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PrintJoin the Six-Word Science Fiction Story Vine!!!!!
News Type: Opinion — Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:48 PM EDT
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I've been writing a lot about six-word science fiction stories on my publishing site this week.
You see, Wired magazine hired a few of the best science fiction writers in the whole world, making them write little bitty six-word science fiction stories. Shortest fiction, if you will.
Anyway, here's my six-word story: Exhausted writer flees on lovely rocketship
I think everybody should chip in with a short short short science fiction story. It's like doing push-ups with your brain. And more importantly, we can publish the world's smallest anthology and retire to some tropical island with the proceeds.
48 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
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{"commentId":352024,"authorDomain":"fgerbowski"}
I shot the mime; he yelled.
I let go, forgetting the parachute.
I warped time, now I'm invincible.
I dove into the empty pool.
Loose tooth, tied to doorknob - SLAM
{"commentId":352024,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"fgerbowski"}
- 4 votes
#51 - Sun Oct 29, 2006 9:27 PM EST{"commentId":352116,"authorDomain":"fgerbowski"}
Sorry, realized afterward they weren't all science fiction.
{"commentId":352116,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"fgerbowski"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":352196,"authorDomain":"ansab"}
"Ansab and Calvin crawl in bed"
Yes, we did, I think that title's not fiction anymore. And if you were wondering, yes, they're real. And they're spectacular.
{"commentId":352196,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"ansab"}
- 5 votes
#52 - Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:04 AM EST{"commentId":352779,"authorDomain":"eSantiago"}
Giant Evil Robots! Run for your...
{"commentId":352779,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"eSantiago"}
- 5 votes
#53 - Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:22 PM EST{"commentId":352929,"authorDomain":"eSantiago"}
They've overwhelming numbers! We surrender: Earth.
{"commentId":352929,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"eSantiago"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":353097,"authorDomain":"saturdayplace"}
He watched the last rocket leaving.
Mike unplugged, and got outta bed.
"Just got back... yea, twenty lightyears."
Jill woke. She'd been asleep decades.
{"commentId":353097,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"saturdayplace"}
- 4 votes
#54 - Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:29 PM EST{"commentId":353101,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
Ender sighed: Not Xenocide again!
{"commentId":353101,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 4 votes
#55 - Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:32 PM EST{"commentId":353114,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Jill was awakened by Mike's Kiss.
Oh, sorry ... this was not supposed to be a love story. But, who knows what Jill looked like after sleeping for several decades. Sci-fi just might be warranted.
{"commentId":353114,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
#56 - Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:41 PM EST{"commentId":354006,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
With this kiss I pass the key
{"commentId":354006,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 3 votes
#57 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:28 AM EST{"commentId":354107,"authorDomain":"vicaxp"}
Machanical machinations make malevolent musings; mistake!
{"commentId":354107,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"vicaxp"}
- 3 votes
#58 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:21 AM EST{"commentId":354116,"authorDomain":"jizzz"}
Fantasy game is over. Reality bites.
{"commentId":354116,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"jizzz"}
- 5 votes
#59 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:26 AM EST{"commentId":354278,"authorDomain":"jasonboog"}
Awwww geeze. I don't want it to end!
{"commentId":354278,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"jasonboog"}
- 3 votes
#60 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:07 AM EST{"commentId":354596,"authorDomain":"nck"}
It is never over. Is it?
{"commentId":354596,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
#61 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:32 PM EST{"commentId":354867,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
The fat lady sings?
{"commentId":354867,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 3 votes
#62 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:32 PM EST{"commentId":354907,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Nooooo! Not the infamous fat lady?
{"commentId":354907,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":354959,"authorDomain":"jasonboog"}
Not with a bang; a whimper.
{"commentId":354959,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"jasonboog"}
- 5 votes
#63 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:06 PM EST{"commentId":374875,"authorDomain":"celestina"}
My favourite poem ever, boiled down.
Thanks. *smile*
{"commentId":374875,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"celestina"}
{"commentId":354994,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Comment 66 is missing one 6.
{"commentId":354994,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
#64 - Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:22 PM EST{"commentId":356155,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
Hey guys!
We'll soon be able to start a six word story group!
Or - at least one for word-play...
Anyone interested?
{"commentId":356155,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 5 votes
#65 - Wed Nov 1, 2006 4:15 AM EST{"commentId":356245,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Count me in! Sounds like fun. I have really enjoyed this little interaction. Thanks Jason...
{"commentId":356245,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":356353,"authorDomain":"djd"}
In a previous existence, when I was editing a small-circulation magazine, we ran a drabble competition. A drabble is a story that had to be exactly fifty words long (hyphenated words will be argued about). It was a good length contribution as a space filler, plus something easy to write.
{"commentId":356353,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":356382,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Eeewww, djd ...
That sounds like fun and "challenging"! Along with the hyphenated words, what about ... oh, words like y'all, you're, we'll and the like? Would those be considered 1 or 2 words? Or is that debatable too?
{"commentId":356382,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":356390,"authorDomain":"djd"}
Think those are accepted as single words NC, but could all be argued about! My last post may have been a drabble!?
{"commentId":356390,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":356416,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Well, it's a.m. here djd, so no question is a dumb question (in the morning anyway), right? Which post are you referring to ... as your last one?
I think it is funny that Monty Python created the whole "drabble" concept. Look what he started ... what a guy!
{"commentId":356416,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":356465,"authorDomain":"jasonboog"}
{"commentId":356482,"authorDomain":"nck"}
I totally agree. It could possibly get the creative juices flowing ... how refreshing would that be?
{"commentId":356482,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":356487,"authorDomain":"djd"}
@NC 67.2 is 50 words if the hyphenated bit counts as one - but I see from the net that they've changed the definition of a Drabble and 50 words is now a half-Drabble (100 is now the new norm.) Call me old fashioned, but I kind of liked 50.
{"commentId":356487,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":356500,"authorDomain":"nck"}
@ djd
I had to go back and count all the words in #67.2 and you would be correct, kind sir.
When Monty started it all, was it 50 words? And, we can make up our own rules as we go along. Whatcha think?
{"commentId":356500,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
#66 - Wed Nov 1, 2006 10:03 AM EST{"commentId":356539,"authorDomain":"djd"}
Monty Python seem to have spawned the name, rather than the exact format. The rules for Drabbles seem to come from University of Birmingham - now that's interesting, as one of the people who helped with the magazine got his degree there. Maybe he gave us the idea in the first place. In which case maybe 100 was always correct and it's just my defective memory telling me 50.
Sure, we can come up with a new format all together. Lay down some rules and give it a name. If I remember right, Birmingham University published several books of Drabbles for charity. You can get a lot of Drabbles in a book and everyone who gets one published will buy a copy...
{"commentId":356539,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":356676,"authorDomain":"nck"}
There he (Mr. Python) goes ... spawning stuff! What a wild and crazy guy! Oh, sorry ... that's Steve Martin, I think.
As for the format, maybe we could just "spawn" one of our own. Heck, we can even give it a new name if we choose to, LOL. No holds barred!
{"commentId":356676,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
#67 - Wed Nov 1, 2006 11:17 AM EST{"commentId":358346,"authorDomain":"djd"}
What about if it were 99 words long, had to contain a number, started and ended in the same word, and a foreign phrase or word would be sine qua non? I prefer an odd number of words as one always gives flowers in odd numbers; the reason being that they arrange much more easily. Perhaps it should also contain an ambiguous sentence such as: She opened the door in her nightdress. Then we'd need a name for it, preferably arty and obscure: Bierstadt, Blacklock, Gimse, Faust, Chariot-Dayez, Wilder, Samuelson, as examples, or something else; I can't think what.
{"commentId":358346,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":358389,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
@ djd
I personally think that it should also contain at least one reference to an aardvark
{"commentId":358389,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":358391,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
...and at least two obscure words that no one can pronounce
{"commentId":358391,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":358504,"authorDomain":"djd"}
A sort of nuclear aardvark shibboleth! Sounds good - we'll soon have a swiss army knife of a story format :-)
{"commentId":358504,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":358726,"authorDomain":"nck"}
You 2 are talkin' now! Aardvark? Hey, that's the 1st word in the dictionary isn't it? Don't have one handy, but what is the last word? Maybe include 1st & last .... hummmmm
{"commentId":358726,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":358809,"authorDomain":"djd"}
The cheap dictionary in the office says zucchini.
{"commentId":358809,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":358988,"authorDomain":"djd"}
... but I've just had a chance to research it - OED gives: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 42 letters, a representation of snoring, but failing that: ZZYZXENSIS a bombyliid fly.
{"commentId":358988,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":359078,"authorDomain":"nck"}
ZZYZXENSIS a bombyliid fly
Is that really in the dictionary? It is not in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. Please direct me to your leader ...
{"commentId":359078,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":359085,"authorDomain":"djd"}
{"commentId":359085,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":359166,"authorDomain":"nck"}
{"commentId":359166,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":359185,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Wow ... here's the link to the 1st page. Very interesting website! It is now added to my favorites list
The whole Collection
{"commentId":359185,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":359196,"authorDomain":"djd"}
Useful stuff. It's funny what one finds while looking for soemthing else.
{"commentId":359196,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":359225,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Hey ... We really are "Getting Smarter Here", LOL
{"commentId":359225,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":358036,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
Spaceship lands on Whitehouse, issues ticket.
Alien devours President, communicates via digestion.
Instrument allows flowers speech, not happy.
Space snails, universal delicacy, finally arrive.
Intergalactic hippys, inhale earth, bad trip.
Whales unveil awesome armory, tables turned.
Lightning sentient, seeks humans, golf redefined.
Intergalactic breast approaches, humans ga ga.
{"commentId":358036,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
- 7 votes
#68 - Wed Nov 1, 2006 11:22 PM EST{"commentId":358931,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
None of the above may be written on napkins and sold as initial developments to jaded producers without my consent and mandatory employ as ludicrousity consultant plus 1% of gross.
{"commentId":358931,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
{"commentId":367064,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
8 Holy pitches, so little time
{"commentId":367064,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":358101,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
Six word stories are too lengthy.
I've no attention span for this.
Peace finally achieved, chaos soon ensues.
{"commentId":358101,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
- 4 votes
#69 - Thu Nov 2, 2006 12:21 AM EST{"commentId":358188,"authorDomain":"ansab"}
Proud Precocious Pandas Promiscuously Prance Perilously
{"commentId":358188,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"ansab"}
- 6 votes
#70 - Thu Nov 2, 2006 2:46 AM EST{"commentId":358736,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Headlines Read: Science Project Gone Awry
Earth Was Created; Student Gets F
{"commentId":358736,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 3 votes
#71 - Thu Nov 2, 2006 11:30 AM EST{"commentId":359323,"authorDomain":"rutty"}
Genome changed. Now, we're all similar.
I think freely - I think not.
Lost in space. No way home.
Dark matter escapes, creates unexpected anomaly.
Dehumanised cyborg becomes humanity's saviour. Hurrah!
{"commentId":359323,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"rutty"}
- 2 votes
#72 - Thu Nov 2, 2006 3:43 PM EST{"commentId":361627,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
Just landed. Hungry. Want to mate.
{"commentId":361627,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
- 5 votes
#73 - Fri Nov 3, 2006 5:04 PM EST{"commentId":366411,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Having an old friend for dinner?
{"commentId":366411,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 5 votes
#74 - Mon Nov 6, 2006 6:24 PM EST{"commentId":366418,"authorDomain":"djd"}
With fava beans and some chianti?
{"commentId":366418,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"djd"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":366478,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
A fine whine: Let me out!
{"commentId":366478,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":366495,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Trapped in Dungeon; Incapable of Mating
{"commentId":366495,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":366550,"authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
He slowly assembles a human suit.
{"commentId":366550,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"tigerblade"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":366559,"authorDomain":"nck"}
He dances about with pierced nipples ...
Will she get the hose again?
{"commentId":366559,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":367170,"authorDomain":"jizzz"}
Nothing happens for a while. Then.....
{"commentId":367170,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"jizzz"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":367351,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Things become DARK! Enters the Savior ...
{"commentId":367351,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":367063,"authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
The Chosen likes a ceremony
{"commentId":367063,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"Sarcophilus"}
- 2 votes
#75 - Tue Nov 7, 2006 5:11 AM EST{"commentId":367361,"authorDomain":"nck"}
Blood flows freely at the altar...
{"commentId":367361,"threadId":"50453","contentId":"417480","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 2 votes
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