A strange encounter at a pub shuttered during the pandemic causes the publican to reflect on the role his pub has played in his town’s social life, particularly as related to class…
Category: Story a Day 2022
“Where I’m Calling From” by Raymond Carver
Stories are shared on New Year’s Eve at Frank Martin’s drying-out house. A classic Carver story, meandering and poignant, with a good deal of humor to buoy the brokenness. I listed to…
“The Terminal Island” by J.G. Ballard
A man tormented by his past hides on an island that had been used for nuclear weapons testing. This story has a post-apocalyptic feeling, even though the nuclear devastation has been limited…
“Now: Zero” by J. G. Ballard
A man discovers that he has the power to write a description of a person’s death and have it come to pass. This feels like a particularly dark “Twilight Zone” episode, with…
“In the Space of 12 Minutes” by James Yu
While his wife is on a mission to Mars, an astronomer is assigned an android replica of her, which develops its own ambitions when both are making world-changing discoveries. This story starts…
“Two Truths and a Lie” by Sarah Pinsker
A woman who has fabricated much of her life since high school discovers a past she had forgotten about that throws everything into question. This is a strange and slippery tale, with…
“In the English Rain” by Steve Duffy
Two teenagers sneak into an abandoned mansion that was briefly owned by John Lennon and discover that an even more infamous and sinister former inhabitant still holds sway there. This is a…
“Contrition (1998)” by J.A.W. McCarthy
A mysterious film wreaks havoc on the audiences and employees at a run-down movie theater. This is a dark and disturbing little story with a great premise.
“We Do Like to Be Beside” by Pete W. Sutton
A day at the beach turns strange and terrifying. This one had me thinking of Borges’ “Circular Ruins” – the neighbor family’s father dreaming among the sand piles that represent their neighborhood…
“Scream Queen” by Nathan Ballingrud
Two interviewers discover that their subject, an aging woman who was featured in a notorious horror movie, harbors many dark and surprising secrets. This story does a good job of building a…