Speculative Dystopian Fiction by Chris Bunton The Antarctic research station was cold. Of course, it was, it’s the Antarctic. But they kept it cold on purpose. Sections of the complex were kept below freezing always. Other sections were kept at refrigerator temp.  Only the basic living areas were kept warmer for the human scientists, mechanics, engineers, technicians and maintenance people to be comfortable. Not that The Corporation cared about the people. It only cared about money and control. But it needed the human workers. For now. They were going to be replaced eventually with someth ..read more

Crime Fiction by Harold Hoss Part 1 Wednesday, 7:45pm 1 day, 3 hours, and 7 minutes Cassie wanted to cancel her zoom date fifteen minutes before it started, but she couldn’t think of an excuse. Excuses were another thing Covid had taken from everyone without warning last year. Now all she could do was text him and ask if they were still on for tonight. A Hail Mary text that, after a few seconds of bubbles where Cassie dared to dream, her date answered in the affirmative. Cassie sighed, got up off her couch and walked back to check her reflection in the mirror. This was a zoom call, so she hadn ..read more

Crime Fiction by David Hagerty Prisons evolve as slow as alligators and are about equally pliable. Some dudes I knew had spent decades locked up at San Felipe State, and in all that time they hadn’t seen the paint color change. We marked time on calendars, not digital clocks. The library still relied on a card catalogue rather than a computer database. The pay phones were still hardwired. And not even the turnkeys could bring in cells or smart watches. So when the guards started passing out computer tablets like trays at the mess hall, a lot of us old heads got suspicious. Some of the senior c ..read more

Flash Fiction by Charles Roberts “What do you like most about your wife, sir?” “What do I like most about my wife?  You mean Susanna?  Yes I suppose you must, as she is the only wife I have….  Mm….  Let me think….  I think her head. Yes, her head, she has one of those intelligent faces.  You know what I mean inspector?  You can sometimes look at someone and instantly know whether or not they are intelligent, some people look as though they couldn’t add two and two together and others….. just…. look…. intelligent, a bit like yourself inspector.  I look at ..read more

Crime Fiction by John RC Potter Cornelia Vanstone took great pride in herself in general, but particularly for the following three reasons: her prize-winning gingersnap cookies, a trim waistline despite being in her mid-seventies, and her success as the author of several romance novels, known for their titillating titles and historical settings. Although she had never married, it was not for the lack of interest; Cornelia had many suitors and a few marriage proposals over the years. However, Cornelia had decided early on that her professional life as an author was more important than the perso ..read more

Crime Fiction By Anthony Ventre Fabian and Joe Bottom just left. They split, both of them, a few minutes ago. A couple of creeps! Sniff! Sniff! Fabian’s cheap cologne permeates the curtains, my clothing, the entire cottage. Joe Bottom stood right over there by the china closet, lips slightly parted, baring his keyboard ivory teeth. Beside him, Fabian leaned against the wall cross-legged, his arm perched on the fireplace mantel. The flames from the fireplace cast a ghoulish light on his features. They’d come uninvited as they always did, just as I’d settled in for the night. I wanted them to hu ..read more

Crime Fiction By Tony Sweatland The cops showed up while Mickey was in surgery. Liz didn’t say much other than the basics. He tried to get me, we fought back. He shot at Mickey. Mickey shot back. They still had plenty of questions but they were understanding of the situation and made arrangements to talk later. It’s protocol for the cops to show up with gunshot wounds but they would’ve been here regardless in this case. Between the gunshots, the explosion, and the Donovan’s house wide open and riddled with blood and glass, they had to look into it. The doctors said Mickey would be fine. His dr ..read more

Speculative Fiction by Liz Lydic One by one, they came into his life and then went out. “No drama,” was the investment broker’s warning, and then, at the point of ending the relationship, was the reason for the final break. He’d drive to the girl’s residence under average circumstances; she, delighted in seeing him, would go in for a kiss. Placing his hand up to stop her, he’d point back to his double-parked expensive car and begin the quick untangling. “Too much drama,” he’d say, and the girl – tall and lean and sharp-angled, unmarked pale skin from head to toe, someone who came from money, a ..read more

Crime Fiction By Alex Finch (Graphic Content Warning) Most only know me as The Raiin Killer. Nobody knows who I am beneath the mask. Or that I’m almost always smiling. Well, I guess this journal is a tribute to my dead psychiatrist. She was a fighter until the end, I had to admire that. She always told me to keep two journals, one for good moments, one for bad. This is one of the few good moments. So, I’ll jot down everything I can recall. Good memories wash away like sand in the tides, you know. Let’s start with earlier last night. Let’s see, it was a school holiday, my target was in town, vi ..read more

True Crime By Chris Bunton Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most famous architects in the world. He lived and worked between 1867 and 1959. His works have inspired millions, but at the same time, his life had dark tragedies. I have been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright for quite some time, and try to visit his structures everywhere I travel. This time I got to visit his home in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The beauty of the site and the savagery of this tale contrast with each other. But, let’s go back to where this thread of Frank’s life started. He was young and working out of his studio in Oak Park ..read more