Monday, October 30, 2006

Very, Very Short Stories

Rather than talk about Richard Dawkins' Theophobia, as captured at length in the latest edition of WIRED magazine, and which is just as knee-jerk as the caricatures of "faith" that he sets up, I'm posting about WIRED's Very Short Stories. (Oops, that comment on Dawkins just slipped out.) So, about these "Very Short Stories..."
We'll be brief: Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work. So we asked sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers from the realms of books, TV, movies, and games to take a shot themselves.

Dozens of our favorite auteurs put their words to paper, and five master graphic designers took them to the drawing board. Sure, Arthur C. Clarke refused to trim his ("God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist."), but the rest are concise masterpieces.

And some of them really are. Here are my favorites:
The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly.
- Orson Scott Card

Wasted day. Wasted life. Dessert, please.
- Steven Meretzky

Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.
- Joss Whedon

Inspired by these masters of Very Short Fiction, I decided to try my hand. Here's what happened.
He drank it! She watched, waiting...

Wolf howling? Last night? In here?

Dragons? Please. They're only large rept-

Really, this is harder than it looks! I'm hoping a few of you will show me up give it a shot in the comments.

Filed in:
at

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:06 PM

    It's not very original, but funny nonetheless.

    - Where are the corn tortillas? Oh, there they are.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Will Robison4:52 PM

    God does not exist. Lightning struck.

    or

    KU win it all? Not really.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Charles Churchill8:12 AM

    Children eating, smile. Goblins smiling, wait.

    Wife, come to graveyard, bring children.

    Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny? God says, "No"

    This message is real. You're not.

    Meme enters mind. Replicates. Transforms society.

    The dragon frames a question. Answer?

    Empty house. Blood drops. "Carol?" ... Silence.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tim P.9:31 AM

    this is 10 words long, and not original--I'm co-opting it from Eliot's Gerontion. But nonetheless:

    The word within a word, unable to speak a word.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oneway the Herald11:14 AM

    I limped through Death's door.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:07 PM

    The squirel spies his victim as the mime begins to sing...


    I know this doesn't really work, but it's what developed in my mind as soon as I read these comments.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AJ9:57 AM

    You guys are good. I might have to do this again, with more fanfare. On the other hand, I've been spending too much time laying awake at night, trying to fit an eight-word story into six words... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tom Spann8:45 PM

    I don't think this quite fits the topic, but I'll post it while I'm thinking of a 6-word story...

    "No amount of prose can illuminate the beauty distilled in a rose."

    ReplyDelete
  9. Charles Churchill8:37 AM

    one more from me, just for fun...

    Taste my silver blade werewolf!!! ... Aluminum?!?!

    ReplyDelete

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