Discussion -- 75 Word Challenge -- June

[TheDustyZebra]

It could very well be that it started when I upgraded to IE9, or when I got my laptop which I think came with IE9. I'll try posting my next story from Firefox and see what happens then.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

It could very well be that it started when I upgraded to IE9, or when I got my laptop which I think came with IE9. I'll try posting my next story from Firefox and see what happens then.

To be honest, TDZ, I don't know why you aren't using a different web browser as it is. IE is rather...notorious.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Hmm ... habit, I guess.

I posted this month's story from work, on Safari, but I didn't copy and paste it, just typed it into the box.

 

[Glen]

My fave stories were...

Daddies Fix Everything - Lilmizflashythang - loved the dialogue and the carefully selected verbs, the child captures the theme vividly.
The Soprano - stevietee - economical evocation of culture and situation, sense of lost innocence in more than one sense.
Absence of Essence - Starbeast - conjures up great pictures, funny, clever, picks up the theme, wrestles it and throws it down in triumph.
Disposal - High Eight - it makes you think.
Like A Lamb… - mosaix - liked the mash-up of themes, each shedding a fresh light on the other, and liked the ellipsis.
The Caper - kiffinyjean - great atmosphere, lol funny (Most foully "sparkling").
ORIGINS - StormFeather - I think a similar question I had in mind with my own story - are we condemned to repeat our inhumanity...

I think my favourite is Daddies Fix Everything - Lilmizflashythang - you have my vote and my thanks.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I found it hard this month, so there's something new. My shortlist:

Luighlin - inflatable ingrid proved hard to forget
Hopewrites
Highlander - I liked the Sims reference and the casual off button
Hilarious Joke
The Judge
But in the end I went for Apello's Beggars, because I thought it was clever and a complete story.

 

[Hex]

I liked a lot of the stories (Brev's was wonderful and touching; Azzagorn's, Boneman's, Moonbat's and Luiglin's made me giggle; HareBrain's was shuddersome* (again!); rj dando's was poignant and so well written; Vertigo's was really clever -- I loved the 1984 reference; I also really admired the stories by Appello, kiffyjean, TDZ, Parson, Grimbear, TJ and Ursa (!))

I voted for StilLearning and his/ her Abomination. I loved the pace of the story and the character voice.



* So horrible I made up a terrible new word to describe it.

 

[Perpetual Man]

And a mad dash at the finish -


Kaal – Never trust a child called Alice. There is always a dark undercurrent. There is an nebulous nature to this one, that to me at least hints of momentous things. Does Alice instigate the déjà vu controlling the situation to get what she wants, or is there something more, reality repeating?

TDZ – An interesting take on Jack the Ripper – at least that is what I’m guessing. Although the idea of Jack being an alien has been done before, what I loved about this one is the fact that he had been plaguing other worlds here, and that even though he had been found guilty, money was enough to get him free. Of course stuck on a backwater world might cause him a few problems when it came to escaping...

Azzagorn – Ahh, in many ways a simple story it is still one with a strong emotional core and a nice bit of gentle humour. The fact that no one is innocent could be considered frightening especially for those who believe they are, but the end of the story with the little girl is touching, but the last line just steals the show!

phileomiomai – I wasn’t sure what to make of this one until the end, and then it came with an emotional wrench. Luring something in, is well described giving a feeling of peace and serenity, but the brutality of the ending is spectacular and heart-wrenching to say the least. The second unicorn to get it this month. Poor things.

Stormcrow – the grim truth of immortality is also what is considered its blessing. To those who believe that living forever would be a good thing consider the warning here. If you cannot die what then when things become too much and you want it all to end but can’t? Being imprisoned until the end of your days just would never... end.

Bob – Uh oh need to look something up.... ahhh, strange story this which is probably why it works so well. A man hit by something in the past wakes up in his future. The how’s and why’s of his travelling are not mentioned and that is what makes it work, a mysterious disconnected feel and there is just enough description given to let us see how discombobulated the protagonist in a, to him, very strange future.

Grimbear – any tale that starts with the words ‘Dear Grandma’ you know is going to be filled with innocence, but this one gives the reader a glimpse at a different world while at the same time being filled with the wonder and innocence of a child. Very clever piece.

Alcubierre Warp – What a wonderful, yet dark tale. It leads you one way and then another. A crew on a space ship? A cabin in the woods or of the spaceship? A palpable threat? Or something else. In the end it seems to be little more than children scared of an abusive parent, but the end might solve the problem, but open up another.

TJ – Perhaps one of the oldest stories of innocence lost, told here with some style and humour. There was certainly the sense of a man trying to get out of something, I can’t help but feel if there was true love involved he would have stood by here all the way. The tale was never going to end well, but the words at the end said it all. The apple did not even taste nice.

Ursa – Very clever title. It was almost worth just reading that. But a rather grim tale, no scented perfumes and the like in this church, just the cloying scent of the innocent consumed by flames. If you want your clery to feel forever guilty, this is certainly going to do it.

Cul – The last of the month and it’s a cracker. The life of a soldier who fights for his king. You never get to see the weight that it might put upon the shoulders of such a person, but here we do, the actual joy of him having a female child and his feelings are enough to show how much it can help knowing that she should never walk the same path.


No vote yet, but I've a ready made not so short list:

Memory Tale
Springs
Karn
StilLearning
PM
Brev
Aun
Vertigo
TSP
HJ
Stormy
Kaal
Stormcrow
Grimbear
TJ
Cul

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the short-listing, Hex.


And the exclamation mark (I think).

 

[Hex]

And the exclamation mark (I think).

It was the good kind of exclamation mark -- your story shocked me (as it was intended to).

 

[Ursa major]

I'm so glad the exclamation mark wasn't cense... er... censorious.

 

[Brev]

I liked a lot of the stories (Brev's was wonderful and touching;

Thanks to you and Perp for the mentions.

I'm not even close to deciding on a short list yet; think I need to read them all again. Twice. Just need to fetch coffee and biscuits, and that's Sunday afternoon all sorted.

 

[nixie]

Shortlist, TE, Moonbat, Hopewrites, Boneman, Cul, and would you Adam and Eve it the winner is TJ.

 

[stevietee]

The Soprano - stevietee - economical evocation of culture and situation, sense of lost innocence in more than one sense.

Thanks for the short list Glen - my first one, ever!

Haven't had the chance to read through all the entries yet, so not got my short list prepared. I'm needed to help sort out the loft this afternoon so might be a while till I can find a quiet time to go through them all. Life - it just gets in the way of The Chrons!

 

[kaal]

@Perpetual Man: Thanks for the short listing.

Now I really have to go and re-read the lot (actually read the last couple for the firsttime).
Oh, what an arduous job for a Sunday afternoon...

 

[Hex]

Life - it just gets in the way of The Chrons!

That's the spirit

 

[r_j_dando]

Thank you to Hex for the mention!

I have a shortlist (real life is being a b**** right now, so I am struggling a bit)...

Karn
Hex
Highlander
Brev
Perp
Hilarious Joke

My vote goes to Hilarious Joke - a ver poignant ending to a bloody rule, listening to the laughter of innocents. Very well done.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Can a moderator PM if there is one around. Made a bit of a boo boo

 

[Vertigo]

My imagination is going wild Perp!

And thanks to both you and Hex for the mentions!

I've still to do a bit or re-reading before I have my shortlist ready.

 

[crystal haven]

This is my shortlist:

Luiglin – What’s the world coming to ...
Springs – Mummy’s Boys
Gary Compton – There is no innocence, only Karma ...
Moonbat – The Governortron
Apello – The price we pay
Kaal – Childish Game
TheDustyZebra – Making a killing
The Judge – Knowledge gained = innocence lost
Culhwch – Already lost

And my vote: Ratsy – Life is a piece of pie


And thank you very much, RcGrant, for voting for mine.

 

[Perpetual Man]

My imagination is going wild Perp!

And thanks to both you and Hex for the mentions!

I've still to do a bit or re-reading before I have my shortlist ready.

My pleasure and let you imagination run, thanks to one of our stupendous moderators the situation has been resolved.

R J many thanks for the mention