A woman is plagued by a mysterious horde of zombie-like beings who create a strange zone of bad luck and fluke events. This is an odd story that drops you into the…
Category: Story a Day 2022
“A Lingering Guest” by Jane Barlow
A woman returns from the States to visit her grandmother in Ireland, and is tricked into returning with her young cousin. This is a nice, sentimental little tale with a roguish wit…
“The Quest” by Leland Bardwell
A woman visits the baby she gave up, now a middle-aged man, and is surprised at his art. This is the first story in Sinead Gleeson’s “The Art of the Glimpse” anthology,…
“Alexandra Lost” by Simon Strantzas
A woman who is fearful of traveling is overcome with dread and anxiety upon her first visit to the ocean. Like most of the stories in this collection, this one balances mundane…
“The Terrific Mr. Toucan” by Simon Strantzas
A woman’s ruminations about her estranged daughter may have undone a magic show that her husband takes her to on her birthday. This feels a bit like “Our Town’s Talent” from the…
“So Late in the Day” by Claire Keegan
On what would have been his wedding day if he weren’t such a jerk, a man has a depressing evening at home. This is a beautifully written story that perfectly captures the…
“Darcy’s Patent Automic Nanny” by Ted Chiang
A scientist is forced to reconsider the implications of his efforts to rehabilitate his father’s invention when its effects on his own son become clear. Told in the form of a brief…
“Exhalation” by Ted Chiang
A race of pneumatically-powered androids must come to terms with the fact that their very consciousness is built upon the variation in air pressure in their universe, and that the inevitable equilibrium…
“The King’s Teacup a Rest” by Michael Andreasen
The King of Retired Amusements takes possession of Liebling’s Sunday Morning Carnival and Midway, and is undone by expired hot dogs and faulty rides while his entourage pursue their own quests. A…
“What’s Expected Of Us” by Ted Chiang
A toy triggered by future actions proves that there is no free will, resulting in despair and catatonia. Less a story than a thought experiment with terrible implications; and it’s more than…