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.
Double issue this month, including October and November recs!
***
By Aishatu Ado in Fractured Lit * 1000 Words
Our mothers stood at different cooking fires, our fathers prayed to different ancestors, yet destiny pulled us together like scattered beads finding their way back to a single string.
Winner of Fractured’s Ghosts, Fables, & Fairy Tales contest, this story presents a gorgeous blend of lyrical language and tension-filled plot. Nothing about this story is predictable, and I was mesmerized by every word!
By Janice Leadingham in Flash Frog * 722 Words
Creature looks just like his dead daddy but his mama is really beautiful and that has to mean something.
Included in Flash Frog’s special “Flash Frogtober” issue, this story is a heartbreaker. The author uses specific details to bring not only the main character, but also the place he inhabits, into sharp focus. Creature’s life story will leave a lump in your throat.
By Kate Horsley in Flash Fiction Online * 770 Words
I’m certain Mom will shit a brick about the Vikings, so we take baby steps on the morning of the big reveal.
This piece has a great sense of humor, with some truly unexpected images. The aspect that makes it stand out is the love between the adult child and ailing parent. What kinds of ridiculous things will we do to help our parents through the end stages of life?
Everybody Comes to the Velociraptor’s
By Timothy Mudie in Small Wonders * 998 Words
When the triceratops headbutted in my office door, I was at my desk, cigarette pinched between my claws and a whiskey in front of me.
This noir voice is so much fun coming from a cast of hard-boiled dinosaurs! A timely story that makes me wish we had more velociraptors around today.
By Melinda Li in Fractured Lit * 742 Words
She wore her bones like silk.
Not with shame, but with memory. Each rib a prayer.
Winner of the Fractured Lit Gods & Monsters Challenge, this story leans heavily into poetic language and dreamy presentation. The subject matter is dark—but tinged with a little hope.
The Versions of Yourself That You’re Better Off Without
By Aimee Ogden in Nightmare * 1040 Words * Audio Available
The other version of her dated back a few months, from just after the breakup: pale and pathetic, still wearing one of Ivy’s fucking hoodies.
A unique and fun take on meeting your past self. Is this relationship always going to be doomed, or was it always meant to be? I confess, I had a guilty-pleasure moment of hope at the end!
By Nadia Radovich in Apex * 966 Words
Knowing this— knowing that the swift arrow you loose will strike the boar and seal your fate— what do you do?
Each section of this story ends with choose-your-own-adventure language, but there is no choice. I love it when a found-form story so perfectly meshes the form and the plot. I also enjoyed the “you” POV and the elegant prose.
By Dan Weaver in Hex Literary * 999 Words
Hopefully our hitter there hopefully he promised a kid with a deadly disease that he would hit one outta here today against this schmuck…
Great use of the breathless style! The voice is strong, building layer upon layer of weird events and ever weirder thoughts.
By Aeryn Rudel in Factor Four * 942 Words
Turns out Reddit has a counter-sorcery division. They blocked my ass with angelic repulsion magic.
Another fun story from Aeryn Rudel. The main character’s voice is distinct, telling you everything you need to know about this guy from the very first line. The plot ties together neatly, allowing each satisfying action to shine.
Mrs. Patterson’s Home for Landlocked Men
By Marie Brennan in Flash Point * 485 Words
So many sailors drowned, and her residents tied to their beds when it rained so they wouldn’t hurt themselves. All because those fish-women had no restraint.
A creative mashup of legendary creatures. The prim attitude of the main character plays nicely with her own version of self-restraint. I admire the worldbuilding accomplished in a low word count.
We Were Never Afraid of the Spider
By Timothy Fox in Molotov Cocktail * 597 Words
She spoke slowly, with perfect diction. When she paused, we could hear the spider rattling its teeth.
To avoid spoiling this story, all I can say is the horror sneaks up on you slowly. Yikes. This is the winner of Molotov’s 2025 Flash Monster contest. Molotov’s contests always deliver great writing and off-beat situations. I recommend reading all the stories on this year’s winners’ list.
By Stephen Graham Jones in Lightspeed * 1001 Words * Audio Available
The recording of her on the giant wall of white doesn’t exceed a count of 160, and it starts as it ends, with the sound of water slipping away by the gallon…
Several disparate elements come together in this clever story. What customs will survivors adopt after the climate apocalypse? Great voice and language. I read this with morbid fascination (and a little smile) as the pieces came together.
***
Bonus Stuff! Poems & CNF!
By Brandon Case in Small Wonders * 40 Lines
The lovely title pulled me in. I think it’s difficult to hook a reader’s attention with inanimate objects as characters, but the longing in this poem feels absolutely real.
By Shana Ross in Kaleidotrope * 25 Lines
I love a magical marketplace, and this one does not disappoint!
The Last Broadcast Before Dawn
By Jane McCarthy in Eye To The Telescope * 22 Lines
The October issue of ETTT is all cyberpunk, edited by Casey Aimer. Each poem hits the cyberpunk vibe beautifully. I loved each one!
By JJ Peña in Hippocampus Magazine * 177 Words
imagine this: you’re driving in nowhere north texas, norteños on the radio, your aging father in the passenger seat, still as a wrinkle.
This creative nonfiction piece captures a terrifying moment, and a momentous realization. This is the beauty of the flash form—a double whammy of universal emotion, packed into a very specific heartbeat of time.
***
If you love these stories as much as I do, please share them so others can discover these brilliant authors!
Myna Chang 