury their hurts, to continue to serve others, without making those others feel uncomfortable. (The author may disagree with my interpretation!) I’m curious about what other readers take from this riveting story!
By Jessica Brook in Bullet Points * 910 Words
Hacking the military claptrap in my brain to play wing commander to some 300,000 honeybees is the best damn decision I ever made.
Brook’s story examines the long-term trauma of war veterans. The protagonist in this piece has found a way to deal with her PTSD by helping to save the family’s honeybee hives. An imaginative and poignant piece.
The Everlasting Wound of Polyphemus
By David Anaxagoras in Factor Four * 975 Words
The museum warehouse was more than ample space for Polyphemus, and he could make it a true home with just a little effort. That’s what Gale, his social worker from the Department of Mythical Beings, said.
I’m in love with the idea of a Department of Mythical Beings! And I’m a sucker for Greek art history, so I could not resist this story. Polyphemus is a smart choice for exploring emotional pain and trauma. No spoilers, but Anaxagoras succeeds on several layers in this alluring piece.
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I see that Molotov Cocktail has released the Flash Villain winners. Too late for this month’s roundup! I’ll check ’em out for next month!
If you love these stories as much as I do, please share them so others can discover these brilliant authors!
Myna Chang 