Today, a story by the excellent Arthur H. Manners. Dark, yes, but with a beautiful thread of hope.
Woodsong – Flash Fiction Online
It hit me last night, as a chorus of woodsong filled our hiding spot: we’re never getting out of here.
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Posts Tagged ‘free fiction’
To: Anyone In the Memo Mines Today
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, free fiction, jobs in space, sci-fi, Writers, writing on October 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Today, a fun bit of free short fiction from Carrie Vaughn and Clarkesworld Magazine.
She hit send and hoped that this would be the last she had to think of it. Engineering would get the work order, run the diagnostics, the glitch would get fixed, all would be well. She was also very aware that this would probably not be the end of it. She couldn’t tell if the cramping in her stomach was lunchtime hunger or simmering rage.
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Welcome to the School Year
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Fiction, free fiction, humor on August 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »
As the run-up to back-to-school time is starting up again, I’m thinking about students and teachers and technology.
With that in mind, I share this short in the tongue-in-cheek spirit in which it was written:
How I Learned to Stop Teaching and Love AI by Brian Michael Murphy
All students, for all assignments, should use ChatGPT to complete each task. Why would you waste your time writing a paper? We now have a tool that can do that for you. And all professors will save massive amounts of time and energy by using ChatGPT to grade all those papers. Isn’t that great? I mean, what an educational revolution.
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What Comes After? Or Before?
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, free fiction, speculative fiction, Writers, writing on August 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Today, a little free fiction from Jo Jones, who writes speculative fiction and loves reading, history, writing and Star Wars. A woman after my own heart!
STDD CASE FILE RUS1896JM – by Jo Jones
“This is not the first time we have met Miss Michaels. But….. we are getting ahead of ourselves. Or maybe behind?” He shakes his head. “Even I can’t keep up! Anyway, where are you thinking of this time?”
Enjoy!
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Fun Free Fiction
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, free fiction, Writers, writing on August 7, 2025| 1 Comment »
Howdy Readers! Today I’m happy to share a bit of fun free fiction from that master of humorous sci-fi David Hankins!
The Devil’s Footlocker by David Hankins – FREE STORY – Amazing Stories
Phil could sell anything to anyone. New Milwaukee, like most habitats orbiting Earth, was a moldering dump that smelled like rancid grease wrapped in locker room funk, but that was precisely why Phil had come. Suckers living in squalor made easy marks. The locals couldn’t get enough of his micro-transmat-powered Dust Zappers.
Enjoy!
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Speculative Fiction, Fantasy Edition
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, awards, creativity, fantasy, Fiction, free fiction, Writers, writing on July 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »
I talk about science and fiction here, but I also like fantasy, science and otherwise. What’s up in the world of speculative fiction, fantasy edition? The World Fantasy Awards shortlist, that’s what!
Here’s the full ballot, with links to the short fiction list where available:
Here Are the 2025 World Fantasy Award Finalists – Reactor
Short Fiction
“Our Best Selves” by Hiron Ennes (Weird Horror Magazine #9)
“Godskin” by CL Hellisen (Strange Horizons, March 4, 2024)
“The V*mpire” by PH Lee (Reactor, October 2024)
“Raptor” by Maura McHugh (Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology)
“Everything in the Garden is Lovely” by Hannah Yang (Apex Magazine #143, March 2024)
Do some of these look dark and scary and filled with content warnings? They do, but perhaps that’s your thing? If not, check out the other novels, novellas and more.
Winners will be chosen and awards presented at the World Fantasy Convention in the UK this November!
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Dear Author, Take My Money
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, free fiction, sciency fun, Writers, writing on May 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »
I don’t know about you but I have certain authors whose writing just fits. Ilona Andrews is one such writer. (Or two, really, since “she” is a pair.)
I’ve mentioned them before but I’m going to do it again, because they are in the middle of another online story, published in installments.
Here’s the main page: The Inheritance.
Reader, if I could pay for it now and get the whole thing, I would. Instead, I look forward to new installments Mondays and Fridays. Now you can too!
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Aural Investigations
Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, #ThingsMyFatherLikes, Audio, classics, free fiction, public domain, Writers, writing on April 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »
My father grew up loving the Sherlock Holmes stories. He wasn’t the only one, of course, and Sherlock has remained a driving force in modern culture since he was first invented by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Now that the books are in the public domain, there are a lot of new Holmes stories coming out, which is great. But if you want to go back to the originals and you enjoy audiobooks, consider this collection of 19 Sherlock Holmes short stories on the BBC, narrated by actor Hugh Bonneville: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories.
Sherlock Holmes Short Stories – Hugh Bonneville hosts new Sherlock Holmes series on BBC
His adventures have been enjoyed by audiences around the world for over a century with new generations discovering his thrilling tales through blockbuster films, television series, and even video games.
Now, the great detectives’ most famous mysteries are being brought to life in the new podcast Sherlock Holmes Short Stories hosted by Hugh Bonneville.
Enjoy!
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Yes/No?
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, drabble-adjacent, free fiction, politics, selling of the soul, writing on April 3, 2025| 1 Comment »
Today, I wrote a 200-word story (a double drabble?) inspired by modern politics, and those who are willing to sacrifice everything for power.
The muted roar of the crowd echoed through the green room. He gave himself a final check in the mirror and checked for consensus updates.
:: Tie too tight, one response said.
He loosened the half Windsor.
:: Hair too perfect, another said.
A quick head toss fixed that.
:: Walk more like a gorilla.
What the hell was he supposed to do with that kind of feedback? He expanded his stance, arms bent at the elbow, and strutted side to side.
His reflection sighed.
:: Accept all changes?
The button flashed green on his behavioral adjustment interface.
He stared at the screen. He used to enjoy this job. Before they promised him power. All he had to do was agree to a chip in his head and external control of his every move.
Was it worth it?
The crowd cheered his campaign’s warmup act. What a difference from the old days, when sincerely held speeches were met with yawns. Now all he had to do was read three-word slogans from the crowd-sourced teleprompter.
His wife said she didn’t even know him anymore.
Was it worth it?
He stared at the screen.
:: Accept all changes?
:: Yes / No?
— J.R. (Never Going Into Politics) Johnson
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Free Fiction for You
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, free fiction, speculative fiction, Writers on March 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Oh hey, I think I missed sharing this collection of free stories from Reactor Magazine. I haven’t read all of these but Reactor tends to have very high-quality fiction, and all for free free free! Check it out, browse, and enjoy.
Some of the Best from Reactor: 2024 Edition!
The 2024 edition of Some of the Best From Reactor is out today! This bundle features just some of our favorites from the thirty-five original stories published on Reactor in the past year.
Of course, you can always read the selected stories—and all other Reactor stories—for free whenever you’d like! To make it even easier to catch up, we’ve gathered all our stories from 2024 in one convenient post.
Because life’s too short to read bad stories.
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”
― Philip Pullman
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