Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
NOVEMBER MICROSTORY- COMMENTS ONLY
@Jot, are you able to pin the current contest for whichever month to the top of the list? That will help when there's many.
Wow. Cool.Congratulations, S.M. on your big win this month. It was a tough field!
-C. Lloyd Preville
Thanks, Corey. I am surprised and humbled.Corey wrote: "Wow. Cool.
Congratulations, S.M. on your big win this month. It was a tough field!
-C. Lloyd Preville"
Mine's up.It ties into a much longer piece that I'm still working on, and it helped me piece together some of the backstory.
Please don't be alarmed that I'm not a lama head here. That was just for the benefit of all the stuck-up Constables at Li that hate people with personalities and as an appropriate two fingered salute to my SWAM status. Of course, if folks would rather see a Lama!
Well, the real you, Richard. Looking quite hunky there, though I didn't recognise you without the hat.
That was a risky shot, with naked thought processor. Not a hair's breadth between me and the environment. Use all servo protectors: sombrero, stetsons, fidoras, derbys and always have a homburg to hand, ie generally ones with gutters to keep the clouds off. Can't stand having other's thoughts pattering on my head. Genius needs protecting. Actually, hats don't suit me- even in I'm hiding my identity in a suit- but then that's probably for the best as along with my demeanour it helps keep the public well away.
What a shame there is no "like" button here at GR. But then again I didn't really need a "like" button for Jeremy's story, "A Scarlet Blossom, Disremembered," I needed an "absolutely love it!" button.It is a wonderful and subtle story with a profoundly gentle barb: flower-language like!
And in case the reader hadn't heard of the actual science/art of Floriography (which I hadn't, by that name at least) the mere mention of its name 'spoke for itself' ... leading me to 'google it' http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
What a wonderful, sometimes half-forgotten, language Floriography is: The red spider lily 'speaks' to loss, abandonment and remembrance, the meaning of "ring a ring of rosies" is disputed, nosegays and tussie-mussies are ornamental, wearable language ... and so on and so on
Great topic by Sharon, great interpretation by Jeremy!
Hi everyone,This IS a little different, but looks better and in the long run easier to use. We all need to pass the word.
Sumptuous stories up so far. The bar has been duly raised.
Story posted. 777 words, and no, no magic spell intended.
What J.J. said. The bar is way, way raised. Must have been an inspired move.
Mod
Understood. I will edit it to fit. Word count 738
I posted my story. 626 words. It's nice to have italics available.
Mod
Quick shout-out to Karl and to Richard for each getting into some of the terrors of our times. Very fine. I have to say everyone's work so far this month is way up there--genuinely well written and either very moving or damn terrifying.
Jot,are author's comments (such as I had added this month at the end of my story)
1.) allowed?
2.) if allowed, included or excluded from the word count?
I vaguely remember there was a discussion once on LI about the possibility of 'author comments'.
N.B. While waiting for an answer from Jot, I have decided to just delete the 'author comment' from its prior posting below my story and post it here instead:
[author comment: N.B. "The Nine O'Clock Tiger" was apparently an actual T.V. show, here in Australia, in the 1980's. I never saw it myself and just found out about it by accident last night ... when I was googling something else and it appeared, inspiring me to write this story! It reminded me of something I had half forgotten: one of my favourite poems, by William Blake.
p.s. several hours and some sleep later: For potential copyright-problem reasons, I have changed the title of my story from "The Nine O'clock Tiger" (which I had initially named it - after the apparently-once-existed TV show by the same name, as mentioned above) to "The Fearful Symmetry." I made that change because, after a bit more intense googling I was led to the greater details given here https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/co... and here http://momotimetoread.blogspot.com.au... That made it apparent that that, now elusive, T.V. show was most likely based on an old book, "Jandy Malone and The Nine O'Clock Tiger" by Barbara Bolton.
I've now decided to call it "The Fearful Symmetry That Dared", as that gives back a 'personification' to the 'thing' (that, in its tiger/tyger form, it had) ... as it - the protagonist - now in a form that is closer to its most abstract form of Cosmic Consciousness, knocks (a little louder) at the consciousness of humanity-in-the-universe, as it must as we grow more familiar with 'what's out their'. The child is the first to 'remember' it and embrace it.
An interesting relevant post is here http://peacetour.org/overview-effect ]
Mod
Got mine posted. Hope you guys enjoy it....
Good story, Jot. Chilling. It literally sent a shiver down my spine as I got to the end of the story. Its got that nice C.S. Lewis story-style feel to it.That's my sort of science fiction story preference: a fascinating parallel mystery - the Inner Universe - which we know (whether stated directly or not) is made more (not less) intriguing by, Mankind's parallel, increased exploration of the counterpart - the Outer Universe.
Finished Book 3, The Fires of Fear, and uploaded this afternoon. Waiting on approval. In the mean time, I uploaded my entry for this month. It piggybacks on my entry last month. I may keep on piggybacking until I win or it gets large enough to be published as a 99 cent novel. heh,heh,heh. Just kidding folks. Maybe. :-)
Uh hah! “He see's the world the way cynics do; Not looking for false Hope.” ― Meredith Duran, A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
... and while you're waiting to piggyback to the piggybank, Ben, you might enjoy
“The large print giveth and the small print taketh away.”
― Tom Waits, The Early Years: The Lyrics, 1971-1983
and other quotes of a cynical nature at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/... Maybe:-)
preview:
“It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.”
― Diogenes of Sinope
or, if you prefer,
“If you behaved nicely, the communists wouldn't exist.”
― Jenny Holzer, Jenny Holzer
or what about,
“I'm not into this whole "move with the times" thing. I reckon we should just decide on a year and stick with it.”
― R.D. Ronald
Then perhaps the sequels to your story will go like this:
“cynicism springs from disappointments in love.”
― Marty Rubin
then
“With the right kind of touch, sour apples turn sweet again.”
― Marty Rubin
It's only the 9th, and the competition is fierce!
"Bingo!" Indeed Marianne, a story deserving of that call!
Hi all. There has been a death in my family, and so, I may not be able to vote for a story this month. It all depends on what happens next and when I return. Just a heads up
Thank you all. And if any of you are suffering, please reach out to the hotlines or family or friends or whatever it takes to keep you here.
Peace and strength to you and yours, Marianne.
May that cherished soul soar to where all things good abide.
Condolences to you and your family Marianne.
Thinking of you and your family Marianne. Remember the happy times.
Reposted. Incremental improvement I hope.
Condolences also to all those affected by the terrible, unfathomable, pointless violence perpetrated in Paris this weekend.
Yes to Heather's point here.Solidarite avec le peuple de Paris.
I wish all those who had loved ones lost or injured in this mindless attack some level of peace. I cannot know how you feel but I freely offer my condolences and my sympathy for what you have suffered.
** COMMENTS ONLY **
The theme for the month follows this note from the competition's Creator/Director, Jot Russell:
To help polish our skills and present a flavor of our art to other members in the group, I am continuing this friendly contest for those who would like to participate. There is no money involved, but there is also no telling what a little recognition and respect might generate. The rules are simple:
1) The story needs to be your own work and should be posted on the Good Reads Discussion board, which is a public group. You maintain responsibility and ownership of your work to do with as you please. You may withdraw your story at any time.
2) The stories must be 750 words or less.
3) The stories have to be science fiction, follow a specific theme and potentially include reference to items as requested by the prior month's contest winner. The theme for this month is posted below.
4) You have until midnight EST on the 22nd day of the month to post your story to the Good Reads Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion. One story per author per month.
5) After, anyone from the LI Sci-Fi group or the GR Science Fiction Microstory Discussion group has until midnight EST of the 25th day of the month to cast a single private vote to Jot Russell () for a story other than their own. This vote will be made public once voting is closed. Voting is required. If you do not vote, your story will be disqualified from the contest. You don't need a qualifying story to cast a vote, but must offer the reason for your vote if you don’t have an entry.
6) To win, a story needs at least half of the votes, or be the only one left after excluding those with the fewest votes. Runoffs will be run each day until a winner is declared. Stories with vote totals that add up to at least half, discarding those with the fewest votes, will be carried forward to the next runoff election. Prior votes will be carried forward to support runoff stories. If you voted for a story that did not make it into the runoff, you need to vote again before midnight EST of that day. Only people who voted in the initial round may vote in the runoffs.
7) Please have all posts abide by the rules of Good Reads and the LI Sci-Fi group.
8) Professional comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated by any member in either group and should be posted to the separate thread that will be posted at the end of the month and all voting is complete to avoid any influence on the voting. Feel free to describe elements that you do and don't like, as these help us gain a better perspective of our potential readers. Remarks deemed inflammatory or derogatory will be flagged and/ or removed by the moderator.
9) The winner has THREE days after the start of the new month to make a copy of these rules and post a new contest thread using the theme/items of their choosing. Otherwise, the originator of the contest, Jot Russell, will post a new contest thread.
______________________________
For the November contest:
Theme: Memory (memories, the ability to remember, something forgotten and then remembered…)
Required elements: a note left on your windshield (bulkhead, spacesuit visor, etc…); plastic or silk flowers