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Jim Dutton
Apr 13, 20244 min read
April Prompt: Meta-Sci-Fi
Theme: Write a science fiction story that refers to itself or breaks the fourth wall in some interesting way. Metafiction is a set of...
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Jim Dutton
Apr 7, 20242 min read
February Theme Prompt Winner
Editors' Choice Adrift by Randall Andrews is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for February/March. Last month's theme prompt,...
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Jim Dutton
Apr 1, 20242 min read
Embracing the Future: Sci-Fi Shorts Introduces New Editorial Team
Dear Sci-Fi Shorts Community, We are excited to announce a significant evolution in the way we bring you captivating science fiction...
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Jim Dutton
Mar 19, 20245 min read
March Prompt: Othering AI
Theme: Write a story about the complex relationships between humans and artificial intelligence as this new form of "life" assimilates...
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Gnerphk
Mar 16, 20242 min read
The Reader's Pick for February is...
"Fallstreak", with an impressive 29 votes! For the first time, our Editor's Choice and Reader's Pick both go to the same story -- a real...
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Jim Dutton
Mar 9, 20242 min read
January Theme Prompt Winner
Fallstreak by Dale E. Lehman Editors' Choice The January theme prompt, Weather Warnings, ended on February 15, with the final accepted...
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Jim Dutton
Feb 24, 20242 min read
Issue 2 of Flash Futures E-Zine is Out!
Issue 2 of Flash Futures is now available for sale on our website under the SHOP link at the top of the main page. If you are a...
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Jim Dutton
Feb 17, 20244 min read
February Prompt: On This Special Day
Theme: Write a story in which a special day plays an important role. A special day may be a holiday or a national observance of some sort...
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Gnerphk
Feb 10, 20242 min read
And the Reader's Pick for January is...
"Giblin's Scar", by Michael Barbato-Dunn "Giblin's Scar", with an impressive 25 votes! A huge congratulations to the talented author,...
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Jim Dutton
Feb 3, 20242 min read
Results for December Theme Prompt
Editors' Choice The December theme prompt, Treasures, Brightly Wrapped, ended on January 15 with the final accepted entry published on...
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Jim Dutton
Jan 27, 20242 min read
Announcing Our New E-Zine!
The editors at SFS have been working behind the scenes to design a new online publication that includes some of the most fascinating and...
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Jim Dutton
Jan 20, 20243 min read
January Prompt: Weather Warnings
Theme: Your challenge this month is to write a story in which the weather or climate is an important plot element. Our monthly theme...
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Gnerphk
Jan 15, 20242 min read
And the Reader's Pick for December is...
"Pigs and Prejudice", by Nina Miller! The readers have spoken, and their favorite story of the month, our Reader's Pick, goes to "Pigs...
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Jim Dutton
Jan 6, 20242 min read
Results for November Theme Prompt
Editors' Choice The November theme prompt, Feasts with the Beasts, ended on December 15 with the final accepted entry published on...
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Jim Dutton
Dec 29, 20232 min read
Are We There Yet?
It would be customary at this time of year to look back at the changes, events, and developments that occurred in the year 2023. Having...
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Jim Dutton
Dec 16, 20233 min read
December Prompt: Treasures, Brightly Wrapped
Theme: Your challenge this month is to write a story where the main character discovers something surprising about themselves. Something...
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Jim Dutton
Dec 2, 20232 min read
Results for October Theme Prompt
Editors' Choice The October theme prompt, Machine in the Ghost, was an enormous success! We received a bunch of fascinating,...
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Gnerphk
Nov 28, 20234 min read
How To Write For Sci-Fi Shorts: A Primer
Image Copyright 2023 - SFS Publishing LLC Writing for periodicals is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s also not for the faint of heart,...
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Jim Dutton
Nov 15, 20233 min read
November Prompt: Feasts with the Beasts
Theme: This month we’re looking ahead and behind at the same time. Did you ever hear how aliens gave the ancient Egyptians the blueprints...
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Jim Dutton
Oct 15, 20233 min read
October Prompt: Machine in the Ghost
Theme: We challenge you to write a piece of flash sci-fi in which mechanical or AI contrivances imitate, replace, or become someone who...
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Jim Dutton
Jul 10, 20233 min read
Mathematical Sci-Fi
Despite having an abiding interest (and a degree) in mathematics, I’ve never tried to write a science fiction story in which math plays a...
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Jim Dutton
Apr 25, 20233 min read
Historical Sci-Fi
“It’s terribly hard to see, and think clearly, about the long future, when the immediate present seems so violently pressing.” American...
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Jim Dutton
Feb 16, 20232 min read
First-Contact Sci-Fi
In the two weeks prior to this writing, the US has shot down four high-altitude flying objects, three of which are still unidentified....
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Jim Dutton
Jan 20, 20232 min read
Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
In the early 1950s, humanity realized that we could destroy all human life on the planet. This realization spurred the emergence of a new...
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