«The Governess» by Alexander Jonathan Vidgop ⚠️ Content Warning: The following material contains scenes that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. The boy is thirteen years old. He sits by the window and peers out into the garden. Rocking back and forth on the garden swing is the boy’s frock-coated father.... Leer más →| Hotel by Masticadores
One day, people were astonished to find that the long-dormant DApps had come back to life, like ghosts in the night, quietly growing in the void. Hidden within the transaction logs of abnormal blocks, a cryptic string of clues emerged, leading back to a silent plan—a mysterious breeding experiment of autonomous on-chain Wood-Wide-Web, conducted on| Summer of Protocols
I’m writing a story inspired by the fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but I’ve hit a plot hole. Briefly, a couple who want a child decide to have one by IVF. They have a little girl they call Molly. They are well off people, the father being a successful business man. … Continue reading I want to pick your brains.→| Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author)
by David Serafino Yasmin and Alex have booked the Platinum Villa for the five-day, four-night honeymoon package: a seaside cottage in a fruit grove at the end of a peninsula surrounded by reefs, ideal for snorkeling and fencing out the man-eating sharks in the deep water. The driver slides back the van door and the […]| The Lit Nerds
Joe my brother says, spitting smoke toward the ceiling. Another long story. Joe I say. Joseph. Guy is a year and a half younger. We’re both Joe. Another long story. He tips back in the recliner. We sit watching football in the parlor of our youth, monk-bald middle aged men sinking into furniture. I am back for the wail and wallow of an Italian funeral. No need to be coy; it’s my mother’s, she whose legacy was to withhold all the Italian except the swears. Let ...| The Bookends Review
Confronted with the dim lighting, dark wood, and the tangy, sweet scents of barbequed meat, Kaylee stomped her right foot twice, then, lips pursed, exhaled. Better Ribs BBQ had no signage directing DoorDash drivers where to pick up orders and she dreaded asking. “Can I help you?” said the young woman at the hostess station. “I’m…here…for…Door…Dash.” The hostess tilted her head. “You drive a car?” If Kaylee could speak normally, she would––every day, every time, every...| The Bookends Review
Tick. Tick. Tick. Kenny watched as the clock on the wall of his seventh grade classroom moved closer and closer to twelve, it seemed to taunt him with its slow, unending ticks. His foot had begun to shake uncontrollably in anticipation, smacking against the tile flooring like the applause of a crowd. In about five minutes, when both hands of the clock met at the very top, the teacher would call out Kenny’s name and he would have to go give a speech at the front of the room. The speech was o...| The Bookends Review
Jamie was determined to hide his anger. Bullies turned his anger against him. They made him look helpless and dumb to everybody on the school bus. Worse: they turned his joy against him too. Like that time when word got around that he was into dinosaurs and everybody started calling him Jamiesarus. Or when everybody found out he still watched Mr. Rogers after school and all the bad things that happened after that. And if Jamie ever got mad and made a fist, or answered back to defend himself i...| The Bookends Review
this is a totally work of fiction not inspired by any events that happened today or anytime or by any people. In the bleak January of 2035, Huda Ziade stared at her terminal, the blue light casting harsh shadows across her face. The air around her smelled like burnt silicon and broken dreams. Her breath […]| Tara Tarakiyee – Techverständiger
Chapter 7 – Part 2 Chapter 7 – Part 1 Chapter 6 – Part 2 Chapter 6 – Part 1 Chapter 5 – Part 4 Chapter 5 – Part 3 Chapter 5 – Part 2 ...| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Chapter 7 – Part 2 Chapter 7 – Part 1| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Welcome to the tenth Creative Perspective Challenge! I can’t believe only two more challenges are left this year. In honor of Halloween, I went through many haunted castles, stairs, and houses and settled on this one. Can’t wait to see what creativity comes from this. All you have to do is write a poem or … Continue reading "#CreativePerspectiveChallenge Ten #flashfiction #poetry #writingcommunity #authorchallenge"| Author D.L. Finn
Learning to embrace rejection letters| My little corner of the world
A post in our 2025 series featuring works published in 1935 (or by authors who died in 1935). Today we’re featuring a short extract from Firestarters, a podcast by Francie Finn. Francie writes, “Firestarters explores the vibrant newspaper writing of Australian women from the first 150 years of the colonial period. These women’s stories, novels, […]| Australian Women Writers Challenge Blog
by Whispering Gums A post in our 2025 series featuring works published in 1935 (or by authors who died in 1935). This post includes a story that was published in The Bulletin on 11 December 1935, a…| Australian Women Writers Challenge Blog
Jane lies in Winchester, blessed be her shade!Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made.And, while the stones of Winchester – or Milsom Street – remain,Glory, Love, and Honour unto E…| This Reading Life
It is early June and I leave the aircon on high. I am driving two and a half hours from the airport to Monzón, the hometown of my wife María. My mother-in-law Pilar is to be buried this afternoon. I only brought an overnight bag with me and wore my suit on the early flight. María has been in Monzón since the previous month for the deathbed vigils. I am going for the night and flying home tomorrow at 12 noon. María and I had it planned for months, years even. Fionn, our son, is being look...| The Stinging Fly
Dao Strom is a poet, musician, writer, and interdisciplinary artist who works with three “voices”—written, sung, visual—to explore hybridity and the intersection of personal and collective histories. She is the author/composer of several hybrid-literary works, including...| Listen & Be Heard Network
by Ken Pisani Jack Williams was a New York sportswriter for thirty years before Hollywood beckoned. Actually, it didn’t so much “beckon” as merely exist on the other side of the country and, upon his arrival, disappear, like Brigadoon. Several of Jack’s articles had been optioned by Hollywood producers for significant sums of money—sums that […]| The Lit Nerds
by Megan Reimers and Matt Forsythe The boulevard passed Tuscawilla Country Club and began its descent toward Howell Creek. The drop was steep by Florida standards, and Jamie checked her speed, focu…| The Lit Nerds
Chapter 7 – Part 1| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Well, after two funny collections about women and their relationships, Roxane Gay’s Difficult Women brought me back to reality with a thud. There are 21 stories in Difficult Women, and most h…| booksaremyfavouriteandbest
米国においてオープンソース・ライセンスが契約ではなく「著作権の一方的な許諾」であると長らく見做され、Jacobsen v. Katzerの訴訟でその効力が法的にも認められるようになった流れは前回の記事で解説したが、一方で続きを読む "契約としてのオープンソース・ライセンスの歴史と現実に迫る違反リスク ：契約×著作権の二層執行の時代へ"| Shuji Sado
2025年8月、イーロン・マスク率いるxAIがGrok 2.5のモデルウェイトをHugging Face上で公開した。報道では「オープンソース化」と表現され、マスク氏自身も「Grok 2.5モデルをオープンソー続きを読む "Grok 2.5がオープンソースではない理由とそのライセンスの問題点"| Shuji Sado
日本ではオープンソースライセンスをライセンス契約として見做すことが一般的な見解であり、これはEUでも同様である。しかし、オープンソースのあらゆる側面においての原点である米国では、オープンソースライセンスは契約ではなく「著続きを読む "一方的許諾としてのオープンソース・ライセンスの概念はどこから来たのか？"| Shuji Sado
QEMUプロジェクトは、AIツールによって生成されたコードによる貢献を拒否する方針を正式に取り決めた。その核心的な理由は、貢献者が提出するパッチの正当性を証明するために用いているDeveloper’s Cer続きを読む "オープンソースプロジェクトはAI生成コードをどのように受け入れるべきか？ — QEMUの禁止ポリシーからの教訓"| Shuji Sado
Debian Projectが毎年開催している開発者会議「DebConf」というイベントがある。もう随分と長い歴史があるのだが、一度として日本で開催したことはない。日本ではDebian GNU/Linuxが受け入れられて続きを読む "何故、DebConfは日本で未開催なのか？自由の闘士を来日させる道程"| Shuji Sado
AGIという言葉が至る所で叫ばれているが、人間の行動のあらゆる側面が本当にAIに置き換えられるようになるのだろうか？現時点において依然として自分は懐疑的に見ている。 例えば、ソフトウェア領域においては間もなくAIが大規模続きを読む "AIは仕事を奪うのか？AIと人間はどちらが最終決定を担うのか？"| Shuji Sado
DeepSeekアプリがユーザーの入力や出力といった情報を中国内のどこかに送信している可能性について世界中で大騒ぎとなっているが、これは特に今始まったことではなく中国の国内法に依拠する問題である。元々この文書、というより続きを読む "DeepSeekは何故ユーザーの検閲を行いつつオープンソースなのか？ – 中国における生成AI規制"| Shuji Sado
All the results are here this month. I’m excited to share two amazing poems by Priscilla Bettis and Marsha Ingrao, and my flash fiction. Marsha’s Poem: There once was a house in the for…| Author D.L. Finn
Andrew Lam fled Vietnam with his family during the fall of Saigon in April 1975 when he was eleven years old. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, studying biochemistry, but abandoned plans for medical school after graduation.| Listen & Be Heard Network
I enjoy Katherine Heiny’s writing. She makes me laugh and I’m quite okay with the odd boundary that she pushes. Her novels are terrific but I reckon it’s in short stories where sh…| booksaremyfavouriteandbest
On the days when there is no Mother, Big Sister can go wherever she wants. Down lamplit streets and into shining playgrounds. She tries not to skip ahead; she feels a sticky-fingered guilt for missing anything. If Mother has been gone a very long time, Little Sister usually begs to come along. ˜ Today, Little … Continue reading "A Typical Barbie"| The Stinging Fly
The Australian Book Review short story prize has been awarded since 2010. In 2011 it was renamed the Elizabeth Jolley short story prize. Anyone from around the world can enter the prize. The story …| This Reading Life
by Ella Newell “Excuse me, is this yours?” A girl stood before me in the waist-deep water, holding out to me my own mermaid Barbie. She had stringy brown hair and red cheeks—the girl, not the Barbie. The Barbie was, of course, beautiful. Fresh from the hot pink toy aisle, she was all shimmering purple […]| The Lit Nerds
“Katherine, I believe it’s important that we clarify your goals concerning these recurring dreams. Think of it as a springboard for the healing process, the starting point for our journey.” Ten minutes into a fifty-minute hour, and Kat is already eyeing the door. Katherine Wyatt is not a person who seeks psychiatric help. Normal people don’t see shrinks, and normality is Kat’s calling card. Yet here she sits, chewing the end of her braid while Doctor Bramble smiles at her. Fucksake,...| The Bookends Review
I wandered the streets in a haze. For the first time in many months I moved about directionless, and without idea of where to find a cause to travel. So I simply moved, passing under street lights and swimming in the cold haze of night between their islands of effervescence. I glided through Shibuya, through Akihabara, and eventually into Minato. All the while awaiting a reason to move, a definable destination. Finally, I reached the Minato train station. It was then that I saw the woman. She...| The Bookends Review
Chapter 6 – Part 2 Chapter 6 – Part 1| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Welcome to the ninth Creative Perspective Challenge. Time’s running out; there are only three left after this one. Join in before it ends. All you have to do is write a flash fiction story or a poem based on this image, and post it on your blog. Then leave me the link below in the … Continue reading "#CreativePerspectiveChallenge Nine #flashfiction #poetry #fantasy #writingcommunity"| Author D.L. Finn
Story idea generators can be just what you need to feel inspired enough to complete your next piece or to begin that novel you have been dreaming about writing for years.| JournalBuddies.com
Take a look at these 10 short story ideas. You'll also see advice on how to write a short and a breakdown of a very famous 6-word short story.| JournalBuddies.com
The gull lifted her wing and winced: the size of an eye, the wound was red and weeping. Inhaling deeply, she blinked and stretched out a leg. It was early morning, the town still and quiet. Across the rooftops the sun was rising, and the ferris wheel glistened in the yolk-orange light. This is happening, she told herself. Closing her eyes, she attempted to relieve the tightness in her chest, to bring lightness to her breathing, but then a mob of cawing crows swooped down beside her.| The Stinging Fly
Lisa @ANZ LitLovers is hosting the inaugural Short Story September where we are encouraged to ‘discover short story collections that are good to read.’ In more recent times I have …| This Reading Life
When our house burnt to the ground, the thing I remember most was standing in the rain, praying it would put out the flames. Ever since, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with summer rains. As a ki…| Helping You To Succeed
by Daniel Crépault “Zagosian Holographics, my name is Sam. How may I assist you today?” “You’re not one of those damned bots, are you?” a gruff voice asked through the phone. “No, sir, thank God.” Sometimes, a small lie was necessary to put customers at ease. “May I get your name before we proceed?” “It’s […]| The Lit Nerds
It’s mid-May, and after a long slog of last-minute client requests and petty politics in the office, tax season is finally over. Tomorrow is my chance to fly away to a five-day vacation with no schedule and no responsibilities. Double tall mocha in hand (including whipped cream), I find my gate and practically dance down the concourse to board a late morning non-stop, Seattle to Philly. Tonight, I’ll meet my friend Louise and after visiting overnight with her husband and twins, the two of...| The Bookends Review
Chapter 6 – Part 1 Chapter 5 – Part 4 Chapter 5 – Part 3 Chapter 5 – Part 2 Chapter 5 – Part 1 Chapter 4 – Part 2 Chapter 4 – Part 1 Chapter 3 – Part 2...| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Chapter 5 – Part 4 Chapter 5 – Part 3| Postcards from the Age of Reason
“The Graves of Saint Paul” by Michael L. Utley My mother lay in the ground at my feet beneath sun-bleached summer grass and faded plastic flowers and a headstone I hadn’t seen for nearly ten …| Hotel by Masticadores
The soccer field was a miracle, an oval of fenced-in grass behind a middle school, where she could train her new small dog, play with it until it trusted her, understood their togetherness. She hop…| Okay Donkey
Image Credit; Eveling Salazar @ Unsplash Image Credit; Hirz Maulana @ Unsplash The machine was never meant to feel.It was built for obedience and function – a silent servant in a noisy world.…| And Miles to go before I sleep...
Gregor Montgomery, she told me, was a man of such standing, of such unimpeachable gravitas, that no matter the location of a party, he was surely known by at least two attendees in any given room at any given time before his arrival, such had his legend spread. All who had heard of this icon, … Continue reading "The Gregor Montgomery"| The Stinging Fly
Alyosha was the younger brother. He was called the Pot, because his mother had once sent him with a pot of milk to the deacon’s wife, and he had stumbled against something and broken it. His mother…| This Reading Life
| Rehana Sulthana | July 2025 | Short Story | A room. A mat. A bowl. A meaty affair. I have been staring at it...| MeanPepperVine
by Allison Bradley I’m pretty sure it was the $40 bottle of wine. Of all the miscellaneous Saturday afternoon items on my section of the grocery conveyor belt, it was when she scanned the wine that…| The Lit Nerds
After a record-breaking season of rain, the five-year mega drought in California was over. Atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones rolled inland, brought steel gray skies, charcoal clouds, and torrents of water. Snow wrapped mountaintops, and for a brief moment, it seemed all would be well. But the relentless sun grew hotter than ever before. The snow melted and the streams, rivers, and waterfalls gushed to the valley below. And there emerged a ghost lake, Tulare Lake, once...| The Bookends Review
It would be love after a few sights. Last Tuesday, she caught my eye again, and I caught hers back. I’ll probably ask her to prom – betraying the pact made with my two closest friends, to go together rather than with dates – but I need the confirmatory third or fourth sight of her. Then I’ll tell her that I fancy her. With the frenzy of two months before prom dominating classroom and corridor conversation, our minds are occupied. We’re unusually busy. Much to our teachers’ dismay,...| The Bookends Review
My mother died of a massive stroke, but she swears she didn’t. Dropped down dead right there at the breakfast buffet, then climbed back up to her feet—pardon me, she said to the coveralled man behi…| Okay Donkey
In this interview, author Mariah Rigg discusses breaking writing rules in her debut short story collection, Extinction Capital of the World.| Writer's Digest
The whole sky had been overcast with rain-clouds from early morning; it was a still day, not hot, but heavy, as it is in grey dull weather when the clouds have been hanging over the country for a l…| This Reading Life
**************************************** UNICORN NO MORE ********* This is the 123rd and****** Last Ever****** UNICORN CHALLENGE ****************************************** Visit Jenne Gray to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in her comments section.Or on your own blog, and stick the link down … Continue reading →| Sound Bite Fiction
Copyright Ayr/Gray **************************************** UNICORN NO MORE ********* Next Week *** the 123rd and*** Last Ever****** UNICORN CHALLENGE ****************************************** …| Sound Bite Fiction
Chapter 5 – Part 2 Chapter 5 – Part 1| Postcards from the Age of Reason
There’s a place on the road to the west where there’s a car park for a lake. Traffic signs announce a viewpoint with little triangles that are supposed to show there’s something nice to look at. People stop in the car park and sit on the grass drinking tea from flasks. We used to go there, when my children were younger. | The Stinging Fly
Copyright Ayr/Gray The Unicorn Challenge. A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in…| Sound Bite Fiction
The rustling sound and movement in the bushes alarmed him. When he had lain down in the darknessbefore, it seemed that there was nothing in the nearby woods that would be a problem. Suddenly,he felt that might not be the case. As he shaded his eyes from the bright, hot light above, he began to seethe creature stepping into the clearing where he had slept. Surprisingly, it looked like him, somewhat, butwas different in unfamiliar ways. Its movements were graceful and determined, showing no sig...| The Bookends Review
Copyright Ayr/Gray The Unicorn Challenge. A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in…| Sound Bite Fiction
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Hello, everyone. The “Re-Inventionator” robots are on hand again. Life can be a smooth, steady ride for some people. For others, come hell or high water, t…| Teagan's Books
Chapter 4 – Part 2 Chapter 4 – Part 1| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Back in February 2024, I posted a very short story called “A Series of Locks.” It came to mind in pondering which stories and poems that I’d like to translate into a video (a list that keeps growing!). The idea for a keyhole came quickly for how to frame illustrations in the video. Later, I… Continue reading Series of Locks — now a video→| Dave Williams
One of the most delightfully odd tales in the Sherlock Holmes canon, “The Red-Headed League” showcases Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s talent for mixing humor, eccentricity, and classic detective work into a perfectly crafted short story. “The Red-Headed League” was first published in The Strand in 1891. The Plot Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story The […]| Golden Age of Detective Fiction
The noise from the pub cuts off abruptly as the door swings shut. She hesitates, not knowing where he has parked his car, and he gestures up the road towards the square. His other hand lifts towards, although does not quite touch, the small of her back.| The Stinging Fly
Until the end of 2024, L. Andrew Cooper’s (my) short horror story “Burst” is FREE to download in the Horrific Scribblings store! I write a short story every Halloween, and this story was born Halloween 2024, which makes it my most recent short (about 7,000 words). I’m publishing it here on HorrificScribblings.com first, which makes Read More The post Have a Free Burst of Joy appeared first on Horrific Scribblings.| Horrific Scribblings
Chapter 4 – Part 1 The Healing of Lórien| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Chapter 3 – Part 2 The Ring of Doom| Postcards from the Age of Reason
The 1952 Club is hosted by Karen @Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings and Simon @Stuck in a Book. After checking the lists to see which books were first published in 1952, I realised that I had three o…| This Reading Life
Chapter 3 – Part 1 The Ring of Doom| Postcards from the Age of Reason
by Whispering Gums A post in our 2025 series featuring works published in 1935 (or by authors who died in 1935). This post includes a short story that was published in The Cairns Post on 28 …| Australian Women Writers Challenge Blog
LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF-and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to issue 179 of LIGHTSPEED! This month we're serializing an original SF...| Weightless Books
Chapter 2 – Part 3 Unexpected Surprises| Postcards from the Age of Reason
The small village of Kolotovka once belonged to a lady known in the neighbourhood by the nickname of Skin-flint, in illusion to her keen business habits (her real name is lost in oblivion), but has…| This Reading Life
Chapter 2 – Part 2 Unexpected Surprises| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Chapter 2 – Part 1 Unexpected Surprises Chapter 1 – A Staircase of Stars| Postcards from the Age of Reason
Lydia did not vacuum the floors or dust the overloaded bookshelves when the men started returning three years later, in small groups of fifty or five hundred at first. She did not stoop below her daughter’s small white desk, now the centerpiece of the family room, to gather up the tiny construction-| The Cincinnati Review
A note from the author:| Postcards from the Age of Reason
For the past couple of years, Fanda @Classiclit has been hosting an Agatha Christie short story readalong. The idea is to read two AC short stories each month (you can see her selections for each m…| This Reading Life
by Whispering Gums A post in our 2025 series featuring works published in 1935 (or by authors who died in 1935). This post includes a short story that was published in the Sydney Mail on 24 …| Australian Women Writers Challenge Blog
“Don’t hang up on me, Emily.” “Why are you calling, Roger?” Remember, the judge ruling on our divorce recommended we employ a mediator to determine how we’ll divide everything rather than hiring more lawyers.” “How do we divide the furniture, cut them in half? How do you split the bed, the one we slept in and fucked in for five years?” “This is not the way to resolve this. Neither of us can afford more legal fees. The judge gave me the names of three mediators, and I check...| The Bookends Review
«The Custodian» by Nigel Byng It was the monarch butterfly tattoo that got me. It occupies a corner of her right shoulder, peeking from under the strap of her vest. Ink has meaning, and monarch but…| Hotel by Masticadores
«A Father’s Shadow in the Middle of the Rain» by Norj Joseph It was christmas eve, but the rain fell gently, blanketing the world with cold water.Inside the cozy warmth of their home, a young…| Hotel by Masticadores
Surrounded by lavish mansions, the old beach cottage looks small, forlorn and utterly out of place on its water-front lot. A red estate sale sign is the only color in the withered front yard. A middle-aged woman sits on a bench in the entryway holding a wad of cash in one hand, her cellphone in the other. Lost in conversation, she smiles as I walk by on the sidewalk and waves me toward the front door. It is mid-February and I’ve just escaped an Idaho winter for a short trip to Coronad...| The Bookends Review
Last year, around the time that Cathy and Kim announced that 2025 would be their Year with Edna O’Brien, I came across this book of Edna O’Brien short stories in a local street library.…| This Reading Life
Featured image by Laura @ Black Moon Lilith Welcome to this week’s edition of NTT! Thank you to everyone for all your excellent submissions last week. Fantastic work by all! Please have your …| The Beginning At Last
Saturday, December 21, 2024 Blessings of the solstice, to everyone here. Although it barely feels like autumn at my home, in the hemisphere where I live, it is now officially winter. I’ve a…| Teagan's Books
Photo: Pexels So Tightly Wound Roland and I have been arguing the whole way to Coachella: I hate camping, it’s too hot, we can’t afford this. But I never actually said no. When we arrive, some band’s bass is making the air jump. We find his friends in the car camping area, getting drunk under […]|
Photo: Austin Human Monster Men from Outer Space The monster men came from outer space, their sideburns fizzing as they burned through the atmosphere, space dust beading up on their brows. They lan…| atlasandalice.com
The trees with branches thick and coarse, barely move when children swing from them. Those trees have strong, deep roots that won’t let a child fall. Such trees have branches that can hold the weight of an argument over who did the dishes last. Such trees can stand to have the very bark torn from their bodies over screams of ‘I hate you’ and ‘just leave me alone.’ Such trees know how to bounce back and start a fresh the next day. ...| The Bookends Review
By now my mother and I do not speak. Nonetheless, she is a presence hovering everywhere I go. She has smelled the same for as long as I remember. When I had outgrown the powdery smell of babies she too stopped smelling like talcum. Now she smells like bubblegum as if littering the air with a confetti of bubblegum wrap long after it has lost its sweetness in her mouth. I assess that smell in the room to confirm she has left or if she has merely retreated to a far corner where I won’t hear th...| The Bookends Review
