Author Interview, Science Fiction
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Author Interview, Fantasy
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Fantasy, Author Interview, Short Stories
Alexis Lantgen
Interview with TexArcana Author J.C. Alegria
Interview with TexArcana Author J.C. Alegria

very short stories

Six Very Short Stories (August 2019)

Here are six more of my very short stories! These are mostly scifi, with some dark stories that are more horror. I wrote them for the hashtags #vss365, #scififri, and #satsplat.

Safe Harbor

Kenda fired up her ship's safe harbor beacon. A bright flash of light indicated a nearby SOS--injuries, low on fuel, no food. The distressed ship was cheap--a hardscrabble freighter like settler families used. No money for her troubles. She clicked "ignore."

Glory

They told him about bravery, loyalty, and patriotism. They told stories of glory and courage. But the end came in a muddy field, shivering, guts trembling. The pale horse that felled thousands of soldiers with the most ignoble death. He cried for his mother.

Doppelganger

She leaned forward, as if she stared into a dark mirror. The other woman was identical, but not. A web of scars on one cheek, lips curled in a brutal scowl. A hand reached up and yanked her hair. She couldn't tell if the scream came from her, or the other.

Mutation

It was a small mutation in an ordinary flu virus. Under an electron microscope they looked identical and early symptoms were the same. But the patients--after a week, their eyes bled, their skin erupted in weeping sores. They died choking on their own blood.

Haven

The suit could feel like a haven. Away from everyone else, floating in the dark, the soft glow of distant corals the only light. Jethon couldn't reach her. But it was an illusion. A layer of graphene and insulation wouldn't protect her from sharp spines or teeth.

They’re Coming

She slammed the door and slid the bolt into place. The front window shattered.

"You'll answer for what you've done, Witch!" her neighbor screamed, tearing at her curtains, his eyes bulging.

"I didn't," she said. No one heard her. Or if they did, no one cared.

Mirrors

Mirrors

If you enjoyed my very short stories, check out my books, Sapience and Saints & Curses! And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!

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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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Yes, even more Scifi/Fantasy Very Short Stories!

Yes, I wrote even more science fiction and fantasy Very Short Stories! These appeared on Twitter on the hashtags #scififri, #satsplat, and #vss365! I hope you enjoy them!

  1. "WILLOW! Bring me that antidote!" His slave stumbled into the room, tripping over her feet. He poked her with his cane.

    "Hurry!" Her hands shook as she poured a drink into his mouth. He cursed.

    "Wrong one, stupid girl!" He fell, his mouth foaming.

    Willow smiled.

  2. Water poured out of the sea caves and frothed at the bottom of the cavern, tearing at the rock with hungry force.

    "They call this place Charybdis," he said. "If someone fell down there, they'd be torn to pieces."

    Was that what had happened to her sister? she thought.

  3. She dropped her eyes and blushed, looking pretty and demure. It gave her the opportunity to give surreptitious glance at their guests' weapons. The milk-faced boy carried a fine sword, Damascus steel. His fingers drifted to the hilt like he knew how to use it.

  4. The cauldron boiled and seethed. Frothy black effervescence floated to the top. She sprinkled a couple of milky eyes into the brew. At last, when the smell burnt her nostrils, she poured him a tumbler full.

    "There," she said. "The strongest hangover cure I can make."

  5. The delicate butterflies flit over the surface of the lake, their wings silver and blue in the moonlight. They float around the waterfall and vanish in the mist.

    "Where do they go?" I whisper.

    "No one knows," Gran says. "But mayhap the fairies."

Five SciFi/Fantasy Very Short Stories

I’ve been writing so many very short stories, I’ve decided to blog them by genre:). Here are some SciFi/Fantasy Very Short Stories that I wrote for either #vss365 or #satsplat on Twitter (I’m @TheWiseSerpent).

  1. Her people had only a vestigial stinger, a tiny hooked nail that curled underneath her big toe. Mostly, it made shoe shopping annoying. But sometimes, she thought, easing one foot out of the rope they'd bound her with, it did come in handy. She wiggled off her socks and waited for her kidnapper to return.

  2. He smiles wide enough that she can see his tongue drifting over teeth too sharp. Her hand trembles around the wooden cross she's holding.

    "It's not enough just to hold it," he says. "You have to be vehement."

    She plunges the sharpened end of the cross into his chest.

  3. No wonder magic was so difficult, she thought. The spells were all horribly vague, completely unlike the clear scientific language she was used to. Twelve cattails? She squinted. The tails of actual cats, or the water plants? No way to tell. She sighed.

  4. The veil parted to reveal his new-bought bride, still inactivated. He lifted her hand and pressed the button beneath her knuckle to enter the code. Her eyes began to flutter, and he leaned in to give her a kiss.

    "Husband?" she asked. "

    “Yes, something like that."

  5. He eyed her food, his lip curled. "Are you actually eating that?"

    She smiled and licked the juices off her lips.

    "I thought you were a vegan."

    "Most of the time. But tonight is a full moon."

    "Well, I'm leaving."

    "If you were smarter," she said, "you'd run."