DISCUSSION -- November 2018 -- 85 Word Challenge

[StilLearning]

This wasn't an excercise in brinkmanship, I honestly have had an insanely busy few weeks. But I couldn't miss Mosaixs' big one oh celebration, could I?

 

[Ursa major]

The challenge is now closed to new entries. The poll will be along in a minute or so.

 

[Ursa major]

And here it is!

Voting is now open at the link below:

POLL -- November 2018 75-Word Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!​

​

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Whew, that was close! Every time the time changes, I have this internal battle with myself over what time the Challenge will be closing, and *I thought* it always turned out that my paranoia about it being an hour earlier was wrong -- but I guess not! Glad I erred on the side of caution this time.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

46. Ursa major: A clever puzzle for the discerning reader, with subtle wordplay as the reward.

47. paranoid marvin: A sardonic bit of gallows humor, with a meditation on humanity's probable fates.

48. TheDustyZebra: An action-packed monster story, with calculated suspense to raise goosebumps.

49. StilLearning: A thrilling space adventure, with a moral lesson for the human race.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is a onederful thing that I have two many choices from which to choose. I could wail a threenody four this dilemma, but instead I cry "Five upon thee!" to myself about my concern over this sixuation.
"Sevens to Betsy!" I shout over this greight opportunity, which offers a benine form of tension.

Short List

elvet
Daysman
Eli Grey
Matteo
johnnyjet
D.A. Xiaolin Spires
SPoots
Parson
Joshua Jones

VOTE

Tywin

 

[Parson]

@paranoid marvin .... The End Is Neigh .... Marv goes all bookmaker on us handicapping the horses of the apocalypse.

@TheDustyZebra .... You Can Count on Me .... Dusty goes all Momma bear on us as she lowers the boom.

@StilLearning .... Unfortunately, they did the maths... StilLearning gives us a tale of self justified genocide.

 

[Mr Orange]

Looks like I missed you review @Victoria Silverwolf. Apologies and thanks!

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

It is a onederful thing that I have two many choices from which to choose. I could wail a threenody four this dilemma, but instead I cry "Five upon thee!" to myself about my concern over this sixuation.
"Sevens to Betsy!" I shout over this greight opportunity, which offers a benine form of tension.

Victoria, something seems to have addled your brain

 

[Ursa major]

Her defences against that addling were obviously too puny....

 

[nixie]

Favourites
Cat's Cradle
Mosaix
TDZ

Winner
Tywin,

 

[Perpetual Man]

Binary to Text converter | Translates Binary to Text

As someone already posted this for me, I thought I'd whip it up again, just in case anybody wants to read my story in English

 

[Graymalkin]

Shortlist All in order of appearance I think...
@dannymcg Commute flight
@Tywin To Help With The sorting Later
@johnnyjet The Triskaidekaphobe and the Octagenarian : (13 peas on his plate)
@D.A. Xiaolin Spires Hanging between trinity and death
@Phyrebrat John 6:54

So very closers
@Ashleyne 1 SIN EACH :Wow. would have made an even better storyline to the film Se7en.
@D G Coates Three Pointers :great slice of weird

Vote goes to
@Jondo_ Mister One : Horribly compelling. Tarantino writes an episode of Twilight Zone.

 

[Parson]

@Karn's Return …. 133 …. For a supernatural tale with justice.
@nixie …. One Up Man Ship …. For the best homage of the month
@dannymcg …. Commute Flight …. For turning an SF story into a nursery rhyme pun.
@D.A. Xiaolin Spires …. Hanging between trinity and death …. For a truly original idea
@Phyrebrat …. John 6:54 …. For a very clever and deep story.
@Shyrka …. The Needs of Many …. For the best military S.F. story in 85 words.
@Ursa major …. The Book of Magic of the Ruler of the Five Duchies …. Another story with a world class pun.

In the end I had to go with my favorite genre military S.F. and Shyrka’s great story.

 

[Shyrka]

Wow, thank you, @Parson, that's high praise indeed. I'm truly honoured!

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

@Artoriarius

Thanks for the vote, it was so unexpected I stared at the poll for agoof few seconds wondering why there was a bar next to my name. Then I realised cheers.

It's my first for many a year. Made my day

 

[Heijan Xavier]

@Victoria Silverwolf @Parson and @Karn's Return thank you for your hard review work. I love to get a vote or a mention, but Your reviews are so much more meaningful. To know I'll get great feedback from wonderful writing minds every month is invaluable.

 

[Karn's Return]

Glad you enjoy the reviews, Heijan. All the entries are good, it's hard to decide who to vote for.


I need to get back to reviews sometime but unfortunately I may not be able to. I've been very busy lately with my own projects.

 

[Karn's Return]

Daysman: A tale that at first sounds of wonder, turning into despair as it descends, and finally with a creepy line at the end that gives a shiver. It makes me wonder what the context is, I don't see a good future for the child involved.


Tywin: An entry that simply makes me think of certain events in history, this piece has an aura of hopelessness around it that is rather grating on the heart. Compact and can perhaps be seen from many different angles, I see this as some form of dystopian society, akin to mid-20th century Germany or along the lines of We.


Pedro del Mar: A very, very dark story, one of sadness and grief. It tugs at the heartstrings, but ultimately I feel that if the spirit can not move on, perhaps they may be able to watch over their loved ones. To be interred into the ground at 12:34, that is a very odd and specific time, but pretty clever use of numbers.


Perpetual Man: I don't know what to say about this one...I used to be able to read binary back in high school, but, that knowledge has long since been lost to me...I did get a chuckle out of it, though, when I first looked over it, a pretty snarky little entry there even if I don't understand off the top of my head what it says.


Fivestrings: And here the dangers of Chronomancy show themselves. Time is a branch of magic rarely touched upon by authors that I've noticed, and for a very good reason. Time is the ultimate barrier encompassing all of natural existence, and if we were to violate those absolute laws, the consequences would be disastrous, as it well shows here. I'm sure plenty of people would love to roll back the clock ten or twenty years, but, can this one person stop in time? Pun intended.


Eli Grey: Even love can not often overcome fear, and this heartbreaking entry proves the point. One may love another, human or animal, with all they are, but when trust is broken and fear of loss of one's life or reputation is on the line, sometimes extreme measures are taken. I do wish that this had wound up differently, but it was a very emotional story that could nearly bring a tear to one's eye.

 

[Karn's Return]

reiver33: Those were the numbers from Lost, weren't they? The numbers that spell doom and misfortune for all who come across them...the lone survivor of a terrible disaster in space only to be interrogated and potentially executed for this involvement in what happened, regardless of whether or not he is innocent. Poor sod.


TeiN: Interesting forms of torture there. I don't know what I would be more hurt by, the physical pain or the hopeless despair of trying to count to googol. Is the narrator a demon or one of the Beast's faithful, given some modicum of power? Or is he really just a major dick? It is made out to sound like he is being merciful to these victims, but personally, I think I would much rather withstand the physical pain and move on to the next.


Matteo: Not sure how to approach this one, honestly. I see two possible angles to view this one from, and both from a horror perspective. One is that the narrator is somehow psychic and seeing the numbers on people may possibly represent some form of disaster looming over their heads, and the other is that they narrator is simply suffering from some form of mental illness, delirium or schizophrenia or some other disease that causes hallucinations. Either way, however, it is very disturbing and I would love to see more.


johnnyjet: A story of karma, an old pisser of a man who gets what he deserves for torturing his long-suffering night nurse. I actually got a smile on my face from this one, despite the darkness that soaks it, because I saw it as justice for actions and thoughts that just should not be in anyone's minds. It's one thing to lightly joke around with people, but to constantly play to a person's deepest fears and phobias is just wrong, and in the end, he's getting what he deserves.


Rialto: An entry that gives pity and jealousy both towards the narrator, I think it could be even more if it were expanded upon. Avoidance of one's problems, however, can not go on forever, and I do believe that at some point, this immortal being will have to face his music.

 

[Parson]

@Victoria Silverwolf @Parson and @Karn's Return thank you for your hard review work. I love to get a vote or a mention, but Your reviews are so much more meaningful. To know I'll get great feedback from wonderful writing minds every month is invaluable.

I do not feel like deserve such high praise, but thank you from the bottom of my heart.