***OCTOBER 2021 SCIENCE FICTION MICROSTORY CONTEST (Critiques Only)***

[Thaddeus]

To help polish our skills and present a flavour 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 goodreads (GR) 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.

4) You have until midnight EST on the 22nd day of the month to post your story to the GR 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 send me a single private vote (via GR or to author.jotrussell@gmail.com) for a story other than their own. This vote will be made public once voting is closed. Voting, and reading each story before 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 you 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 GR and the LI Sci-Fi group.

8) For each month, there will be three discussion threads:

a) Stories - For the stories and the contest results only.

b) Comments - For discussions about the stories and contest. Constructive criticism is okay, but please avoid any spoilers about the stories or degrading comments directed towards any individuals. If you want to suggest a change to the contest, feel free to start a discussion about the idea before making a formal motion. If another member seconds a motion, a vote can be held. I will abstain from voting, but will require a strong two-thirds majority to override my veto.

c) Critiques - Each member can provide at most one critique per story, with a single rebuttal by the author to thank the critic and/or comment to offer the readers the mind set of the story to account for issues raised by the critique. Critiques should be of a professional and constructive manner. 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, I will post the new contest threads.


Jot Russell
Contest Creator/Director

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OCTOBER THEME: Seeds and Mystery - how you choose to interpret these two elements is up to you. It is October, so if you decide horror is your thing, you now have everything you need...

But in case you need a bit more challenge, here are a few elements you can add to spice things up.

OCTOBER ELEMENTS can include:

• Rule-breaking: Rules are for weaklings, break every rule you can up to and including social taboos like imprisoning the innocent, channeling spirits or even necromancy, but remember to be tasteful if you can't be tasty...

• Mad Science - the madder the better, remember our holiday inspiration, Mary Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein. Try and make him blush.

• A rival - no story of mad science is complete without a rival. Do you have to hate him or them? Maybe. But do you really mean it?

Remember, you don't have to use them all, unless you are into torture...

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This should be a wide enough array of parameters for a host of stories.

I know we usually specify "science fiction" but I would like to again open the gates to "speculative fiction." Meaning stories can range across the spectrum of the fantastical from humble magical realism to star-spanning space opera.

I am honored to bring this month's contest to you, again.

Good luck!

[Jot]

Tom, that was brilliant! The scene, the creature, the characters, their subtle interactions, the words, the expansion of the scope of the story into history, all to the powerful ending. Perfect!

[Jot]

Jack, I was compelled to read the story once I saw the title, "The Weight". It was a few years back, listening to the words of Robbie Robertson from The Band, when I realized he was talking about people heading off to die. "Carmen said, I gotta go, but friend [The Devil] can stick around."

As for your story, I feel it was poetically and spiritually your best work. Some many strong statements such as "those bent toward belief fiercely protect their version of it." Incredible.

[Tom]

Jot wrote: "Tom, that was brilliant! The scene, the creature, the characters, their subtle interactions, the words, the expansion of the scope of the story into history, all to the powerful ending. Perfect!"

Thank you, Jot! Very flattering.

[Tom]

Jot wrote: "Jack, I was compelled to read the story once I saw the title, "The Weight". It was a few years back, listening to the words of Robbie Robertson from The Band, when I realized he was talking about p..."

Seconded. I loved it, too. The opening sequence was a brilliantly poetic and beautiful use of visual metaphor. The small town closeness and melancholy of it all reminded me of Bradbury.

[Tom]

"Seedling" by Jot Russell

An inventively futuristic tale of humanity transcending mortality, and then transcending Earth.

It begins with a vivid description of transfer of human consciousness from original body to android host, then delivers a witty George Burnes-esque monologue and leads into an interstellar colonization voyage which culminates in a tense space chase, a suspenseful cliffhanger, a clever escape and a satisfying conclusion.

Minor suggestions:

I would have spent less time on tech explanation and historical expository on the opening paragraph, focusing more on sensory reaction. Maybe, starting with the second paragraph, leaving more room for character definition and development.

Overall, quite enjoyable.

[Jack]

Tom wrote: "Jot wrote: "Jack, I was compelled to read the story once I saw the title, "The Weight". It was a few years back, listening to the words of Robbie Robertson from The Band, when I realized he was tal..."



Thanks, guys

[Jack]

Sorry for the short replies. I am traveling and get back this evening. Limited internet access.