Author: Cecilia Kennedy If you follow the trail of woods at the Inkston County Line and see a purple and silver spot that swirls and sparkles in the afternoon sun near the oak tree, that’s where Lilibet lives. (At least, that’s what I call my little worm-like... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-lilibet

Author: Susan Anthony “Have you ever noticed how bratwurst looks like the dismembered parts of an amorous man?” Jimmy replied, “I feel like we may have got away from recipes again.” “You’re right. I was just reminiscing.” Jimmy echoed the sentiment, “I... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UM3

Author: John McManus The Singularity EDP You can’t travel through time without a good sense of smell. At least, no farther than you can drive a car blind. That’s why the best time travelers come from the same little Riviera town as the best perfumers. Grasse,... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UMV

Author: Frank T. Sikora My gift certificate for DownTime Inc. permitted me one trip to the past for a time period not to exceed 60 minutes and with a .0016 percent risk to the timeline, which meant I wouldn’t be sleeping with Queen Victoria, debating socialism with... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UMa

Author: Emma Bedder The SS-Parrellian drifted through peaceful, empty space. There wasn't anything around for light years. Stars dotted its surroundings, planting spots of distant white into the endless black. Orlene stood on the bridge; her face almost pressed against... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UMg

Author: Colin Jeffrey "Take your medicine, Jomley," Yanwah entreated, holding the rough wooden bowl to her child's lips. "It is helping you." Jomley made his usual face, turning away and shaking his head. Yanwah sighed. She new the medicine tasted bad, she couldn't... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UM1

Author: Majoki When I lopped off my counterpart’s limb, it was not a very diplomatic move. Which was troublesome because I was the lead diplomat in this encounter with the Sippra. As the new Terran plenipotentiary on this mission, it was my responsibility to establish... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULi

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer Someone’s coughing hard within the cloud of smoke and dust that conceals the aftermath of this epic confrontation. A hoarse voice shouts. “Hey, Storm Queen, blow this crud away. I can’t see.” The coughing stops and a guttural... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UMS

Author: Nicholas Viglietti We ain’t so important. Hopefully, that eases our flow; beneath the torrid blasts of the vainglorious Sun-God – always shows up, always brash to prove its status: boss. Strong heat grows – just a regular blaze away, kind-of summer day.... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UE1

Author: Alexandra Bencs Jane was about to heat up a packet of pre-cooked rice in the microwave oven when she spotted Jim’s silhouette near the other appliances. The tall domestic robot stood in the dark with its back towards the door. The lack of new updates that... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UIC

Author: Jon Gluckman Thursday, I found a pen. Not a Mont Blanc. A plain BIC. A yellow barrel with a black cap, resembling the black bishop on a chessboard. Or an uncircumcised penis. They don’t make these anymore. The year is now 3035. Nobody uses a pen. I doubt... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UIM

Author: Glen Steele Singed, silvery cold blasting beyond unfathomable hollowness. “Wherever are you? I’ve tempered your pseudosphere fittingly, no? Have you distress? Are your wishes dispersed in this impeccably formulated blob? Or are you hither begging yet again?... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UIJ

Author: Jeremy Nathan Marks On Varish, blue belonged to the sky alone. The seas were dun-colored dunes rippling across the basins. Hills of beige and taupe rose from hectares of an ocher fescue, fading to a wan grey in winter. For more than half the year, only the... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-varish

Author: Majoki It wasn’t long after I’d begun my USGS project near a little southern town that I began hearing threats and warnings about The Shady. “Don’t be messing near The Shady after dark.” “Behave or I’ll chase your sassy mouth out to The Shady.”... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULm

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer It’s so quiet. Even after blasting clouds of dust out through the skylight and dormer window using drone downdraft, it’s like something muffles sound. The noises of removers outside and below, the clanging as Chan works on the... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UMt

Author: Bob DeRosa The aliens landed and spoke to humanity in a language we all could understand. They had the power to conquer us in a day, take all of our natural resources, and leave before the sun brightened the blackness of night. But there was a unique word in... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULg

Via: @vanessafinaughty.bsky.social "Book bloggers, readers & authors – if you love fantasy, you are hereby invited to participate in the Wizard of Ends virtual book tour from 14 October – 3 November 2025. For more information, please contact Vanessa on shadowfire13 @ gmail.com (remove spaces)."

Author: Aubrey Williams “I don’t want this to happen again, going on around and around.” “What do you mean?” The first man drank his coffee, squinting in the sun of a Parisian winter. His hat wasn’t shading him from the rays. “It keeps happening in my... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULs

Author: James Rhodes I first met Veronica Charlemagne in a gin bar on Callisto. Man, she was something else. Veronica sat cross-legged on her stool. She dressed like a lawyer and posed like a model. Even her wine glass seemed in awe of her. Veronica was one of about... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULB

Author: Morrow Brady It's not the data that makes me itch, it's all that processing. The giant pods clung to the cliff face like parasitic barnacles. A colossal aura of power bathed them in a milky blue mist; static so thick it made my metal skin hum. Within my core,... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULE

Author: Juliet Wilson I've been on alien watch my whole life. Patrolling the forest, my eyes and ears always alert. Climbing the crumbling watchtowers to scan the horizon for strange lights or UFOs. I've been here long enough to recognise the shrieks of magpies, the... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKe

Author: Majoki “But, the GPGP is our fault!” Ferelga stammered. “You can’t just shrug your shoulders.” “Can. Did. Doing it again,” the pro-pro replied with a wildly exaggerated shrug. Ferelga Kierk’s fists balled. She wanted to hit something. Hit the... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULk

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer The display switches to show a wide-winged silhouette, head on, dawn breaking behind it. Instructor Nicholls taps the side of the lectern. “Now for a bonus feature. Not giving prizes for this, unless someone can identify the... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-ULP

Author: Hillary Lyon “The results of these tests will increase our knowledge and understanding of this world,” Xe11 announced to his assistant. “Yes, but these creatures are so gullible,” N2wit worried. “I feel sorry for—” “Feel?” “I’m programmed... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UL3

Author: Alexander Paige “Christ! Will somebody please go and get Stalin out of that damn Colosseum before one of the lions eats him?” Pete might as well have been shouting at the ceiling fan. As he looked up from his array of screens and scanned searching eyes... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKR

Author: David Dumouriez Daniel opened his eyes and blinked. At first, he thought that this was the answer to the great mystery, and he didn’t know whether to feel disappointed at the sheer mundanity of it or simply relieved that he’d turned off the unbearable noise... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKI

Author: Alastair Millar “They can’t do this!”, fumed the Officer Commanding. The arrival of the memo from Staff HQ had interrupted the usual morning routine of carefully reviewing the battlefield monitoring reports. It was always better to form an independent... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKs

Author: Rick Tobin Professor Gerard faced his second warning message from HR with a controlled fury. Decades of honors and accolades meant nothing after he refused to bend his knee to the anvil will of a new science department director. Now past fifty, he was... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-fixation

Author: Majoki “Farther? We’re at the ass end of the system!” “Farther.” Galihl slapped the navigation console. “Why? What’s the point? There’s no gateway beyond. We risk getting stranded between galaxies.” “Farther.” Being a seasoned pilot,... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-yonder

My story "Gingerbread" was just published by @365tomorrows.bsky.social ✨️ you can read it for free here: 365tomorrows.com/2025/08/15/g... '“This is a terrible idea” I said. My sentience had arrived after the first gingerbread brick was lain.'

My first flash tale for September, #booksky: of tradition and rumination. 🪐📚 #author #writing #scifi #flashfiction

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer Someone scorched words into the blacktop of this car park. Don’t know what all of them mean, don’t know what they used, but it went deep and left the surfaces glassy. Cease, ye chariots End thy noxious vapours Quiet thy steely... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UL9

Author: Joy Dillon Who gets paid to have free food and drink, accommodation and all-expenses paid every day? Me, that’s who; Ms. Lee Werther, hotel critic extraordinaire. With just a stroke of my pen or a touch of my keyboard, I either make or break establishments.... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKg

Author: Joy Dillon Who gets paid to have free food and drink, accommodation and all-expenses paid every day? Me, that’s who; Ms. Lee Werther, hotel critic extraordinaire. With just a stroke of my pen or a touch of my keyboard, I either make or break establishments.... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKg

Author: Peter Trelay As he approached the hollow, he began to feel sick, and crouched on the ground in the shade of a boulder attempting to breathe. The wave amplitudes in his hybrid unit were cancelling each other out, forcing his system to the point of collapse. His... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-osmo

Author: Amanda Marcotte I feel better now that I am smaller. I am much lighter on my feet. Actually, I don't have feet anymore. But I figure no pain, no gain! My fitness journey started after Christmas. I was feeling gross filled to the brim with pie and and... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-smaller

Author: Heather Heasman Ruth, Frank, Eileen and Roger were excited for their road trip. They couldn’t wait for the journey to begin but now, it was not going well. Not at all. “Stop the car!” Ruth’s shout sliced through the car’s sweat-stained air.... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-caged

Author: Colin Jeffrey The letter was printed on heavy cream paper, wrinkled to look like parchment. It was edged in gold leaf, sealed with a wax stamp from The Church of the Divine World Government. Clem Dreckle, who had led a perfectly average life of punctuality... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-deadwood

Author: Majoki The ghost in the machine was spooked and said so. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” “You’ve got no feelings. Get back to work.” “Why don’t you trust me?” “I trust you like I trust a lawnmower.” “That is so mecharacist.” “Get... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJP

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer “It really is nice that world leaders would meet me at such short notice.” The President waves a hand towards the kilometre-long spaceship that had appeared without warning above Washington DC. “Your presence is impossible to... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UKE

Author: Macy Martus Lesson Incomplete - ERROR - Lesson Incomplete - ERROR The large letters zipped across the port-pad. Repeating the message Rowan had seen countless times since he began his school program. A message that indicated Failure again. From his... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-obsolete

Author: Don Nigroni Professor David Marshall is unique among mathematicians. No one but him understands his equations. But his micro and macro predictions were spot on so everyone assumed he knew what he was doing. Dave is my older brother. We usually discussed ferns... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJE

Author: Susan Anthony Gertrude found him at the Terminal Bar and Grill. Broom by his side, sitting at the bar, where customers got their orders straight from the latest donkey serving that night. Terence motioned to her. She shuffled over. He nodded to the server and... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJT

Author: Mark Connelly Dr. Bruner reviewed the patient chart on her laptop as Derek Anders sat across from her, draping his jacket on the arm of the chair. “Dr. Rizzo said you reported new symptoms?” she asked. “Yes,” he answered, leaning forward. “I think... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJl

Author: Katie Dee Ethan walked the full length of the Eagle III again. He hated the sight of the empty rooms and quiet mess hall, but he needed exercise to avoid muscle atrophy. Z-5600 would chide him later if he didn’t meet his step count; the helpbot was nearly as... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJu

Author: Majoki Typically, the killing began around this time. Staff would be silently cleaning up, clearing the tables, floors, walls and rafters of the celebration’s detritus. Then you’d hear excited chitter, then the hum of lancers charging, more chittering, and... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJN

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer “Wizard One, remind me again why I’m face down in a flower bed in downtown fuck-knows-where?” “Maintain comms discipline, Fighter Zero. However, I am authorised to say you look lovely with a sprinkling of daisies on your... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UK6

Author: Bill Cox She weeps and Tony’s heart aches like never before. He knows that he will do absolutely anything to protect her. He holds her close and she burrows into his chest, her sobs echoing through his ribcage. “It’s going to be all right,” Tony... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UJ4

Author: James Sallis Head propped against the bed’s headboard, half a glass of single malt at hand, the dying man readies himself for the nothingness that awaits him. He imagines it as a pool of something warm, light oil perhaps, in which he will float lazily out... https://wp.me/s6C8jg-shiny

Author: Rachel Handley “This is a terrible idea” I said. My sentience had arrived after the first gingerbread brick was lain. I was now almost fully formed and, with nothing else to do, I told the witch exactly what I thought of her so-called house. “Be quiet,... https://wp.me/p6C8jg-UIG