"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." – George R. R. Martin
A clerk for the ruling fascists presides over a warehouse of the personal effects and paperwork of the government’s victims with whom he can converse.
The Relationship of Ink to Blood by Alex Langer (2023) — 4,700 words (about 19 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Apex magazine issue #138, May 2023.
An unusual story told in the second person.
Timelock by Davian Aw (2023) — 5,620 words (about 23 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Clarkesworld magazine issue 202, July 2023.
This one may take you back to that old high school crush.
“Ain’t Houses, Ain’t Names” by Nino Cipri (2023) — 3,340 words (about 13 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in The Sunday Morning Transport, 16 July 2023.
An allegory for what technology is doing to so many of us today.
Loneliness Universe by Eugenia Triantafyllou (2024) — 8,173 words (about 32 for the average reader)
Originally published in Uncanny magazine issue #58, May/June 2024.
An unusual way to tell a story. Loved it!
Through Dreams She Moves by Tonya Liburd (2023) — 5,600 words (about 22 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Apex magazine issue 140, September 2023.
A classical tale of a difficult decision.
A Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry (1903) — 2,800 words (about 11 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published The Cosmopolitan Magazine, April 1903.
Continuing this week’s theme of AI, what happens to a robot that reaches the end of its useful life?
Cheaper to Replace by Marie Vibbert (2023) — 3,370 words (about 13 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Clarkesworld magazine issue 202, July 2023.
Is this where AI storytelling is taking us? I certainly hope not.
Tell Them a Story to Teach Them Kindness by B. Pladek (2025) — 4,146 words (about 16 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Lightspeed magazine issue #176, January 2025.
In our current culture saturated with AI claims of all sorts, this one is still relevant.
Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher (2020) — 7,368 words (about 29 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Uncanny Magazine Issue 36, September/October 2020.
A touching story of a mother caring for her teenage son with ALS.
Still Water by Zhang Ran translated from Chinese by Jay Zhang (2025) — 9,090 words (about 22 minutes for the average reader)
Originally published in Clarkesworld magazine issue #223, April 2025.