Author Interview, Science Fiction
Alexis Lantgen
Interview with Author Michael Owens, AKA Mika ...
Interview with Author Michael Owens, AKA Mika Horvath
Author Interview, Science Fiction
Alexis Lantgen
Interview with Science Fiction Author Eric ...
Interview with Science Fiction Author Eric Goebelbecker
Author Interview, Fantasy
Alexis Lantgen
Interview with Fantasy Author Shelby Oval
Interview with Fantasy Author Shelby Oval
Author Interview, Fantasy
Alexis Lantgen
Interview with Fantasy Author E. B. Repetto
Interview with Fantasy Author E. B. Repetto
Fantasy, Author Interview, Short Stories
Alexis Lantgen
Interview with TexArcana Author J.C. Alegria
Interview with TexArcana Author J.C. Alegria

Very Short Stories

Seven Very Short Stories (July 2019)

I’ve continued writing tons more very short stories this month! These I mostly shared on the hashtags #vss365, #satsplat, and #scififri.

Silver Hair

She had silver hair she kept in tight braids during the day. But at night, when she told me stories, she let her hair flow down like a winter river. In the darkest times, I dream about her, but now her eyes are stars and her hair flows across the sky.

Leaving

She stared out the orphanage window, imagining a glittering life elsewhere. She told the other children about the dances she'd attend, the men who'd love her. It all came true. She came back to the orphanage pregnant.

"Stay, little one," she whispered to her baby, dying.

Not a Scratch

He left her without a single visible scar, not even a scratch. Just the memories, bright and brutal and horrible, burned into her retinas. And the loss--a gaping hole in her life where her friends had been, the love and support she'd needed when she left him.

Fly

"An unlikely astronaut," the teacher had muttered under his breath as Lina presented her project. All he saw was her chair. Now she floated above the ship's console, staring out the viewport. A verdant new world. She couldn't walk--but she could fly.

Equanimity

She faced her husband's death with equanimity, even when they made her identify his body. Stay strong for the children, she thought, clutching a rosary to her chest. But then they wheeled out her son.

Soul

"Do you have a soul? Can a true psyche emerge from gears and nano fibers?" he asked, stroking her face and kissing her. She adjusted her automatic responses to prevent cringing.

"I have a soul, Senator. It belongs to you, if you support the Digital Citizen Act."

Condor System

The Condor system was a worldwide project, a way to protect the entire planet from meteors, comets, all extinction level events from space. But someone on the project betrayed us. The plasma guns incinerated DC and Moscow.

Let us help, China said. For a price.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my very short stories, check out my collection of science fiction short stories, Sapience, or my new book, Saints and Curses. And remember to subscribe to my newsletter!

nicola-nuttall-OkmTqOduDGE-unsplash.jpg

Five More Mixed Genre Very Short Stories (July 2019)

Yes, here are even more very short stories, or vss. I wrote these for hashtags like #vss365, #satsplat, #scififri, and #scifansat. I hope you enjoy reading them!

HAIR STINGS

"Don't touch me! You're mean and I hate you."

I ignore the sting in my heart. "Even if you hate me, Mommy still has to brush the knots out of your hair.”

ICE MOON

It took three years to dig a stable tunnel into the ice of Enceladus. I was part of the remote operation, piloting the unmanned vehicles in the first mission. I can't explain what I saw. It was like a surrealist fairy garden, or a coral reef. Then it swarmed.

LUVKINS

"Luvkins" had been designed for children, but their precious little faces and spray of "baby" pheromones drove many women mad. They filled houses with the toys, jumped in front of cars to rescue them, and campaigned to save them from landfills.

GRASPING DREAMS

"Grasping."

"Too much."

"Unseemly."

"She's just so...ambitious."

She wanted to clasp her hands over her ears. Why was she forever punished when she tried to reach for her dreams? Once bright and hopeful, her passion twisted into something fetid and bitter.

COYOTE

The night is hot but the drinks are cold. The pulse of the music is like the tribal drums he remembers. He climbs on roof and howls at the moon. A woman appears in a white dress that glows like moonlight. She kisses him.

"No tricks, Coyote," she says. He laughs.

Remember, if you enjoy my very short stories, check out my books, Sapience and Saints and Curses, and sign up for my newsletter!

PIA17144-full (1).jpg

Five More SciFi/Fantasy Very Short Stories (July 2019)

I’ve stayed pretty busy, so I haven’t been posting as many very short stories on Twitter as I was. But I am trying to keep it up, since it’s so much fun! I wrote these stories for #vss365, #scififri, #scifansat, and #satsplat.

Soup

She stirs a pot of water, smiling. "I'm making soup," she says. "Try some."

"Delicious," I say, wishing we had real soup. 10 more days. "Sweetie--"

"Don't worry, Mommy. I know we don't have rations. I'll be brave until we land."

"Yes, baby." Tears cloud my eyes.

Greetings from Earth

The craft unfurled like a tangle of vines. The beings inside shimmered and glowed like sentient mists. I tried to call off the airstrike. Too late--they'd triggered our 1980's paranoia. I cried when it hit--burned everything to ash. I hope they didn't suffer.

Contact

It was nothing like we thought. The first signs were in the flight patterns of butterflies and the song of the whales. When the ship arrived, it was a green and translucent, more like a bubble than a craft. Their contact brought a revolution of peace.

Fortune

It was a joke, a fun thing to do for my bachelorette party the night before the wedding. But the old woman had palsied hands and milky white eyes, and she gasped when she touched my hand.

"What's my fortune?"

"Run," she said. "Don't look back."

I wish I'd listened.

Liberty

Her hands stray over the shackles she's spent months shaving away. Liberty, almost... A key turns in the lock; a guard shoves something in her cell. A child, tiny shackles around bony wrists. Sobbing. She wraps it in her arms.

"Shhh, it's okay. We'll be free. Someday."

If you enjoyed these stories, and are interested in reading more of them, please make sure to sign up for my newsletter!

nowshad-arefin-EvdYEGDu_CQ-unsplash.jpg

Five Very Short Stories: SciFi and Horror!

Of course, I’m still writing tons of very short stories, or #vss, on Twitter, These stories came from the prompts for #vss365, #scififri, and #satsplat!

Explosions

She hired glitterbots for their five-year-old's birthday party, and timed the bright explosions of pink sparkles for when her daughter blew out the candles. Everyone clapped when they went off. Except for one of the neighborhood dads, who sobbed in a corner, shaking.

Not My Fault

It's not my fault. She shouldn't have dressed like that, just begging for it. Girls like her deserve what's coming to them, if you ask me. I mean, that Dora the Explorer backpack? That cheeky gap-toothed smile? What's a man supposed to think?

Mining

Typical mining practices might disrupt the fragile ecosystem of Proxima 5. Instead, Xan had developed a network of modified plants whose roots could pull metals to the surface. An iron farm, he thought, as he disentangled the first muddy clumps of ore.

Sentient

"Don't be absurd. Coral doesn't have sentience."

"Have you ever asked them?"

"No, why would I?"

"Haven't you heard them? You know they sing at night."

"Of course they don't! That's the sound of the wind and the waves."

"Just remember, they tried to negotiate."

Jed’s Rehydrated Burgers

Jed was not the first person on Mars, or the first to climb Olympus Mons, or even one of the first wave of colonists. But he did open up the first bistro in space! He proudly put up a sign for Martian potato fries and the best rehydrated burger outside Earth's orbit.

vlad-tchompalov-brrR3rAvr1A-unsplash.jpg

Five More Mixed Genre Very Short Stories

Yes, I’m still writing tons of very short stories, or #vss! I wrote these for #vss365 and #satsplat!

Let Go

The phantasm of a smile flickered across her face. I took her hand.

"There's hope for us, I love you."

Her eyes were bitter. "It's too late. I wish you the best, but I'm going."

"But..." the word dies on my lips. She looks light, relieved. I let her go.

Craven

I try to force it down, the sick feeling, the craven impulse. I'm watching as they bang him against the locker, laughing. We're friends at home but not here. I force my mouth open to say something, anything that would end the torment. But I don't. I look away.

The Hidden Book

Agnes wiped the grime of a century off the cover of the book hidden in Mrs. Culpepper's pantry.

"Potions Moste Potente," it said, "And Recipe for a moste Excellent Victoria Sponge." Now Agnes would win the bake-off for sure!

Sacred Fire

Ana built the fire in a secluded grove of moss covered trees. Ash, oak, and rowan, then the sacred herbs, then a later greenwood to make the white smoke. She watched the tendrils rising into the night sky, carrying her question to the gods. She waited in silence.

For Love

Lana rode down the muddy village roads. Smoke rose from the square, but no screams yet. She drew her sword; the crowd parted. Lana rode to the pyre, sliced the ropes binding Gwen, and pulled her onto the horse.

"I knew you'd come," Gwen said with a kiss

kyle-peyton-412616-unsplash.jpg

Five More Science Fiction/Fantasy Very Short Stories

Here are some more of my scifi/fantasy very short stories, usually written for #vss365 or #satsplat. I hope you enjoy them!

RUINS

The stone pillars are ancient, their edges softened by layers of moss. Gnarled black trees that surround the ruins, hiding them away with dark foliage. Zaid lifts a branch. There's a girl asleep on a flat stone, golden hair flowing around her, a crown on her lap.

CAVE

She found it deep in a cave, its body so massive and ancient she had thought it part of the rock. It opened one yellow eye and stared into her. She froze. Its scales had hardened into stone, its wings looked like stalactites, but its inner fire burned hot.

FOREVER DREAMS

"I'm joining the Lotus eaters."

"You'll dream forever and never wake up again. Why, Silda?"

She looked off into the distance, a thousand yard stare. "I'll see them again in dreams."

He put an arm around her, tears on his cheeks. "Stay and we'll make new dreams."

DRONE

The drone was smaller than a pocket watch, and it could fly or skitter along the ground like a mechanical hamster.

"What are you going to do with that?" the recruit asked.

"Information is power," she said. "If we find the name of his mistress, we can turn him. Or her."

CRUCIBLE

"Death is the crucible and it forges us into someone, or something new," the witch said. She stirred her cauldron. "That is why I cannot do what you ask, my lord. The lady you knew is gone. Who can say what she has become?"

"Do it or join her," he hissed.

andrew-coelho-46444-unsplash.jpg

More Very Short Stories, Mixed Genres

Here are five more very short stories I’ve written recently in a mix of genres—science fiction, dark fantasy, and realistic. I had posted them on twitter under #vss365 and #scififri. Also, if you are a writer, some of the members of #vss365 are going to be making an anthology of very short stories, submitted on twitter via the hashtag #vss365a. You can find out more on the Making Fiction website, so if you’re interested in submitting, check it out!

Orion

Capt. Dayne surveyed the icy surface of Enceladus from the deck of the Orion.

"What are the surface readings? When can we attempt a landing?" she asked her science officer.

"Tomorrow," came the taciturn answer.

"Good. We're ready."

"Perhaps."

Regrets

I have a thousand regrets. Paths not taken, love not given, friends lost for no real reason. But I have never regretted even one kiss I gave your soft baby face, or one nuzzle of your fuzzy hair. There is never enough time to tell you how much I love you.

Sudden Silence

I perk my head up, aware of the sudden silence.

"What are you doing?" I call, my heart beating in trepidation. No answer.

"Kids! What are you up to?" There's a flurry of footsteps and whispers.

"Nothing, Mommy!"

I start running upstairs.

Reciprocated

"What happened?" Sal yelled over the blaring alarms.

"Meteor," Jen said. "Pierced the hull."

"Isolate the compromised sector."

"That's us. We'll die."

"Put on your breather. We'll work fast and find a patch."

"Done. And I love you."

"Reciprocated."

A Dream

The sound of rain on her window inspires reverie. She runs a hand over her swollen belly.

Who will you be? she wonders.

The baby kicks. She closes her eyes. She sees the rain turn to blood, and the patter on her window becomes the sound of distant gunshots.

Enceladus2.jpg

Five More Science Fiction/Fantasy Very Short Stories

Yes, I’m still writing tons of very short stories on twitter! Most of these I wrote for #vss365, with a couple that were for #scififri and #satsplat as well. I hope you enjoy them.

Vile

"What are these vile things?" he said, peering at the android.

The bot shuddered at his touch, and kept her eyes downcast.

"We should throw them into the fire along with the pervert who engineered them."

The bot transmitted a silent warning to her sisters.

Embrace

Her poisoned filaments floated in the water like gossamer strands of silvery hair. She stretched out her arms and smiled at him, a sailor who'd caught sight of her from the prow of his ship.

"Come to me," she sang. He dove after her. Sweet and soft, just as she liked.

Listen

"Listen, listen deeply. The susurrus of magic is there, like the heartbeat of the earth. You must hear it first, before you can sing back to it."

Flowers

Mist flows along the river like breath from the mountains. She hears the scream of a black hawk winging its away across the gorges. The paleden flowers are high on the slopes near the water, a dangerous climb. Raeda looks for a secure handhold.

Lamb

The fields bloomed a verdant green. He stroked lush leaves, the wealth of the earth, inhaling the heady scent of spring.

"Please," the Lamb whispered. "Let me go."

He smiled gently, almost kind. "You are a gift. Your blood will water the earth gods. Rejoice."

nsey-benajah-421906-unsplash.jpg

Five More Realistic Very Short Stories

I’ve written five more realistic very short stories for the hashtag #vss365. I’m really please with how they turned out, especially considering how difficult I felt some of the prompt words were for the past couple of weeks.

Mermaids

They walked along the shore, picking up driftwood and other flotsam.

"What are we going to do with this?" one of the children asked.

"We're going to make mermaids," Mama said. “Sinuous driftwood tails, shells and pretty stones for eyes, seaweed hair.“

Wasteland

Useless, they said. Wasteland. They didn't see the way the sun set over the stony mountains, or the way delicately jeweled scarabs swarmed the dead like mourners at a feast. They didn't know how the sand purified the aquifer they needed to survive. Until too late.

Rain

Rain fell over the battlefield. The scent of petrichor mingled with the smells of blood and decay. Jasper lay where he'd fallen. Distant sounds from the victorious army's celebration reached his ears, but the only living he saw were ravens. He tried to sit up.

Stage Lights

The stage lights came up as the house lights faded. The audience held their breath in anticipation, and a frisson of excitement and fear trilled in her nerves. She took a deep breath and strode out, her violin cradled in her hands.

Library

I'm in the library, amidst a myriad of books. I touch their spines and gaze at fascinating covers, surrounded by joy and calm and quiet. And books, all the books I can read, true kind friends. I'm okay here. I'll be okay.

providence-doucet-81314-unsplash.jpg

Another Five SciFi/Fantasy Very Short Stories

Yes, I’ve still been writing even more scifi/fantasy very short stories! I’ve even included a few of my favorites in my latest book, Saints and Curses. If you’re interested in reading more, make sure you check out the hashtags #vss365, #scififri, and #satsplat on Twitter.

Mother’s Love

They tore my babies from my arms before the execution. My uncle glowers as they tie me like an offering to the River God.

What will happen to them?

Your bastards will die in the woods, he smirks.

I pray to the gods of Hell, with the power of my mother's love, to come back.

Waif

They always send a waif, he thought. Skinny, dirty, a supposed virgin with no family or connections. He flicked his tongue at the latest sacrifice. Her eyes burned bright.

"I can unlock the gates," she said. "You could feast on the others, the rich, fat ones."

Ugly Things

"The night the white things landed," gran began to reminisce. "They looked like slugs, ugly. Tricky, too, singing in your mind about galactic harmony and what not. But Pa couldn't hear 'em, so they couldn't trick him. He shot at 'em, and they left for good."

Clouds

She watched the clouds float above her. The wind twisted them into surreal shapes, and she could feel little sparks on her skin.

"Is there a storm coming, Gran?" one of the children asked.

"Yes. Go to the shelter, the hidden one. Wait for me and don't make a sound."

Greening

The creature has long fingers, lithe as willow branches and brown as roots. It runs them over the flowers in the garden. They grow over the tops of the beds and spill out over the step stones. Jen watches silently from the upstairs window.