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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In addition to my regular recs, I’m giving you a bunch of bonus stuff this week. I hope you enjoy the extras!
By Jacob Baugher in Flash Fiction Online * 995 Words
An iridescent fog condenses near the grab handles on the ceiling, little bits of soul leaking into the atmosphere.
This is a wildly imaginative story. Stellar language choices bring the tech (and the cynicism) to life in a gut punch of social commentary. This one ought to be on the awards lists this year. (Can we PLEASE lobby for separate flash categories??)
By Donna L Greenwood in Flash Flood * 275 Words
He sees her through the gloom; her eyes are the sea and he sails and he sails.
Is this a horror story or a love story? I say it’s both and I almost swooned when I first read it. Seriously, writers, look at how much can be accomplished in less than 300 words!
By Janna Miller in Small Wonders * 936 Words
Beneath the roots, words nestle in veined sheaths and pressed perfume, stale as ages.
Dreamy language weaves a weird tale of a far-distant future, where today’s abominations still occasionally resurface. It seems like the author had a lot of fun with this one.
By Bob McHugh in Flash Point * 945 Words
It’s a fine line proving I’m dumb enough to trust but smart enough to qualify for the study.
A near-future story of a parent who needs money for their kid’s braces. The experiment presents an interesting question. The motivation feels very real. It’s refreshing to witness a tough situation through a lens of wit and hope.
By Bernie Jean Schiebeling in Small Wonders * 251 Words
Little roundfaced dogs on a mission.
This prose poem stuck with me for days after reading. The repetition of “little roundfaced dogs” is so unexpected and fun. I imagine a beloved pet is at the heart of this piece. ❤
By Rachel Henderson at NYC Midnight * 100 Words
They’re always better hollow.
This story placed second in the 2024 NYC Midnight 100 word competition. The author’s prompts were: Genre/open, Action/Falling in love, Word/enough. Contestants had 24 hours to write their stories. The author accomplished a lot with this little piece, packing in the horror and emotion expertly. The turn at the end is absolutely delicious.
NYC Midnight also recently posted one of the top stories from the 2024 500 word competition, titled Tomorrow, Today, by Melissa Jornd. Not speculative, but beautifully done, so I’m happy to share it.
Lots of Bonus Stuff!
How to Install Generative AI on a Zombie CEO
By Jason Sanford in Apex * 1478 Words
As a bonus, the more unimaginative and unoriginal your CEO, the better the AI mimics their words and actions.
Snark and sarcasm feel cathartic here. This story might make you smile! Apex released this story to support Sanford’s new book, We Who Hunt Alexanders, featuring a neurodiverse MC.
The Strange Horizons Afrosurrealist Special Issue
Funded by the Strange Horizons 2024 Kickstarter, this special issue features three prose stories, three poems, reviews, non-fiction articles, and a podcast. Not flash, but absolutely worth a look.
By Kathy Fish in her Art of Flash Substack
If punctuation is the “breath” of your prose, and how we breathe is closely tied to how we feel, then let your punctuation (or lack, thereof) reflect the emotion you’re attempting to evoke in your reader, the felt experience you want to give them.
Flash legend Kathy Fish continues to offer insightful advice on creating memorable stories. This post is free to read, and it addresses a technique that, (imo), often is neglected in SFFH flash. I hope you find her suggestions valuable. She offers online & on-demand classes if you’d like to further explore her teaching.
By Jefferson Navicky in Meg Pokrass’s Real Writers Against AI * 79 Words
They tested them and discovered his teeth weren’t teeth but rather tiny white biscuits 3D laser-printed by an AI named Wild Thing.
Navicky captures a delightfully weird scenario in only 79 words. This little gem is part of Meg Pokrass’s Real Writers Against AI initiative. The first offering is a compilation of four micros written to the theme by authors Navicky, Heather McQuillin, Rick Krizman, and Karen Walker.
Pokrass is a definitive voice in microfiction & I was thrilled when she announced her anti-AI feature. I’m eager to see what’s next. If you’re interested in writing 200-word (or fewer) pieces, she has a Dystopian Micro workshop coming Aug 1-3.
Compiled by Jenny Wong
Wong offers a solid list of speculative and spec-adjacent flash. I’ve featured Wong’s microfiction before, so it’s a treat to read the pieces she has chosen for the Mondettes July issue. Mondettes is published by flash rockstar Matt Kendrick. His website is overflowing with free resources and fun classes.
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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 