For 2023, my short stories of the month were at least 1500 words. However, this year I struggled to keep up with getting them written by the end of the month! Next year will be better! Here are the stories for 2023:
No Bounds
January 2023’s short story of the month He had trouble walking, trouble standing up, trouble buttering his toast. But his mind was as sharp as ever. He had this amazing way with trivia. He could tell you the atomic weight of every element on the periodic table. He could name every bone and muscle in…
Disconnect
February 2023’s short story of the month I know most people find the beach relaxing. But when I’m standing there on the shore at high tide, watching the effect the moon has on the great oceans of the world, I find myself wondering what effect it has on my insides, which are more than half…
Girl on Fire?
March 2023 short story of the month (super late) It had been more than two weeks since the fire, but the stink of it was still in her hair, on her skin. She took long showers twice a day, but the smell lingered. When she closed her eyes at night, the images came back to…
The Hidden Circus
(April 2023’s short story of the month… I know, I know… sooooooo late) A group of young men strolled down the street as if they were training to be secret agents. It was the kind of town most young people dreamed of escaping, where everyone had their own private fantasy. Some might have ideas about…
The Last Asteroid Mining Job
May 2023’s short story of the month I wanted to believe him. I really did. But I had trusted him before, and it hadn’t worked out that well. So now when he assured me that this was the last job, I didn’t believe him. We’ve been here too many times for me to count. Despite…
The Truth About David
June 2023’s short story of the month “I’m not making excuses. But I have my reasons, and there’s a difference. What else was I supposed to do when all that gold was just sitting there? How could I not take some? I needed it.” The young man paused and looked up from the table. “Are…
The Body Negotiation
July 2023’s short story of the month As a servant, Tammy was used to saying, “Yes, Ma’am,” and “Of course, Miss.” So, she was as surprised as anyone else when she said, “Go screw yourself, Lisa.” Lisa was Tammy’s boss, so that statement was going to end with her being fired. As soon as she…
The Family that Travels Together
August 2023’s short story of the month Sally was a half hour late, which I guess was a half hour early by her standards. She operated on her own clock, lived in her own world. Which explains how she missed the shuttle. She would have to wait another month to join us at the space…
Geckin of ISP9
September 2023’s short story of the month They didn’t have to like her as long as they forgot her. She had read studies about that: how people can deal with being disliked, but they can’t deal with being ignored. And for far too long, Tara had been ignored. The only thing people noticed about her…
Ghosts With Demands
October 2023’s short story of the month My options were dwindling by the minute. Right or wrong, I had to do something I couldn’t just wait this one out. I told my secretary to cancel all my appointments for the afternoon and slipped out the back door and into the alley. And sure enough, waiting…
Earth vs Humans
November 2023’s short story of the month “Galileo was put on trial and spent the last years of his life in prison for suggesting that the earth revolved around the sun. We think we have a pretty good idea of how the universe works now, but what if we don’t? What if we’re wrong? What…
Love is a Battlefield
December 2023’s short story of the month It was strange to sit up in bed and smell the coffee coming from the kitchen and realize I wasn’t the first person up. I liked the idea of a hot cup of coffee waiting for me downstairs. But for so long it had been my kitchen and…
Still Working on My Novel 