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.
***
Several of the stories I reviewed for possible inclusion in this roundup turned out to be written by AI. It’s discouraging to find fraudulent work slipping into respected pro- and semi-pro markets. I feel bad for editors who are trying to publish the best work, only to be hoodwinked by a cheater. Wouldn’t it be nice if those publishing slots were filled with human-written work?
***
By River S in Flash Fiction Online * 1015 Words
Between fighting for peace, exosuit girls become robot suits without a pilot: empty vessels, pretty and trademarked.
Is this neo-cyberpunk? Biopunk? I don’t know, but I loved it. I was drawn to the incisive language in this story, and the horrifying plausibility of this future. The author brings it all together beautifully and brutally. Mind the content warning.
By Sandra Kasturi in Night Shades * 424 Words
I told the Devil I wasn’t having any of it, which made him cross, but in my dream you could talk back to the Devil, which you can’t do in real life.
I enjoyed the humor and snappy style of this little piece. It’s a nice break from the heavier pieces I’ve read recently. Give this a read; it might make you smile.
By Christine Hanolsy in Flash Fiction Online * 725 Words
It was the only promise she had ever made to me, knowing it was the only one she would never break.
A beautifully written flash, filled with longing, regret, and family ties. As always with Hanolsy’s work, the prose unwinds like magic.
By Michelle Knudsen in Adventitious * 995 Words
My great-uncle’s custom creature business had been renowned for its beautiful results: sleek pegasi, powerful octo-snails, stately flying owl-leopards. This thing was a mess.
I love the lure of magic in this story, as well as the protagonist’s empathy. The ending notes are just right.
By Kila Greene in Small Wonders * 886 Words
Only air where soft fur should be, but her meow sounds the same, and the dapple of gray on her white rear leg sits right where I remember.
Who doesn’t long for the touch of a lost pet? I felt the protagonist’s joy at seeing her ghost cats coming back to her. This story left me feeling comforted, and maybe even reassured.
By Nadia Radovich in Cast of Wonders * 982 Words * Audio Available
“I want to remember her,” you say. “Every single detail.”
Part of CoW’s episode on aging and memories, this story digs into the slipperiness of memory and a deep friendship between two video game-playing girls. I enjoyed the lifelong quest to find again the fox-haired friend. The bookended structure feels nicely resonant.
By William Shaw in 100-Foot Crow * 100 Words
Write an email to every worker in Facility 11 explaining that they will be replaced by AI.
I like drabbles that present a full story arc without feeling rushed. This story uses the list form well, demonstrating a not-unexpected and yet wholly satisfying chain of events. I probably found extra satisfaction due to my utter disgust with AI “writers” and other charlatans plaguing the spec community lately.
By Elena Zhang in Hex Literary * 117 Words
A civilization grew out of my eye.
What is happening in this story? A full civilization in an eyeblink? I read this several times and loved it more each time—though I still don’t understand it. I recommend reading this slowly, so you can absorb the vibe and amazing images. Lots of ideas to ponder in this one.
***
Bonus Reading!
By Hikari Leilani Miya in Strange Horizons
i never got a chance to own my own home so in my next life
i’m haunting one.
Humor sets off underlying frustration & despair in this engaging poem.
Editorial: The Heart of Resistance
By Jeanna Cammarano in Flash Fiction Online
It isn’t only the incredible force of will demonstrated within these pages that struck me so intensely, though there absolutely is that—a fire worthy of a revolution—but there is a human element beneath the flames that fuels that action from its core.
This editorial introduces FFO’s RESIST anthology. The stories are all spot-on. (I’m honored to be included in this stellar TOC.) I think readers will find both inspiration and food for thought in this anthology. And take a look at the glorious cover art.
Why it Matters When I Write About Space Janitors
By Marie Vibbert in Apex
Too often we’ve put the reader in the position of a feudal lord, unaware what brings the food to his table, or the AI user, assuming that her output was magically created by the algorithm and not thousands of hours of human work.
I’ve always admired Vibbert’s stories because they are tangible. They feel real. Her characters do things that real people do, like build things with recognizable tools. This essay gets at the importance of spotlighting such characters in our speculative fiction.
Myna Chang 