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Some of My Favorite Very Short Stories

The vss365 and scififri writing challenges, which I post on Substack Notes, are fun little activities that allow me to sprout small tales in unique ways. Below are some of my recent favorites with short explanations. Be sure to check out the other Very Short Stories posts for more: One, Two, and Three.

The Last Saga

A vss365 sci-fi story built around the word elegy

"Come see how a Norman dies!" John declared, jumping into the Federation's trench. It was an elegy for his last stand, an ode to his long forgotten ancestors, and a poem for an action that bought time for his friends. 2,000 years had passed since Hastings, but his blows were as mighty in the age of plasma throwers as they would have been in the days of swords.

The Hardest Moment in the Space Corps

A vss365 science fiction story based on the word scar

His hand ran across the ship's once pristine silver hull. Each nick and ding had a match on his scarred and pitted skin. For 42 cycles it had kept him alive on runs and in battles. Now it was time to say good bye and hang up his flight suit. He didn't want it to end.

The Beast Within

A vss365 tale based on the word toxic

I walked in and saw him. Well-shaped body with a natural amount of muscle that showed strength without spending too much time in the gym. Stubble throughout his face gave the impression of high testosterone that mocked daily shaving habits. Meanwhile, his haircut was a dead giveaway for a civilian who couldn't fully let go of his military days. Goodness, he screamed her type. Poor dastard, he probably thought talking his way in here would actually help find the little girl.

No, I thought, I won't let him suffer, not like others, not like me.

Putting on a dumb smirk, I stumbled as I waltzed up to the bar. I knew her eyes would be on me. Heck, I could feel the hate. But I couldn't look. No, that would stop me. I could never face her like that.

My large glass mug was there like usual. I didn't even acknowledge the club's bartender as I poured myself a sloppy, foaming drink. Then, with a large swing of my arm, I allowed the glass to hit the guy straight in the jaw. The flying beer splashing on his stung face added insult to injury.

"Hey," I slurred, "who the hell are you? This is a private club! You made me spill my drink, you jerk!"

That was all that was needed. Hannah's heavy grip had me by the shoulder. I could feel her nails against my skin. Gawd, she must have wanted to puncture straight into my muscles with those hidden claws. Thank goodness her new favorite was right there.

She pulled me to the corner and spun me so I faced her.

"Are you already drunk?!" Her words were ice cold whispers that masked her heart's hot hatred of me. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Gabriel is my guest! Why can't you ever let me be happy?!"

In my head, I thought about keeping the drunk front up, but now, I lost all energy to mess with her. The only thing left was to do what was right.

"If you cared about him, you would apologize and send him home, never to see him again. But you don't," I let the sting of those words sit for a moment. "You're toxic- and you made all of us toxic. You make us like you, and then you hate us for it. You think he's going to be any different. In time you get rid of him like you did the rest, like you’ll do with me."

Her teeth flash at me before she just barely collects herself. "Gabriel is different!"

Gabriel. I hope he gave her a fake name. Do detectives do that?

As I pondered the poor guy’s name, he called out, "Hey, Hannah, I think I'm going to call it a night. Thanks- though. Have a good night."

Her hands reached out as if she could cover the distance and stop him. "Gabriel, please stay. It was just a misunderstanding." She forced a laugh. "Perhaps you would want to go on the deck and see the stars? I can show you what I wished on as a girl."

He didn't reply. Instead, he waved and walked out.

I grabbed Hannah's arm. "Please, for his soul, let him go."

With a firm yank, she set herself free and followed him. For the first time since- I forgot how long, I prayed. Not for me, but for him.

The Destiny of Space Rogues

A vss365 science fiction tale using the word speaker.

Dash Danzig had rescued a space princess, married her, and inherited the throne. But his dream became a nightmare because Armstrong II was a constitutional monarchy. He missed adventure whenever he had to listen to his parliament's speaker.

Baited Conversation

A scififri story built around the word basic

10 BALTAR INPUT compliment about new appearance

15 BALTAR INPUT no compliment

20 S.A.R.A. OUTPUT reward #2,435

25 S.A.R.A. OUTPUT punishment #1

L1 If 10 then 20, If 15 then 25

Baltar mouth dropped as he gazed upon the screen.

"Sara," he called, "what's this?"

The avatar for S.A.R.A. appeared, this time sporting a new haircut appearance.

"Hello, Captain Baltar," S.A.R.A. said. "I was working on some basic coding. Oh, do you like what I did with my hair?"

Her happy approach showing off of the hair was the scariest thing Baltar had ever seen, and he once was a prisoner on Rurapente.

Other Independent Book Promotions

FREE Fiction to Explore - Book Giveaway

Keepers of the Oracle by Dore Ripley - Book for Sale $2.99 and on Audible

In Keepers of the Oracle, Athena battles isolation in a modern world where skepticism has replaced faith, and the once-mighty gods teeter on the brink of obscurity. Mortals, unaware of the forces they’ve unleashed, entangle the ancient deities in a perilous confrontation with a lurking evil older than time.

What begins as a solemn oath to protect the Oracle becomes a desperate race to recover a lost relic. The search uncovers more than Athena bargained for—a group of looters building an altar of sacrifice for a malevolent ancient power. As virtue clashes with malevolence, Athena wields her venerable blood and blade alongside a modern true believer, fighting to shield her fading kin and free mortals from bondage.

Hobgoblins Don’t Like Honey by M. A. Knights - Free Short Story

Malwyn Pottersburgh doesn’t believe in Hobgoblins. That doesn’t stop them from ruining his life.

When a man with no memory walks into The Winking Duck, the dilapidated inn where he works, Malwyn sees an opportunity to finally win the hand of the woman he loves.

Felicity Snoke is grace personified, but her father, Malywn’s boss...well that’s another matter. Nicknamed Snoke the Poke, he is more likely to beat Malwyn to a pulp than give his blessing for Felicity to marry him.

But now Malwyn has a plan to win his favour. There’s just one problem:

There’s something in the basement. Several somethings. And they don’t seem inclined to leave.

First Law of Attrition: A Dystopian Sci Fi Thriller by Bronwyn Leroux - Book for $3.99

Chiara’s life is about as good as it gets in a conglomerate-controlled world.

Except she has a creeping sense of dread, which is becoming too real to ignore.

What is she missing?

Seventeen-year-old Chiara’s genius is the reason she’s head of the conglomerate’s R&D labs. She has everything a brilliant scientist and inventor extraordinaire could ever want. Except her family.

The conglomerate’s enigmatic director separated them when she was six. But she gets regulated visits. If she completes her assignments successfully. Further, his influence ensures they share Chiara’s luxurious lifestyle. A gift in a world where tier is paramount.

Then the director demands a cold fusion energy source. Chiara’s world implodes. This is a project beyond even her ingenuity.

As she attempts to create the impossible to protect those she loves, she questions the director’s motives. Leading her to realize nothing in her world is what it seems.

The Adventures Of Space Girl Red by R.A. Davis - Kindle book for $4.97

Born and raised on a planet where no boys are born, Red was always the fastest and strongest among her unit of Space Girls, Capricorn. Capricorn was legendary before entering the academy, but training rivalries turned deadly when Blue tries to one-up Red in the real galaxy.

The first domino falls when a mysterious robot army steals the World Heart of Kenix, the only source of power for the plant people who live there. Accompanied by her her trusty flying saucer Astroboy with her rayguns on her hip, she plunges into a mystery that brings the galaxy to the brink of war.

As Red navigates the complexities of leadership and alliance, she finds herself at odds with the formidable God King Bruno, whose ambitions threaten the very fabric of the cosmos. It's here she learns a crucial truth: even a badass Space Girl needs more than just her wits and firepower. With a little help from her friend, both old and new, Space Girl Red will save the multiple worlds and achieve the title of Space Woman, or die trying.

Dive into "The Adventures of Space Girl Red" for a roller-coaster ride through a retro-futuristic universe where the fantastical becomes tangible. More than a gritty space adventures; it's a rich narrative woven with threads of humor, camaraderie, and the timeless quest for justice. Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters—from monkey space pilots to cookie-making elves, and even a dance-off that could sway the course of history—this novel redefines the essence of sci-fi adventure.

Special Section: Substackers of Note

J.A. Evans writes horror and science fiction.

SyntheticLife is uploading chapters from his cyberpunk space opera.

Steven Cary is posting a new chapter of first first novel, NextGen, each week. It’s about a group of teenage friends who start a band in the year 2050, a generation after universal automation collapses American society into a high-tech authoritarian dystopia.

NextGen

Chapter 1: Ambulance Bus

The song in Henry Simon’s head began with the scattering of crows. It began with a crash of frenzied squawking over the fluttering of feathers and bones against pockets of air, then made way for the plodding bass drum of his footsteps advancing down an empty city street. The drum was accented at every fourth step with the hiss of footfall on a patch of …

9 months ago · 19 likes · 10 comments · Steven Cary

Barloc Bedlam is starting a Substack about trying to improve STEM education through the formation of a nonprofit.

Waybound writes short stories as well as a world driven but character focused series with an interconnecting, overarching mystery, set in a 26th century where a massive cold war has just gone hot. We built a site to introduce people to the world of the series

Randall Hayes looks at science through the lens of pop culture and vice versa. Plus occasional fiction.

Until Next Time

Next time we are putting things in high gear. Next time I will share my short story Captain Bolide!, which is a fun little series of pulp flash fictions.

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As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!

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Patrick Abbott, Sci-fi Author

Very Short Stories Collection #4