Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #10

[Mr Orange]

And that's mine up.

I have no problem posting these challenges normally, but this month, I think I was actually daunted. The quality of entries so far has been through the roof, and for the first time I felt as though I could not reach the standard already set.

Congratulations to all for raising the bar so high.

I had trouble with the title for mine - I knew what I wanted, but translation programs had a field day with warping it when you tried to translate it back to English.

So it probably is nothing like it was meant to be...

But I'm sure you clever lot will get the gist of it

Don't think you needed to worry perp. Your story is superb.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks Mr Orange, kind words greatly appreciated

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Perpetual Man -- a somber vision of the future, seen from an unexpected viewpoint

 

[Perpetual Man]

Thank you Victoria

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

RoninJedi84 -- a grim tale of determination in the face of terrible circumstances

 

[Ursa major]

I thought I might add a joyful ode to this quarter's challenge, but I seem to have not quite managed this.

Ah, well. But at least I've managed to enter well before the closing date, which may or may not be something.

 

[Boneman]

Well, I read Victoria Silverwolf's entry, which was a bad mistake as it inhibited me from posting, because her's was so good, and it took until today to come up with another idea... I was actually quite relieved when I saw Ursa had posted as I assumed it must be the last day, and I'd got in ahead!

Now that I've posted, I've been back and read all the entries, and boy, am I glad I didn't do that before, or I'd have been completely inhibited. Some truly excellent stories, yet again. Thank goodness for three votes. Although seven would be nice this time around, as it's the seventh month in the year...

 

[Boneman]

i did of course mean 300 words, not 75..... couldn't see how to edit my post??

You have a certain amount of minutes after posting to edit - I think it's 30, but it could be 15...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Well, I read Victoria Silverwolf's entry, which was a bad mistake as it inhibited me from posting, because her's was so good, and it took until today to come up with another idea... I was actually quite relieved when I saw Ursa had posted as I assumed it must be the last day, and I'd got in ahead!

Now that I've posted, I've been back and read all the entries, and boy, am I glad I didn't do that before, or I'd have been completely inhibited. Some truly excellent stories, yet again. Thank goodness for three votes. Although seven would be nice this time around, as it's the seventh month in the year...

I felt rather that way having read your story, and was glad to have posted early.

 

[Boneman]

Thanks, Springs!

 

[Starbeast]

Perpetual Man - DEATH walks the desolate and ashen Earth, narrating as he strides through the empty dead world, while being shadowed by a murder of crows. Bone chilling story that reaps with grim awesomeness!

RoninJedi84 - In the midst of an alien occupation of Earth, a man risks his life to save his beloved family member. Magnificant intense drama that stirs emotions and warm's the heart. Good stuff!

Boneman - Exceedingly interesting idea, where a bird literally holds the balance of life and death within it's clawed feet. His kind heart doesn't want to end the world, but a child from the immoral humanity inadvertantly changes that. Very cool!

Moonbat - I was taken back by this completely unexpected colorful science fiction entry that is well written and highly discriptive. Truely, a tale of galactic proportions with cosmic imagary. Well done sir.

Ursa Major - Beware of strangers, is the moral of this fantastic science fiction tale. I enjoyed the paranoia, and the surprise ending of a coming alien invasion which was marvelously woven into this story.



Jeepers, only a few days left, and there is less than two pages filled with stories. I hope the challenge wasn't too hard to keep many people away. But than again, others may be busy with their lives and unable to participate.

I'll keep the fire beacon lit in the hopes more tales will arrive.

 

[Boneman]

Boneman - Exceedingly interesting idea, where a bird literally holds the balance of life and death within it's clawed feet. His kind heart doesn't want to end the world, but a child from the immoral humanity inadvertantly changes that. Very cool!



Jeepers, only a few days left, and there is less than two pages filled with stories. I hope the challenge wasn't too hard to keep many people away. But than again, others may be busy with their lives and unable to participate.

I'll keep the fire beacon lit in the hopes more tales will arrive.

Thanks so much for this, Starbeast, greatly appreciated. And I imagine there are a lot of loins being girded, ready to post before the deadline...

 

[Starbeast]

Boneman - You're welcome.

I'm sure a few more stories will be posted. With four days left, anything can happen.

However, if no one else submits an entry, voting will be an outrageous event.

Loins being girded. Hmm, I could go for some loins on the grill right now. But, I haven't had eggs in almost a month, so I'll have that with steak cut potatoes. Yum!

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the mini-review, Starbeast.

 

[Starbeast]

Ursa Major - You're welcome.

Your story had a great uneasy feeling of paranoid creepiness to it, then wham-mo, you revealed a surprise ending. I really enjoyed.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Boneman -- a dark, surreal vision of impending doom held off only by perfect stillness, which could be seen as a metaphor for Mutually Assured Destruction

Moonbat -- a dazzling display of advanced vocabulary lends a cold, scientific tone to this detailed account of a seemingly simple event

Ursa major -- a subtle, possibly multi-layered allusion to a great German poet (and possibly to a great German composer as well) adds a hint of sophisticated detachment to this sad tale, whose hope of comfort dissolves into irony

 

[Boneman]

Many thanks, Victoria - what a great interpretation (which I meant to put in, he adds hastily...)

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the mini-review, Victoria.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Perp – clickity clack

RJ84 – A dark story that catches the feel of the Nazi concentration camps. There is the feeling of not knowing what is going on, only that it is terrible, and this is only from those that are close by. The wider world knows nothing... But it is also a story of bravery, hope and love. The feeling I get is that it the love of a father for his daughter rather than anything more romantic, but it does not matter, for it is the love that fuels this man to take that one act of bravery, that gives hope he will rescue Amanda. In many ways the success or failure of his attempt is irrelevant – as he says one way or another they will be reunited, more it is the glimmer of light he brings to the dark world.

BM – Another excellent story joins the others. And another sterling and damning judgement is rendered against mankind. There is a clever bit of misdirection to start with, as for myself at least I got the feeling that the Crow was working with or for man; but that is a notion that is quickly disbursed once humans turn up. The thing is it is easy to understand just where the Crow is coming from and how man could be seen in such a light by nature, something that is only confirmed in the way they act. Ironically of course, their very actions of cruelty are what triggers the cataclysm against them. Fitting and just.

MB – A very brave and different entry that could almost be labelled experimental. It could also be considered thought provoking, because it certainly made me think a lot more about what I was reading. The really clever thing is that it makes sense. Well it might, whether the sense I made of it is what was intended... Some massive galactic event is interrupted or interfered with by some outside force, and a 'battle' for control over the vast forces that have been set loose – it might even be an attempt to stop it – for every change there is a counter measure, until it all comes to an end. Or it might be the fate of my brain after reading this story!)

Ursa – The distrust of strangers is probably something that is part of who we are, it is the fear of the unknown of course. And that, of course is something that is in full force here. But it is more than just that. The clever thing is that it sets the reader up again and again, and then dispels that fear, making you feel as though it is foolishness and an example of how paranoia effects people. In the context of the tale, this is understandable. A group of 'pioneers' on an alien world. Of course every little thing is going to be suspicious, but it is something that is brushed aside. Until we get hit with the last line, and we have to re-evaluate again.

 

[Boneman]

Thank you so much, Perp - you put an awful lot into these and I truly appreciate it.

Perp: Death walks the land, his job completed. A terrible picture of the grim reaper, aged and old, but still wielding his scythe. The feeling of dryness and desolation is brought over well, in a few phrases and images that stay with you, long after you read them. The clever juxtapositioning of a 'murder of crows' sits so easily alongside the ultimate killer, and the artful reveal that a throng of the birds are his inverted shadow is a wonderful final line.