Million Writers Award
Notable Stories of 2004
Here they are: The notable online short stories of 2004.
Whether you are just beginning to explore the world of online fiction or are an old-hand to the realm, you will find much to enjoy here. All genres of short stories are represented below. All types of writing styles are on exhibit. Journals from around the world are highlighted. The only criteria used to select these stories was excellence and, as you will see, there is plenty of excellence to be found among online journals and magazines.
Thanks to everyone who nominated a story (there were just over 1,200 nominations in all). And a big thanks to the preliminary judges who helped screen the nominations or nominated their own lists of favorite stories: Sefi Atta, Rusty Barnes, Scott Esposito, Megan Powell, Dan Wickett, and the two additional judges who wished to remain anonymous.
In addition, Eclectica Magazine is the winner of this year's Million Writers Award for best online publication by having 11 of their stories selected as notable stories of the year. The King's English wins the Million Writers Award for best publisher of novella-length fiction (something that up until now has been in short supply on the web), and Narrative Magazine wins the Million Writers Award for best new online magazine or journal.
Thanks to everyone for helping to support online literature. And I encourage everyone to check out the Top Ten Stories of 2004, which I selected from the list below.
Jason Sanford
fiction editor and publisher
storySouth
Notable Stories of 2004:
42opus
http://www.42opus.com
- "In Search Of" by Sarah Layden
http://www.42opus.com/contents/contents.php?iss=v4_2&pg=insearchof
Absinthe Literary Review
http://www.absinthe-literary-review.com
- "Bonsai" by Alexandra Fox
http://www.absinthe-literary-review.com//stories/fox.htm
Adirondack Review
http://www.adirondackreview.homestead.com
- "Adjustments" by Jared Hegwood
http://www.adirondackreview.homestead.com/hegwood.html
Agni
http://www.bu.edu/agni/index.html
- "Bone on Bone" by Jai Clare
http://www.bu.edu/agni/fiction/online/2004/clare-bone.html
AuthorMe.com
http://www.author-me.com
- "Strange Fruit" by Monica Arac de Nyeko
http://www.author-me.com/fict04/strangefruit.htm
Arriviste Press
http://www.arrivistepress.com
- "One Way or The Other" by Avital Gad-Cykman
http://www.arrivistepress.com/September04/cykmanoneway0904page1.shtml
The Barcelona Review
http://www.barcelonareview.com
- "Fatso" by Leelila Strogov
http://www.barcelonareview.com/40/e_ls.htm - "Just Don't Take the Little I Got" by Eduardo Antonio Parra (Christopher Winks, translator)
http://www.barcelonareview.com/45/e_eap.htm
Barrelhouse
http://www.barrelhousemag.com
- "Ryan Seacrest is Famous" by Dave Housley
http://www.barrelhousemag.com/seacrest.html
Bullfight Review
http://bullfightreview.com
- "The Earhart-Knievel Party in Room 306" by Lee Klein
http://bullfightreview.com/archive/index1.html
Blithe House Quarterly: queer fiction lives here
http://www.blithe.com
- "Christmas In A Minor Key" by Allison Burnett
http://www.blithe.com/bhq9.1/9.1.08.html - "The Mercy Seat" by Trebor Healey
http://www.blithe.com/bhq8.2/8.2.01.html - "Personal" by Kurt Heintz
http://www.blithe.com/bhq8.3/8.3.01.html - "Time, Desire, and Fog" by Etel Adnan
http://www.blithe.com/bhq8.1/8.1.04.html
Carve
http://www.carvezine.com
- "When Every Part of You Breaks" by Anne Leigh Parrish
http://www.carvezine.com
Chiaroscuro
http://www.chizine.com
- "Dragons" by Laura Anne Gilman
http://www.chizine.com/dragons.htm
Conversely
http://www.conversely.com
- "Stolen Biography of a Father" by Valeria Vegas
http://www.conversely.com/Unhin/un026.shtml
dead drunk dublin
http://www.deaddrunkdublin.com
- "The Annihilation of the Spectator" by Sean Brijbasi
http://www.deaddrunkdublin.com/stories/sean_brijbasi/annihilation_of_spectator.html
Dead Mule
http://www.deadmule.com
- "The Last Ride of General Lee" by Elizabeth Roberts-Hamel
http://www.deadmule.com/content/word.of.mule.php?content_id=965
deathlings.com
http://www.deathlings.com
- "The Vampire Tibbles," James Quiggle
http://www.deathlings.com/tibbles.html
Defenestration
http://www.defenestrationmag.net
- "Mr. Crow" by Jonathan Redhorse
first part: http://www.defenestrationmag.net/prose/jredhorse.htm
second part: http://www.defenestrationmag.net/prose/jredhorse2.htm
Drunken Boat
http://www.drunkenboat.com
- "From Me Then to You Now" by David Barringer
http://drunkenboat.com/db6/barringer/fromme.html
Eclectica Magazine
http://www.eclectica.org
- "Dreams" by Chika Unigwe
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n1/unigwe_dreams.html - "Errand" by David Taylor
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n3/taylor.html - "The Boy From Bul" by Sylvia Petter
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n3/petter.html - "One Day in the Life of Irene Dennison" by Dennis Kaplan
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n3/kaplan.html - "A Proctor is More Than Just a Reader" by Aaron Sitze
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n2/sitze.html - "Publisher" by Corey Mesler
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n3/mesler.html - "Remade Tobacco" by Joan Shaddox Isom
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n3/isom_tobacco.html - "The Ride Home" by Siew Siang Tay
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n4/tay.html - Sleight of Hand by Dennis Tafoya
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n2/tafoya.html - "Thinking of Angel" by Chika Unigwe
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n1/unigwe_angel.html - Trash by David LeMaster
http://www.eclectica.org/v8n3/lemaster.html
Exquisite Corpse
http://corpse.org
- "The Crowd Forms" by Ali Fahmy
http://corpse.org/issue_12/pets_beasts/fahmy.html - "Midnights by Jim Hazard
http://www.corpse.org/issue_14/wc_sweat/hazard.html
Eyeshot
http://eyeshot.net
- "From the Journal of Mike Shipley, Unfit Parent" by Randall DeVallance
http://eyeshot.net/unfitparent.html - "The Truth About Belafonte Garcia" by Jamie Allen
http://eyeshot.net/belafonte.html - "Variations on a Party" by Charles Ullmann
http://eyeshot.net/ullmann.html - "How to Seduce the Woman of Your Dreams & Make Her Yours Forever" by Scott Bryan Wilson
http://eyeshot.net/seductiontips.html
Failbetter
http://www.failbetter.com
- "Sunshine Over Helsinki" by Michael Hartford
http://www.failbetter.com/2004-3/HartfordSunshine.htm - "This Is What Gets Me" by Courtney Weber
http://www.failbetter.com/2004-3/WeberThis.htm
Fiction Attic
http://www.fictionattic.com
- "Merciless Daylight" by Michelle Tea
http://www.fictionattic.com/michelletea.html
Fiction Warehouse
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com
- "Branch Libraries of Southeastern Brooklyn" by Richard Grayson
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com/yr03/stories/040818.asp - "Bulldozer" by Alex Shishin
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com/yr03/stories/040512.asp? - "Charity" by Stephen Anderson
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com/yr03/stories/041103.asp - "Dear Jenks" by Melissa Checker
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com/yr03/stories/040922.asp - "Scratch" by Sean Conway
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com/yr03/stories/040908.asp - "Vacation" by Johanna Pirko
http://www.fictionwarehouse.com/yr03/stories/040505.asp
Fortean Bureau
http://www.forteanbureau.com
- "Another Hollywood Miracle" by Marissa K. Lingen
http://www.forteanbureau.com/nov2004/Lingen/index.html
FRiGG: A Magazine of Fiction and Poetry
http://www.friggmagazine.com
- "Arctic Mint Whip" by Philip Alexander
http://www.friggmagazine.com/volumeonearchive/alexanderwhip.htm
Gator Springs
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/fandango.virtual/gator
- "Karma" by Susan O'Neil
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/fandango.virtual/gator/dm_page_8.htm - "Riley's Shoes" by Bob Arter
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/fandango.virtual/gator/ptk_page_14.htm
Gowanus Books
http://www.gowanusbooks.com
- "Mr. Gurupadam's Affair" by Shireen Joanna
http://www.gowanusbooks.com/gurupadam-shireen.html
Hardluck Stories
http://www.hardluckstories.com
- "Keely Sings the Blues" by Sarah Weinman
http://www.hardluckstories.com/spr2004-Weinman.htm
HOBART
http://www.hobartpulp.com
- "The Novelist" by Tao Lin
http://www.hobartpulp.com/fiction/thenovelist.html - The Apothecary by Alan Danzis
http://hobartpulp.com/fiction/theapothecary.html
Identity Theory
http://www.identitytheory.com
- "Curfew" by Ismet Prcic
http://www.identitytheory.com/fiction/prcic_curfew.php - "Just Like Normal Girls" by Kati Bambrick
http://www.identitytheory.com/fiction/bambrick_girls.php - "Obedience" by Michelle Richmond
http://www.identitytheory.com/fiction/richmond_obedience.php
Infinity Plus
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk
- "Songs of Leaving," Peter Crowther
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/songs.htm
In Posse Review
http://webdelsol.com/InPosse
- Beds by Cheryl Kidder
http://webdelsol.com/InPosse/19_fict_kidder.htm
Kennesaw Review
http://www.kennesawreview.org
- "Waiting for the Abductor" by David LeMaster
http://www.kennesawreview.org/summer2003/lemaster-waiting.htm
The King's English
http://thekingsenglish.org
- "Wednesday" by A'Dora Phillips
http://home.comcast.net/~wapshot1/Winter05/Fiction.Sum04.Phillips.html - "Wonder" by S. M.R. Saia
http://home.comcast.net/~wapshot1/Winter05/Fiction.Fall04.Saia.html - "Escape Velocities" by Jim Snowden
http://home.comcast.net/~wapshot1/Winter05/Fiction.Jan04.Snowden.1.html
Literal Latte
http://www.literal-latte.com
- "Just Life, Not Tragedy" by Susan Morehouse
http://www.literal-latte.com/cgi-bin/cginews.pl?record=140
Literary Mama
http://www.literarymama.com
- "Dad, In Red" by Sonya Huber
http://www.literarymama.com/fiction/archives/000300.html - "The Dogs of Sayulita" by J.D. Munro
http://www.literarymama.com/fiction/archives/000409.html - "Wild, Wild Horses" by Mary Akers
http://www.literarymama.com/fiction/archives/000289.html
Me Three
http://www.methree.net
- "Crank Call" by Thomas J. Hubschman
http://www.methree.net/archives/2004/November/hubschmancrank.html
Mississippi Review
- "ARSe Poetica" by Adrian Louis
http://www.mississippireview.com/2004/Vol10No2-Apr04/1002-040104-louis.html - "The Cool Aunt" by Laura Ellen Scott
http://www.mississippireview.com/2004/Vol10No1-Jan04/1001-0104-Scott.html - "Jaws" by Julia Elliott
http://www.mississippireview.com/2004/Vol10No1-Jan04/1001-0104-Elliott.html
Monkeybicycle
http://monkeybicycle.net
- "My Life at the New York Post" by Richard Grayson
http://monkeybicycle.net/archive/Grayson/post.html - "Social Contract" by Stephen Elliott
http://monkeybicycle.net/archive/Elliott/social.html
Narrative Magazine
http://www.narrativemagazine.com
- "Diplomacy" by Don Lee
http://www.narrativemagazine.com/704/lee.htm - "Midland" by Rick Bass
http://www.narrativemagazine.com/stories/bass.htm - "This Flesh, This Ghost" by Lynn Freed
http://www.narrativemagazine.com/704/freed.htm - "Toggling the Switch" by Alicia Gifford
http://www.narrativemagazine.com/704/gifford.htm
The New Yinzer
http://www.newyinzer.com
- "I, Rhonda, Keep Track of the Family Calendar," by David C. Madden
http://www.newyinzer.com/issue31/f_madden.php - "Hush" by Bruce Miller
http://www.newyinzer.com/issue32/f_miller.php
Outsider Ink
http://outsiderink.com
- "Axl Akbar" by Sarah Kendzior
http://outsiderink.com/04/fall/kendzior.php - "The Blue Bridge" by Marshall Moore
http://outsiderink.com/04/winter/moore.php
(parenthetical note)
http://www.parentheticalnote.com
- "High School Progress Reports Found on the Photocopier" by Julianne Flynn
http://www.parentheticalnote.com/flynn_progressreports.htm
Paumanok Review
http://www.paumanokreview.com
- "Black and White" by Brian Howell
http://www.paumanokreview.com/index.php?page=howell - "Second Encounter" by Xujun Eberlein
http://www.paumanokreview.com/5.1/eberlein.html
Pindeldyboz
http://www.pindeldyboz.com
- "Bing Crosby Dreaming at the Lamp Post Inn" by Elizabeth Ellen
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/eebing.htm - "Bridges" by Myfanwy Collins
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/mcbridges.htm - "Madame Sabat's Grave" by Corey Mesler
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/cmgrave.htm - Monopoly by Claudia Smith
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/csmonopoly.htm - "Reality Check on Register Two" by Edmund Schubert
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/escheck.htm - "They" by Tara Laskowski
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/tlthey.htm
Plaztik Press Literary Magazine
http://www.plaztikpress.com
- "The Story of Her Breasts" by Kirsten Menger-Anderson
http://www.plaztikpress.com/current/story_storyofherbreasts.html
Plots with Guns
http://plotswithguns.com
- "Hilly Palmer's Last Case" by Duane Swierczynski
http://www.plotswithguns.com/HillyPalmer.htm - "Folk Hero" by Laura Ellen Scott
http://plotswithguns.com/FolkHero.htm
Potion
http://www.potionmag.org
- "The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need" by Susan Lantz
http://www.potionmag.org/content/lantz.php
The Quarterly Staple
http://www.thequarterlystaple.com
- "Heat of the Moment" by Richard Grayson
http://www.thequarterlystaple.com/issue2/heat.htm
Reflection's Edge
http://reflectionsedge.com
- "Possession" by Joshua Moses
http://reflectionsedge.com/archives/dec2004/p_jm.html
Retort Magazine
http://www.retortmagazine.com
- "When Pacino's Hot, I'm Hot," by Robert Levin
http://www.retortmagazine.com/content/05.04/id_lit_levin.htm
Rouse Magazine
http://www.rousemag.com
- "Mohammad's Therapy Monkey" by Richard Grayson
http://www.rousemag.com/040712/grayson.htm
Salon.com
http://www.salon.com
- "Anda's Game" by Cory Doctorow
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/11/15/andas_game/index.html
Scifiction.com
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/
- "This Tragic Glass" by Elizabeth Bear
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/bear/bear1.html - "Super 8" by Terry Bisson
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/bisson5/index.html - "The Tang Dynasty Underwater Pyramid" by Walter Jon Williams
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/williams/williams1.html - "The Wolf-man of Alcatraz" by Howard Waldrop
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/waldrop6/waldrop61.html
THE2NDHAND
http://www.the2ndhand.com
- "Pushkin on the Night Before the Duel" by Wes Kline
http://www.the2ndhand.com/archive/pushkin.html
SHOTS Magazine
http://www.shotsmag.co.uk
- "Down to the River" by David White
http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/fiction2004/downtotheriver.html
Shred of Evidence
http://www.shredofevidence.com
- "Game On" by Iain Rowan
http://www.shredofevidence.com/nov04/game_on.html - "Geoffrey Says" by Aliya Whiteley
http://www.shredofevidence.com/nov04/geoffrey_says.html
Small Spiral Notebook
http://www.smallspiralnotebook.com
- "How to Be a Good Daughter" by Jill Carroll
http://www.smallspiralnotebook.com/Fall2004/jcarroll.shtml - "They Don't Make Nostalgia Like They Used To" by Richard Grayson
http://www.smallspiralnotebook.com/Fall2004/rgrayson.shtml
Smokelong Quarterly
http://smokelong.com
- "Instructions for a Son upon Finding Something of his Father's" by Robert S. Jersak
http://smokelong.com/flash.asp?id=1355 - "Not the Real Jesus Christ" by Bob Thurber
http://smokelong.com/flash.asp?id=1653
Socialist Review
http://www.socialistreview.org.uk
- "'Tis the Season" by China Mieville
http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=9150
Spillway Review
http://www.spillwayreview.com
- "Losing the Sundowner" by Stephen Ausherman
http://www.spillwayreview.com/shortsundowner.html
Spoiled Ink
http://www.spoiledink.com
- "Judges Of Julliard" by Adam Crowley
http://www.spoiledink.com/FICTION/short_stories_066.php - "Nine Motives" by Franklin Fisher
http://www.spoiledink.com/FICTION/short_stories_077.php - "Ringroad to Immolation" by Tom Sykes
http://www.spoiledink.com/FICTION/short_stories_079.php
Stickman Review
http://www.stickmanreview.com
- "The Devil's Coach-Horse" by Neil Grimmett
http://www.stickmanreview.com/V3N2/contents/grimmett.html
Strange Horizons
http://www.strangehorizons.com
- "The Grammarian's Five Daughters" by Eleanor Arnason
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040329/grammarian.shtml - "Hold Tight" by Gavin Grant
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040823/holdtight-f.shtml
The Summerset Review
http://www.summersetreview.org
- "Anywhere" by Michael F. Smith
http://www.summersetreview.org/04summer/anywhere.htm - "At Home In The Antipodes" by William Starr Moake
http://www.summersetreview.org/04fall/antipodes.htm - "El Paraiso" by Mark Vender
http://www.summersetreview.org/04summer/paraiso.htm - "Morning on Carre Quitana" by Julie Ann Castro
http://www.summersetreview.org/04fall/quintana.htm
Taint Magazine
http://www.taintmagazine.com
- "Muddy Waters" by Peter Markus
http://www.taintmagazine.com
Three Candles
http://www.threecandles.org
- "First Thing in the Morning" by Peggy Duffy
http://www.threecandles.org/prose/pduffy.html
Thieves Jargon
http://www.thievesjargon.com
- "Cathy's Clown" by Jeff T. Kane
http://www.pigeonwire.com/thievesjargon/content/workview.php?work=144
The Thrilling Detective Web Site
http://www.thrillingdetective.com
- "God's Dice" by David White
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/fiction/04_04.html
Tryst
http://www.tryst3.com
- "Banjo" by Tom Sheehan
http://www.tryst3.com/issue8/sheehan2.html - "Johnson's March" by Kyle Killen
http://www.tryst3.com/issue8/killen1.html
UndergroundVoices.com
http://www.undergroundvoices.com
- "Confessions of a Serial Dater" by Harris Bloom
http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVBloom.htm
Velvet Mafia
http://velvetmafia.com
- "Eaters of Elevation" by Steve Berman
http://velvetmafia.com/13/berman.php - "Rumford's Fluid" by Sean Meriwether
http://velvetmafia.com/13/meriwether.php
View Unplugged
http://www.viewsunplugged.com
- "Look at Me Now" by Thomas J Hubschman
http://www.viewsunplugged.com/VU/20040129/books_beginnings_now.shtml - "Rain in My Heart" by Anjana Basu
http://www.viewsunplugged.com/VU/20040909/arts_shortStory_rain.shtml
Weekly Reader
http://weeklyreader.org/
- "My Father Dancing with Marlene Dietrich" by Michael A. Rauch
NOTE: This story is a PDF download.
http://www.weeklyreader.org
Word Riot
http://wordriot.org
- "Bio Clock and Nutty Photos" by Julie Shapiro
http://wordriot.org/template.php?ID=163 - "The Twins That Burn Eternity Into Your Soul" by Robert Vivian
http://wordriot.org/template.php?ID=480 - "The Waking" by Felicia C. Sullivan
http://wordriot.org/template.php?ID=159
writeThis.com
http://www.writethis.com
- "Gather and Sing" by Willie Davis
http://www.writethis.com/040.html - "Sour Milk" by Wayne Bowman
http://www.writethis.com/011.html
Preliminary Judges for the 2004 Million Writers Award:
Sefi Atta was born in Lagos, Nigeria and lives in Meridian, Mississippi. She was a finalist for the Million Writers Award in 2003 and her novel, Everything Good Will Come, was recently published.
Rusty Barnes co-founded and oversees Night Train.
Scott Esposito is a writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has written for various publications, including Rain Taxi Review of Books. His literary blog is Conversational Reading.
Megan Powell spends an awful lot of time reading, writing, and puttering on the computer. Her online editing efforts include the webzines Shred of Evidence and Fables. Megan's most recent anthology, Crossings, was published last summer and her novel Waxing is scheduled for release this year.
Dan Wickett reads vast quantities of literary fiction and runs the Emerging Writers Network.
