Fiction of the outside world. Interesting Literature: 10 of the Best Science-Fiction Short Stories Everyone Should Read, Tearle. The stories Omelas & Nightfall get no argument from me. OTOH, the list could stand to be expanded by several decades. My list would include Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge, which was published in 1994, which means 32 years, which probably counts as old school by now. I’m definitely of the 90s was when?! mindset. But I digress.
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Box of books. Unidentified Funny Objects #1-10, Funny Science Fiction, Funny Fantasy, Funny Horror. Edited by Alex Shvartsman.
I ordered these books with the specific intent to submit a story when the window opens for the next anthology. I have read several of these as ebooks. When the Kickstarter for #10 launched, I chose the backer level that had the full series in codex. Plan is to read each one cover to cover.
As a way into fiction, short stories are an obvious place to start. However, I have trouble reading from the standard magazines and websites. I never know what I’m getting. Three people in the woods. Is it cozy? It is horror? Will I fall in love with the characters only to have the author drop a safe on them? Good flash fiction is amazing. Mediocre flash fiction uses the literary equivalent of a jump scare. As I’ve said before, I don’t need angst. I have the news for that.
No previews on the blog. They do not accept previously published submissions. “Stories posted on your personal blog … are considered published.” Alex Shvartsman’s Speculative Fiction: UFO Series, FAQ.
Last year, the submission window was in December. I’m assuming a similar window this year. However, the previous series, #9, came out in 2022. So there is no guarantee that there will be a submission window this year for #11 in 2027.
That’s okay. If no window, at least I will have a story.
Meanwhile, reading counts as research.
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 