Editors' Choice:
"Lifetime Subscription" by Guy Lingham is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for July/August. Congratulations Guy!
Last month's theme prompt, This Mortal Coil, ended on August 15th, with the final accepted entry published on August 28th. There were twelve immortal stories about immortality and the advantages and disadvantages of living forever.
Our winning story this time is from a new writer for SFS. If you haven't already done so, Guy, we invite you to introduce yourself in the #intros channel of our Discord Server and chat with our other authors, members, and editors here at Sci-Fi Shorts.
Lifetime Subscription: A gripping tale of immortality gone wrong
In a world where wealth buys eternal life, one man's centuries-long indulgence is cut short when his fortune runs dry. Dragged from his lavish beach retreat, he faces the reality of an expiration date he never expected.
With overpopulation threatening society, those who can't keep their finances afloat are swiftly ushered toward a final fate. As he faces his impending demise, a last-minute twist grants him one more shot at immortality.
But with all the years behind him, does he even want it anymore? Explore the cost of living forever in this dark, satirical story of life, wealth, and second chances.
If you haven't read "Lifetime Subscription" yet, can you afford to live another lifetime without it? Support our SFS family and click the link below. Don't forget to give a rocket or five if you like it!
by
Honorable Mentions
The editors agree three other theme stories deserve mention this time as excellent examples of immortal sci-fi:
"Tree Feelings" by Randall Andrews
"Good Morning, Kendall" by James Hornick "Dedekind's Cut" by Jim Dutton
Of course, you should read all of this month's prompt stories to appreciate and enjoy the variety of ways our writers chose to treat this common theme. Here's a full list:
Title | Author | Release Date |
James Hornick | 08/27/24 | |
Guy Lingham | 08/21/24 | |
Jeff Currier | 08/28/24 | |
B.M. Gilb | 08/08/24 | |
Nina Miller | 08/01/24 | |
Randall Andrews | 08/14/24 | |
Nathan Krupa | 08/05/24 | |
Kellen Phillips | 08/06/24 | |
J. Millard Simpson | 07/26/24 | |
Keith 'Doc' Raymond | 08/26/24 | |
Rod Castor | 08/13/24 | |
Jim Dutton | 08/07/24 |
Next Theme Prompt
The next theme prompt, The Bogeyman Cometh, was announced on September 15 and will end at midnight on October 15. This one's a little different in that it asks you to consider a scary topic for many writers and creators these days: artificial intelligence. Alongside the usual theme stories written by our (presumably human) authors, we asked for a few additional entries written by one of the current flock of LLMs. This should be interesting, and in the spirit of Halloween, perhaps a little frightening as well.
To allow sufficient time to publish all the accepted theme stories before announcing the editors' choice, we ask you to please complete any necessary revisions within one week of receiving editorial comments.
If you are a subscriber to our site, you can click on that little rocket icon at the end of a story (up to five times) to express your appreciation to the author. Each month, we award a cash prize to the story that has the most rocket blasts.
You can read all of these amazing stories, plus a new one every weekday, for less than the cost of your next immortality treatment. And, by the way, a lifetime subscription to SFS is available! All you have to do is,
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