Living the Fictional Dream

It’s time for another random installment of my links posts. I’ve been doing a lot of reading this summer, so I thought I would post links to some of the really good stories I’ve discovered lately. If you’re in the mood for some quality short fiction give one of these a read (or a listen, if it’s a podcast):

• “Directions,” by Caleb Wilson — a quirky flash piece with great atmosphere. Talk about visuals! In retrospect, perhaps the twist at the end should have been obvious, but I was so caught up in the scenery that I didn’t see it coming.
• “Giant” by Stephanie Burgis — A flash piece that looks at a subset of fairy tales (princess-stealing giants) from the giant’s point of view.
• For Fear of Dragons,” by Carrie Vaughn — There’s a virgin and a sacrifice, but if you think you know where this story is going, you don’t. Not until the very end!
• “The Other Magic,” by Gere McClellan — A sweet fantasy romance. My favorite part was the interpretation of the “job” of sorcery.
• “In Lieu of a Thank You,” by Gwynne Garfinkle — I didn’t know what I would get when I clicked on this story, but after I read the first line I couldn’t stop. The old fashioned voice of the narrator was compelling and I was immediately hooked and wanted to know what had happened.
• “Looking for Friendship, Maybe More” by Corie Ralston — Don’t let the title stop you. This story is hilarious. I also enjoyed its use of email/message board format, complete with fonts and font colors.
• “Ghosts and Simulations” by Ruthanna Emrys — This story uses speculative fiction to look at death, dying, and what people will do to keep their loved ones in their life.
• “Rain” by B. Teuscher — I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this flash piece. The beginning was all about description and atmosphere. But as the story continued, I got invested in the main character, and the ending almost made me cry.
• “If We Were Briar Roses” by Brian Dolton — This story starts out like a love poem, and then, suddenly, the plot is made clear and you look at the poetry again with new eyes.
• “The Mixture” by K.C. Ball — A flash story that begins quietly, but has a surprising heroine.
• “Mail” by Kevin Shamel — Mail carriers and time travel… need I say more?