Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
Please help me in congratulating Jack McDaniel, December's Champion of the Science Fiction Microstory Contest
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Congratulations, Jack! Awesome, mind bending story.
Congratulations, Jack, on your first win. The end of the world as a story of re-arrangement is both ingenious and touching. Kudos also to JJ for another fine story from her.
Brilliantly well told. Congratulations on your win.
Congrats Jack, ditto Heather's comment. Great prose and story.
and congrats also to Silver Medalist, JJ.
Great job, Jack. Look forward to reading more stories from you.
Thanks Andy and Heather; I hadn't even realised from this thread that I was a finalist. Lovely shock considering this was another 'chapter' from a previous story in the contest (Venus Rising). It's the first time I tried this approach and it seems to have helped the flow. Commiserations to the other finaiists; it's getting much harder for sure.
Congratulations, Jack--and to J.J., too. Extraordinary stories from both of you.Jack, love how you evoke those superb characterizations from the get-go---yes, looking forward to more of your tales.
And echoing Heather, congratulations to J.J. for her tale, too!
I agree with Paula about the extraordinary high level of literary skill in the characterizations that Jack achieved. I was reminded of thearticle I posted a link to some time ago. It spoke of how the literary author 'gets the reader to write the space between the characters' ... which movement in the space - caused by the constant work of having to interpret the characters - that article said, evokes empathy. At the 'simplest', and most innocent, projection of traits onto characters, the characterizations were as good as those in "To Kill A Mockingbird" - including the characterization of the minor characters, whose role, at that level of reader projection, was simply 'to have questions to ask.'
Sorry- never got any notification about voting at all and I've been on-line all Christmas. - but well done JackFirst vote I've missed in three years- that no one bothered to catch up with me sort of says how bloody popular I am I guess.
Richard wrote: ". . .First vote I've missed in three years- that no one bothered to catch up with me sort ..." NOT SO, Richard. I, for one, and probably not the only one, tried to reach you via GR to let you know you were on Jot's "haven't responded" list. But there is NO WAY, or no way in any sane length of time, to reach you there. This is true of some others too--does not seem a matter only of whether's one GR friends or not. If anyone knows the secret of this, please share it, in fact.
Brilliant story! Congrats on the win. I loved the seeming simplicity of the tale. Beautifully told.
Congrats Jack and J.J. All the stories I read were interesting. Have a great 2016.
Congratulations to our winners. Looking forward to the next theme. Happy New Year!
I Had a tough time deciding this time with 10 stories at the top of my list. Great job everyone! Congratulations Jack!
Yes, JJ also congrats. It was hard for me to choose between you and Jack
I really enjoyed your story, Jack, and I look forward to reading more of them in the New Year.
Once again, thanks to everyone for the comments. Much appreciated!
Well, it was a good story, Jack. And here we are, rarin' to go on the January contest. Will you be posting theme and possibly a parameter or two, soon? Looking forward to your ideas.
They were posted yesterday, Paula:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
:-)
Paula wrote: "Well, it was a good story, Jack. And here we are, rarin' to go on the January contest. Will you be posting theme and possibly a parameter or two, soon? Looking forward to your ideas."Already up.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This brings up a general question, the same as I asked about re Carrie's new thread/discussion a couple days ago. How are people to find new discussions of the sf microstories contest on Goodreads unless they are (1) announced *by the poster, preumably,* in an already current discussion thread, or (2) "contained" within the general sf microstories contest set of postings (would this mean Jot would have to post them, or is there a particular method for doing this?)? Certainly, when one looks on one's "Goodreads: groups" page, neither Jack's nor Carrie's threads/discussions come up.
They are on a second page of discussions. It's a bit confusing to me. I would have thought any new discussion would show up first. As a web designer/developer that's how I do it
Paula, if you go here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...you see all eleven threads for this group on the one page.
Maybe Jot, as the administrator? would be able to re-order the threads so that the most current ones are at the top? But if not, if you just bookmark the page that that link (above) takes you to you will see all the thread links.
Yes, thanks, Jack (and Heather). People, if you click on the "showing N of M topics" link on upper right of the group heading on the main group links-menu, you can find all of the discussions. In spite of this problem and the lack of a "like" button, Goodreads seems to work well for us--and far better than LI these days.
by Jack McDaniel
Lilith sucked in air, held her breath, squatted and jumped for all she was worth. A few feet later she landed – SPLASH! – two-footed in a small puddle. She giggled.
The rain had finally abated two hours earlier and stopped completely just an hour ago. The sun and the equatorial latitude of the island conspired to dry up the puddles along the walkway within minutes, the baking sun trying to claim back that which had fallen for the previous two days. The Gods who giveth also taketh away.
"You are a silly child," Peter grinned.
She grabbed his hand, sucked in air, jumped again. SPLASH!
"'course I am. I'm nine."
They walked down the hill towards the beach and pier. For days she had been telling him with certainty that she was leaving and that she couldn’t come back. He was baffled, shocked. They were a team, the old man and the young girl. She couldn’t just leave. Where would she go?
They had found each other a couple of years ago. She was wet and scraggily as if she had just crawled from the sea, an orphan. He was lonely and misplaced and counting days as if there were meaning in their number. He had taken her home with him, like a stray cat found along the roadside. They had struggled together for a while but eventually found balance. And he found something he had lost - purpose. How the world had changed.
There was no way to make him understand. So she was patient. In due time, she had said a couple of days ago, you will understand.
"If I were in charge of the world I would have it rain every morning."
"Why?" asked Peter.
"Puddles are whole worlds. They fall from the sky one drop at a time. Every drop that falls or trickles in adds a new dimension to that world. Morning rain means lots of new things and new worlds created."
"But, based on your actions today, you are a destroyer of worlds."
Lilith squeezed his hand and smiled.
Peter stopped and looked at her. The world is ending, he thought, and she giggles while jumping from one puddle to the next. In his anger and frustration at her announcement, he hated her - her nonchalance, her care-free attitude, her innocence. And he loved her for it, wished he could co-opt it, make it his own. But he couldn’t. He had responsibility now. He had duty. There were expectations. He was, in a manner of speaking, a parent. Good Lord! He felt the weight of all of it and it owned him.
"I destroy nothing. I just re-arrange things. They all get sucked back up to the sky eventually, anyway. Just so they can fall again and create more new worlds, new possibilities."
"The rain," she continued, with a smirk and haughty attitude, "only knows that it must fall. It has no intent. It seeks no path." She was mocking him and his teachings. "But on the ground, well, that is another matter. Raindrops form puddles, congregate together and await the jumps of little girls, and the chance to fall again. Play and discovery and experience is what they are about."
"Humph."
Peter stopped. He stared ahead, unblinking. They were at the end of the road. Others from town were standing along the beach and lining the pier, those brave enough and not in denial, anyway. Sadie the grocer was there, crying. "This is the end of the world," her voice loud and clear.
Others joined in – "It is!", "Hear dat", "Truth spoken, Sadie" – trying to convince themselves of the truth before them, heads nodding, mumbling.
Hovering over the water in front of them was a ship. Just hovering, a whisper of a hum from its anti-gravity engines. It had a slick white surface, no visible windows. The side opened and a walkway extended to the pier.
"So, this is it," Peter shook his head, dismayed. "Stupid orphan."
"This is it, angry old man."
They laughed at their inside joke.
"You going to the stars in that?"
Lilith smiled. "That puddle-jumper? No. The big ship is up there. In space."
Peter scratched his head. "I think I understand."
They said their goodbyes. Peter ignored the questions of the crowd of people. On the walk home there were a couple of puddles still remaining from the previous days’ rains. He jumped towards one of them, landed two footed – SPLASH! He laughed. Another world, he thought, rearranged.