In April, I only suggested eleven (11) stories because I took a social media break from the 16th – 30th of April. The stories themselves were from all different authors and eight different markets, published between 1950 and April 2025.
Trolls of 34th Street by Derrick Boden was published at Trollbreath Magazine in 2024.
The line “The rest of them laugh, like bones in a well.” cinched this story for me.
Orion’s Belt published La Tulipe by Rose Jean Bostwick.
This poem twists and turns and you just have to hang on.
Fragmented by Eric Fomley was published at Wyldblood Flash Fiction Fortnightly in 2022.
A tragic flash story where our protagonist has to make a tough decision
PodCastle published Recipe: 1 Universe by Effie Seiberg in 2018.
How do you make a universe? It isn’t easy.
Inner Worlds published
Ghosting Begets Haunting, by Joelle Killian in March.
Psychodelics alter the brain and this story shows an experience of it.
Never Odd or Even, by Michael Bettendorf in March.
The use of repetition in this story drives home the point.
Diabolical Plots published
It’s Real Meat!™ by Kurt Pankau in 2021.
This story has one twist I saw coming and one twist I did not. Also, horrifying!
The Witches Who Drowned by R.J. Becks in January.
I loved this story about military money to do science and the discoveries that the ocean brings.
Emerge Literary Journal published Pyrocene by Shantell Powell this spring.
This one hit me right in the chest.
Twelve Things that Will Occur Immediately Following Your Invention of Teleportation by P.A. Cornell was published by Factor Four Magazine in April.
This is a cute and funny little teleportation listicle featuring Quark, a kitty.
There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury (1950)
It’s possible I read this when I was young. It’s a story where thee’s a whole unknown history, more questions than answers, and a terrible sadness to it all.
I hope you enjoyed these stories and poems. While there were only eleven of them, they were extremely good with lots of strong emotion.