Here they are: The best online short stories published during 2008.
Many thanks to the editors and readers who nominated a story. And a big thanks to the preliminary judges who screened the nominations and/or nominated their own lists of favorite stories: Jackie Corley, Thom Didato, Caitlin Horrocks, Dorothee Lang, Robert Laughlin, Krista McGruder, Erica Naone, Tripp Reade, Cynthia Reeser, Nick Ripatrazone, Alexis Enrico Santí, Beth Staples, D. Antwan Stewart, and Wayne E. Yang (along with the three judges who wished to remain anonymous). I should also make note of my comments at the bottom of this page about a few flash fiction stories which again sneaked into this year's list.
The top ten stories of the year will be released May 15th, with the public vote for the top story beginning then. Thanks to the support of our donors, the winners of the public vote will receive the following monetary prizes:
- Overall winner: $500
- Runner-up: $200
- Honorable mention (third place): $100
If you are curious about my comments on these notable stories as I read them over the coming weeks, please check out my blog and website.
Thanks to everyone for their support of online literature.
Jason Sanford
founding editor
storySouth
Top Online Magazines and Journals
Million Writers Award for best online publication
- Narrative Magazine wins this award by having eight notable story selections. Narrative is the highest paying online market for literary fiction, which obviously allows the magazine to publish a large number of established authors. More importantly (in my opinion), they also run an innovative story of the week program, which not only publishes newer writers but also promotes these writers to Narrative's large mailing list.
Million Writers Award for best publisher of novella-length fiction
- The usual suspects in online novella-length fiction continued their runs in 2008, with the standouts being Narrative Magazine and The King's English, along with (to a lesser degree) Jim Baen's Universe and Subterranean Magazine. However, it doesn't seem right to award any of them the award. While I believe The King's English continues to be the best online magazine devoted solely to novellas, they only published two stories last year (although they are gearing up for much more in 2009, having recently published a great winter issue). As for Narrative, they won the overall award, while the other magazines appeared to publish fewer novellas than in previous years. As a result, this time I will not hand out the novella award.
Million Writers Award for best new online magazine or journal
- Cha: An Asian Literary Journal wins the award for best new online magazine. As the "first and currently only Hong Kong-based online literary quarterly journal dedicated to publishing creative works from and about Asia," Cha released their first issue in late 2007, followed by four top-notch issues last year. Each issue of Cha showcases the tastes of a changing roster of guest editors, who are selected from the ranks of writers previously published in the journal. The runner up for best new magazine was Beneath Ceaseless Skies, which hit the ground (skies) running in late 2008 and is already a top online SF/F market.
The Notable Stories of 2008
3AM Magazine
http://www.3ammagazine.com
- "Senseless Nights in Williamsburg" by Michael DeCapite
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/senseless-nights-in-williamsburg/ - "Stick" by S. Craig Renfroe, Jr.
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/stick/
42opus
http://www.42opus.com
- "Heroes and Delinquents" by Julie Lekstrom Himes
http://42opus.com/v8n3/heroes-and-delinquents
5 Trope
http://www.webdelsol.com/5_trope
- "Title"
by Lily Hoang
http://5trope.com/hoang.html
Aberrant Dreams
http://www.hd-image.com
- "The Girl Who Swallowed the Sky" by Jacqueline Bowen
http://www.hd-image.com/fiction/girl_who_swallowed_the_sky.htm - "The Toy Car" by Luisa María García Velasco
(Translated from Spanish by Ian Watson)
http://www.hd-image.com/fiction/the_toy_car.htm
Abyss & Apex
http://www.abyssandapex.com
- "Snatch Me Another" by Mercurio D. Rivera
http://www.abyssandapex.com/200801-snatch.html - “The Night the Stars Sang Out My Name” by Ken Scholes
http://www.abyssandapex.com/200807-stars.html
Agni
http://www.bu.edu/agni/index.html
- "The Whale Hunter" by Steinur Bell*
http://www.bu.edu/agni/fiction/online/2008/bell.html
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Wayward Children and Their Guardians" by Thomas Gough
http://www.bu.edu/agni/fiction/online/2008/gough.html - "The Coffin Makers of Ghana " by Matt Rager
http://www.bu.edu/agni/fiction/online/2008/rager.html -
"The Beast" by Ann-E Wood
http://www.bu.edu/agni/fiction/online/2008/wood.html
Anderbo
http://www.anderbo.com/
- "Chasing Adonis" by Adam Gallari
http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/afiction-031.html - "We Were There and Now We're Here" by Kayla Soyer-Stein
http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/andernovella-01.html
Arch Literary Journal
http://archjournal.wustl.edu/
- "A Sensitive Soul" by Andrew Coburn
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~archword/fiction/coburn/sensitive.soul.htm
Apex Magazine
http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online
- "Scenting the Dark" by Mary Robinette Kowal
http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2008/08/short-fiction-scenting-the-dark/ - "Organ Nell" by Jennifer Pelland
http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2008/12/short-fiction-organ-nell/
- "In the Seams" by Andrew C. Porter
http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2008/07/short-fiction-in-the-seams/ - Note: For info on what happened to the story "Summon, Bind, Banish" by Nick Mamatas, go here.
The Apple Valley Review
http://www.leahbrowning.net/Apple/Home.html
- "Please Send a Published Copy to 101 Harris Road" by Rachel Ephraim
http://www.leahbrowning.net/Apple/Fall_2008/Rachel_Ephraim.html - "The Diary of Li Na" by John Lowry
http://www.leahbrowning.net/Apple/Spring_2008/John_Lowry.html
Atomjack Magazine
http://atomjackmagazine.com/
-
"Swimming Pool of the Universe" by Nick Cole
http://atomjackmagazine.com/11/swimmingpool.html - "Monkey Heaven" by Sam J. Miller*
http://atomjackmagazine.com/10/monkeyheaven.html
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
Baen's Universe
http://www.baens-universe.com/
(Note: These stories can only be accessed with a subscription)
- "Manumission" by Tobias Buckell
http://www.baens-universe.com/articles/Manumission - "A Thread of Silk" by Eugie Foster
http://www.baens-universe.com/articles/A_Thread_of_Silk
Bear Creek Feed
http://www.bearcreekfeed.com/
- "Happy Birthday to Me" by Kim Chinquee
http://www.bearcreekfeed.com/2008/08/happy-birthday-to-me-by-kim-chinquee.html
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com
- "The Crystal Stair" by Charles Coleman Finlay & Rae Carson Finlay
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=7 - "Architectural Constants" by Yoon Ha Lee
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=3
Blackbird
http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/
- "Hey Bubba" by Forrest Anderson*
http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v7n2/fiction/anderson_f/hey_bubba.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Thanksgiving" by George Garrett*
http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v7n1/fiction/garrett_g/thanksgiving.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Ghost Dog" by Molly Giles
http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v7n1/fiction/giles_m/ghostdog.htm - "Fried Chicken" by Lee Smith*
http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v7n2/fiction/smith_l/fried_chicken.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
Boston Review
http://bostonreview.net
- "Mugger and Mouse Get Married" by Mike Agresta
http://bostonreview.net/BR33.1/agresta.php
Cafe Irreal
http://home.sprynet.com/~awhit/
- "The Boatman's Home"
by Shome Dasgupta
http://home.sprynet.com/~awhit/dasgupta.htm
Carve Magazine
http://www.carvezine.com
-
"Customer of Size" by Mary Jones
http://www.carvezine.com/issue/2008/spring/jones.htm - "The Dead Kid" by Gillian King
http://www.carvezine.com/issue/2008/winter/king.htm - "The Last Hours of Pompeii" by Marc Nieson*
http://www.carvezine.com/issue/2008/fall/nieson.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) -
"A Dying Mother" by Kelly Lundgren Pietrucha
http://www.carvezine.com/issue/2008/spring/pietrucha.htm - "Limits" by Sung J. Woo
http://www.carvezine.com/issue/2008/fall/woo.htm
Cezanne's Carrot
http://www.cezannescarrot.org
- "Shifting Strategy" by Karen Aschenbacher
http://www.cezannescarrot.org/vol3iss3/shiftingstrategy.html
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
http://www.asiancha.com/
- "The Ghost in the Mirror" by Robert Abel
http://www.asiancha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88&Itemid=112 - "The Smell of Fresh Grass" by Ken Kamoche
http://www.asiancha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=237&Itemid=112 - "Life is Awesome"
by Thaila Ramanujam
http://www.asiancha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=227&Itemid=112
ChiZine: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words
http://chizine.com
- "Intertropical Convergence Zone" by Nadia Bulkin
http://www.chizine.com/intertropical_convergence_zone.htm - "The Mystery of the Missing Puskat" by Lavie Tidhar
http://www.chizine.com/mystery_puskat.htm
Clarkesword Magazine
http://www.clarkesworldmagazine.com/
- "The Sky that Wraps the World Round, Past the Blue and Into the Black" by Jay Lake*
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/lake_03_08/
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - “Blue Ink” by Yoon Ha Lee
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/lee_08_08/ - “Worm Within” by Cat Rambo
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/rambo_09_08/
- "A Buyer's Guide to Maps of Antartica" by Catherynne M. Valente
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valente_05_08/
decomP
http://www.decompmagazine.com
- "Narok" by Brady Hammes
http://decompmagazine.com/narok.htm - "America's Least Wanted" by Roland Goity
http://www.decompmagazine.com/americasleastwanted.htm
DOGZPLOT
http://dogzplot.com/
- "Advice" by Sam Pink
http://dogzplotfiction.blogspot.com/2008/08/sam-pink.html
Drunken Boat
http://www.drunkenboat.com
- "No Bullets in the House" by Geronimo Madrid
http://www.drunkenboat.com/db9/panlit2_fiction/madrid/nobullets.html
The Dublin Quarterly
http://www.dublinquarterly.com/
- "In the Time of His Excellency" by Maik Nwosu
http://www.dublinquarterly.com/13/f_mnwosu.html
Eclectica Magazine
http://www.eclectica.org
- "Accutane" by Caroline Kepnes
http://www.eclectica.org/v12n1/kepnes.html - "Retardo" by Rachel Maizes*
http://www.eclectica.org/v12n1/maizes.html
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Not The Kind Of Pain A Man Feels In The Morning Waking Up Older Than
He Was The Day Before" by G. K. Wuori
http://www.eclectica.org/v12n4/wuori.html - "Bones Do All the Hard Work of the Body with Very Little Thanks" by G.K. Wuori
http://www.eclectica.org/v12n1/wuori.html
Elimae
http://www.elimae.com/
- "Christmas in Burma" by Christopher Luppi
http://www.elimae.com/2008/January/Burma.html
The Exquisite Corpse
http://www.corpse.org
- "And Broke His Crown" by Gene Wisniewski
http://www.corpse.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=1
Eyeshot
http://eyeshot.net
- "On Ways of Dealing With Tripping in Public" by Crispin Best*
http://eyeshot.net/best.html
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Fuckbuddy" by Roderic Crooks*
http://eyeshot.net/crooks.html
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
failbetter
http://www.failbetter.com
-
"Pittsburgh" by Meghan Austin
http://www.failbetter.com/26/AustinPittsburgh.php - "Journal for the Academic Study of Magic" by Liana Scalletar
http://www.failbetter.com/26/ScalettarMagic.php
Fantasy Magazine
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/
- "Erased" by Elena Gleason
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=512 - "Original Gangster" by Jim Hines
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=891 - "A Word Without Ghosts" by Paul Jessup
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=533 - "The Small Door" by Holly Phillips
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=546 - "Penguin and Wrenby" by Christie Skipper Ritchotte
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=797 - “The Plagiarist” by Alex Rose
http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=1003
Farrago's Wainscot
http://www.farragoswainscot.com
- "The Fisherman’s Child" by Cat Rambo
http://www.farragoswainscot.com/2008/8/fisherman.html - "Flowertongue" by Jessica Reisman
http://www.farragoswainscot.com/2008/6/flowertongue.html
Fiction Weekly
http://www.fictionweekly.com
- "Just Neighbors" by David Fitzpatrick
http://www.fictionweekly.com/JustNeighbors.htm
FlatManCrooked
http://www.flatmancrooked.com/
- "My Prehistoric Shark" by Desiree Parker
http://www.flatmancrooked.com/archives/268
Freight Stories
http://freightstories.com
- "Genesis, or, The Day Adam Killed the Snakes" by Cathy Day
http://freightstories.com/Day.html - "The Navy Man" by Kyle Minor
http://freightstories.com/Minor.html
FRiGG: A Magazine of Fiction and Poetry
http://www.friggmagazine.com
- "When My Girlfriend Lost the Weight" by Matt Getty*
http://friggmagazine.com/issuetwentyone/poemsstories/fiction/Getty/WhenMyGirlfriend.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Leroy Can Tell You When" by A.S. King*
http://www.friggmagazine.com/issuenineteen/poemsstories/fiction/King/Leroy
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
Front Porch Journal
http://www.frontporchjournal.com
- "Safekeeping" by Janis Hubschman
http://www.frontporchjournal.com/issue80_fiction_hub.asp
Gowanus
http://www.gowanusbooks.com
- "The Woman Who Vanished" by Anjana Basu
http://www.gowanusbooks.com/Woman_Who_Vanished_Anjana_Basu.html
Granta
http://www.granta.com/
- "Crossing Cut Creek" by Erin McMillan
http://www.granta.com/Online-Only/Crossing-Cut-Creek
Hayden’s Ferry Review
http://www.asu.edu/piper/publications/haydensferryreview/
- "Barnies" by Al Masarik
http://www.asu.edu/piper/publications/haydensferryreview/issue43/fiction/pdfs/Barnies.pdf
HOBART
http://www.hobartpulp.com
- "Unpreparing" by Lindsay Hunter
http://www.hobartpulp.com/website/november/hunter.html - "Signs and Wonders" by Sara O'Leary
http://www.hobartpulp.com/website/november/oleary.html
Hot Metal Bridge
http://hotmetalbridge.org
- "Chase Us" by Sean Ennis
http://hotmetalbridge.org/?page_id=324
Identity Theory
http://www.identitytheory.com
- "How We Made a Difference" by Joseph Bates*
http://www.identitytheory.com/fiction/bates_how.php
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
JMWW
http://jmww.150m.com
- "Number Seven" by Jessica Anya Blau
http://jmww.150m.com/Blau1.html - "Flyaway Dreams" by Bryan S. Wang
http://jmww.150m.com/Wang.html
Keyhole Magazine
http://keyholemagazine.com/magazine
- "Georgia on My Mind" by Molly Gaudry
http://keyholemagazine.com/molly-gaudry/georgia-on-my-mind
The King's English
http://www.thekingsenglish.org
- "Statement and Game" by Sheila McKown
http://home.comcast.net/~wapshot1/fall08/Fiction.McKown.html
Lamination Colony
http://www.laminationcolony.com
- "The Origin of Species Reinterpreted Through Massace" by Sean Kilpatrick
http://www.laminationcolony.com/skilpatrick.html
Literal Latte
http://www.literal-latte.com/
- "Artists Hill" by Djelloul Marbrook
http://www.literal-latte.com/2008/11/artists-hill/
The Literary Review
http://theliteraryreview.org
- "Blackberries"
by Naja Marie Aidt (translated by Thomas E. Kennedy)
http://theliteraryreview.org/archives/Aidt_Naja_51_3.pdf
LitNImage
http://www.litnimage.com
- "Came the Indians: A Fantasy" by Sean Ennis
http://www.litnimage.com/seanennis.htm - "The Fisherman's Wife" by Jenny Williams*
http://www.litnimage.com/williams.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
Lone Star Stories
http://literary.erictmarin.com/
-
"The Behold of the Eye" by Hal Duncan
http://literary.erictmarin.com/archives/Issue%2028/behold.htm
Lost Magazine
http://www.lostmag.com/
- "Repair History"
by Edward Hardy
http://www.lostmag.com/issue24/repair.php - "The Good Fisherman" by Megann Sept
http://www.lostmag.com/issue23/fisherman.php
Memorious
http://www.memorious.org
- "The Accident" by Allan Reeder*
http://www.memorious.org/?id=262
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
Menda City Review
http://mendacitypress.com/
- "Every Earth is Fit for Burial" by Cyn Kitchen
http://mendacitypress.com/5.2008Kitchen.html - "Our Town" by Corey Mesler
http://mendacitypress.com/9.2008Mesler.html
New Mississippi Review
http://www.mississippireview.com
- "22 Ways of Looking at Chagall" by Sacha Siskonen
http://www.mississippireview.com/2008/Vol14No4-Oct08/1404-100108-Siskonen.html
Monkeybicycle
http://monkeybicycle.net/
- "Five Steps in Your Evolution" by Joseph Cameron
http://www.monkeybicycle.net/archive/Cameron/evolution.html
Narrative Magazine
http://www.narrativemagazine.com
- "Little Fuckers" by Robert Olen Butler
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/winter-2008/little-fuckers - "Stones" by Jeanie Kortum
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/spring-2008/stones - "Superhero" by Reese Kwon
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/spring-2008/superhero - "Animals" by Edan Lepucki
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/summer-2008/animals
- “Magic Words” by Jill McCorkle*
http://narrativemagazine.com/node/851
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "The Structure of Bubbles" by Emily Raboteau
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/stories-week-2008-2009/structure-bubbles - "The Royal Reykjavík Sex Tour" by Scott Spencer
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/winter-2008/royal-reykjav%C3%ADk-sex-tour - "Interview With A Moron" by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
http://narrativemagazine.com/node/447
New Ohio Review
http://www.ohiou.edu/nor/index.htm
- "The Disappeared" by Blake Butler
http://www.ohiou.edu/nor/pdfs/butler.pdf
Night Train
http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com
- "Dating 101"
by Angie Chau
http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com/contents/chau_fb.php - "The Tree That Girdles Itself"
by Donna D. Vitucci
http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com/contents/vitucci_fb.php
On the Premises
http://www.onthepremises.com
- "Maxwell Treat's Museum of Torture for Young Girls and Boys" by Carole Lanham
http://www.onthepremises.com/issue_06/story_06_1.html
Orange & Sardines / Poets & Artists
http://www.poetsandartists.com/
- "Manning the House" by Kirk Curnutt
http://issuu.com/didimenendez/docs/curnutt_manningthehouse
Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com
(Note: These stories can only be accessed with a one-issue purchase)
- "The Tale of Junko and Sayuri" by Peter Beagle
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i9&article=_001 - Horus Ascendingby Aliette de Bodard
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i8&article=_007 - "From the Clay of His Heart" by John Brown
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i8&article=_001 - “The Robot Sorcerer” by Eric James Stone
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i10&article=_007
Our Stories
http://www.ourstories.us
- "Cannibal Love" by Lindsay Merbaum
http://www.ourstories.us/Fall2008_Issue/LMerebaum_CannibalLove.html - "The Old Challah Radio" by Adam Shechter
http://www.ourstories.us/Fall2008_Issue/Shechter_OurStories.html
PANK
http://www.pankmagazine.com
- "Liar" by Myfanwy Collins
http://www.pankmagazine.com/read/collins.html
The Paris Review
http://www.parisreview.com/index.php
- "Claim" by Glen Pourciau
http://www.parisreview.com/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5851
Per Contra Fiction
http://www.percontra.net
- "Grief Mongers" by Sefi Atta
http://www.percontra.net/10atta.htm - " Teatime with John Gaaru" by Kiran Bharthapudi
http://www.percontra.net/11bharthapudi.htm - "Silver Leaves for Judah Jones" by Vanessa Gebbie
http://www.percontra.net/10gebbie.htm
Pick of the Spindle
http://www.prickofthespindle.com/
- "Telling the Sampo" by Kevin Catalano
http://www.prickofthespindle.com/fiction/2.1/catalano/telling_the_sampo.htm
Pindeldyboz
http://www.pindeldyboz.com
- "Sunday Drive" by Chris Clayton
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/ccsunday.htm - "Mice" by Tai Dong Huai
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/tdhmice.htm - "Two Rubber Bands" by Kyle Minor
http://www.pindeldyboz.com/kmbands.htm
Plots with Guns
http://www.plotswithguns.com
- "They Take You" by Kyle Minor*
http://plotswithguns.com/3Minor.htm
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge) - "Goodbye Hills, Hello Night" by Kyle Minor
http://www.plotswithguns.com/4Minor.htm
Ploughshares
http://www.pshares.org
- "Tom & Jerry" by Christie Hodgen
http://www.pshares.org/issues/article.cfm?prmarticleID=8870
Publishing Genius Press
http://www.publishinggenius.com
- "Pretend I Am There But Very Little" by Blake Butler*
http://issuu.com/publishinggenius/docs/butler
* (Selected by more than one preliminary judge)
Rope and Wire
http://www.ropeandwire.com
- "Plumbeck the Fiddler" by Tom Sheehan
http://www.ropeandwire.com/FullStories/Plumbeck_the_Fiddler.html
Segue
http://www.mid.muohio.edu/segue/
- "What's a Mother, Anyway" by Anne Germanacos
http://www.mid.muohio.edu/segue/7/7germanacos.swf
Serendipity Magazine
http://www.magicalrealism.co.uk
- "Smoking Bamboo"
by Molara Wood
http://www.magicalrealism.co.uk/view.php?story=87&issue=11
Smokelong Quarterly
http://www.smokelong.com
- "Lobster Girl"
by Alicia Gifford
http://www.smokelong.com/flash/8050.asp
Still Blue Project
http://stillblueproject.blogspot.com/
- "Lowest Of The Low" by Keith Banner
http://stillblueproject.blogspot.com/2008/04/lowest-of-low-keith-banner.html
Stirring: A Literary Collection
http://www.sundress.net/stirring/
- "Extinction" by B.J. Hollars
http://www.sundress.net/stirring/archives/v10/e4/hollarsb.htm
storySouth
http://www.storysouth.com
- " The Good Man" by Nathan Leslie
http://www.storysouth.com/fiction/2008/06/the_good_man.html
Storyglossia
http://www.storyglossia.com
- "Ghost Girl" by L. Annette Binder
http://www.storyglossia.com/30/lb_ghost.html - "New Joe" by Benjamin Buchholz
http://www.storyglossia.com/29/bb_joe.html - "To the Bone" by T. J. Forrester
http://www.storyglossia.com/29/tf_bone.html - "Must Bite!" by Vicki Hendricks
http://www.storyglossia.com/28/vh_must.html - "Indians" by J. A. Tyler
http://www.storyglossia.com/32/jt_indians.html
Strange Horizons
http://www.strangehorizons.com
- "Until Forgiveness Comes" by K. Tempest Bradford
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20081117/forgiveness-f.shtml - “The Secret Identity” by Richard Butner
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20080825/secret-f.shtml - "Nine Sundays in a Row" by Kris Dikeman
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20081027/sundays-f.shtml - "Down the Well" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20080804/well-f.shtml - "We Love Deena" by Alice Sola Kim
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20080211/deena-f.shtml - "The Magician's House" by Meghan McCarron
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2008/20080714/magician-f.shtml
Subterranean
http://www.subterraneanpress.com/magazine
- "Air and Angels" by Beth Bernobich
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/spring-2008/...by-beth-bernobich/ - "A Monkey Will Never Be Rid of Its Black Hands" by Rachel Swirsky
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/winter-2008/...by-rachel-swirsky/
Subtropics
http://www.english.ufl.edu/subtropics/
- "Naples. Not Italy" by John Brandon
http://www.english.ufl.edu/subtropics/Brandon_story.html
Summerset Review
http://www.summersetreview.org
- “Mermaid Baby" by Sarah Orton
http://www.summersetreview.org/08fall/mermaid.htm
Theaker's Quarterly Fiction
http://www.silveragebooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mag/tqf/tqf.htm
- "The Spirits of '26" by Robert Laughlin
http://www.silveragebooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mag/tqf/issues/TQF22.pdf
Thieves Jargon
http://www.thievesjargon.com
- "Pharmacon" by Spencer Dew
http://www.thievesjargon.com/workview.php?work=1180
The Thrilling Detective Web Site
http://www.thrillingdetective.com
- "The Truth About Lang Tri" by Robert Petyo
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/fiction/08_04_02.html - "Lady Luck" by J. Winter
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/fiction/08_04_04.html
Thuglit
http://www.thuglit.com/
- "Big in Japan" by Christopher Bundy
http://www.thuglit.com/zine/thug28/docs/Big.pdf - "Son of Many Tears" by Hilary Davidson
http://www.thuglit.com/zine/thug24/docs/Tears.pdf
Toasted Cheese
http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/
- "Malicious Acts" by Kate Gibalerio
http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/2008/8-2/gibalerio.htm
Tor.com
http://www.tor.com
- "The Things That Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away" by Cory Doctorow
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=story&id=2993 - "A Water Matter" by Jay Lake
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=story&id=7757
Underground Voices
http://www.undergroundvoices.com
- "Fang" by Tai Dong Huai
http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVDuaiTaiHong.htm - "And" by J.A. Tyler
http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVTylerJA4.htm
Unlikely 2.0
http://www.unlikelystories.org
- "A Third of Methuselah" by Tim Millas
http://www.unlikelystories.org/millas0708.shtml
Wheelhouse Magazine
http://www.wheelhousemagazine.com/
- "Leaving the Garden"
by CL Bledsoe
http://www.wheelhousemagazine.com/archive/winter08/leaving_the_garden.html
Word Riot
http://wordriot.org
- "You Are One Click Away From Pictures of Nude Girls" by Heather Fowler
http://www.wordriot.org/template_2.php?ID=1501 - "The Alcoholic Who Knew Damn Well He Was a Writer" by Michael Ray Laemmle
http://www.wordriot.org/template_2.php?ID=1393 - "Ripples" by Jill Mountain
http://www.wordriot.org/template_2.php?ID=1495
Words Without Borders
http://www.wordswithoutborders.org
- "Bats" by Lena Kitsopoulou
http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/?lab=KitsopoulouBats
The Workplace Anthology
http://workplaceanthology.com/
- "Captain of the Drive" by R. Dean Johnson
http://workplaceanthology.com/CaptainOfTheDrive.html - "Criminal Intent" by Susan A. O'Doherty
http://workplaceanthology.com/CriminalIntent.html
Jason Sanford says, "There are three stories in this list which clock in under 1000 words. Last year I was virtually attacked for allowing this since the MWA rules clearly state only stories over 1000 words are eligible. Mindful of last year's outrage, I told the preliminary judges to keep their selections to stories longer than 1000 words. Despite this, three nominations came in under that--one by only a few words, two by a significant numbers of words. My first instinct was to kick out these stories. However, the simple truth is they are good stories, so what the hell, let's list them. The reason the Million Writers Award has a minimum word count is to focus the award on longer format stories. But I also have little desire to override a decision made by a preliminary judge, especially if it concerns a good story. I doubt this explanation will satisfy anyone, so feel free to savage me online."
Many thanks to the preliminary judges who selected these notable stories. To avoid any conflicts of interest or peer pressure, these judges remained anonymous to both each other and the general public until they made their selections. In addition, they were not allowed to select stories or authors with which they had a conflict of interest (this means, for example, that judges could not select their own stories for inclusion on this list).
Jackie Corley is the editor and publisher of Word Riot. Her collection of short stories, The Suburban Swindle, was published by So New in October 2008. She maintains a personal website at jackiecorley.wordriot.org.
Thom Didato is the publisher and founding editor of the award-winning online literary and arts magazine failbetter. He has published stories in many literary journals and is the co-editor the widely used classroom text, The Fiction Gallery (Bloomsbury USA). The former Program Manager at The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, Thom currently serves as the Graduate Programs Coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Caitlin Horrocks’ debut short story collection, This is Not Your City, won the 2008 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction and will be published in Fall 2009 by Eastern Washington University Press. Her fiction also appears in The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009, The Paris Review, Tin House and elsewhere. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dorothee Lang is founder and editor of BluePrintReview, an award-winning experimental online journal. Her work has appeared in The Mississippi Review, qarrtsiluni, Pindeldyboz, eclectica, Pequin, juked and numerous other places. Currently, she participates in an international group novel project. She lives in Germany, her website is: blueprint21.de.
Robert Laughlin lives in Chico, California. He is the creator and administrator of the Micro Award, the only competition for previously published flash fiction. Mr. Laughlin's short story, "In the Evening Made" was a Million Writers Award Notable Story of 2006, and his first novel, Vow of Silence, was released by Trytium last December. His author website is www.robertlaughlin-fictionwriter.com.
Krista McGruder has a farm in Eagle Rock, Missouri.
Erica Naone is an assistant editor at Technology Review, where she covers topics related to the Internet and computer software. Her fiction has appeared in Coyote Wild, On The Premises, and Storyglossia. She lives with her husband in Allston, MA. Her blog lives at http://ericanaone.wordpress.com.
Tripp Reade's fiction has appeared in such publications as the anthology Rebellion: New Voices of Fiction, and the journal 42opus, and includes a 2005 Million Writers Award notable story. He has fiction coming out in the May issue of Fourteen Hills, occasionally reviews books for Paste, and is a recent graduate of the Queens University MFA program.
Cynthia Reeser, Editor-in-Chief and founder of Prick of the Spindle, is a freelance writer and web designer whose book reviews can be found on NewPages, Tarpaulin Sky, Bookslut.com, and in other places througout the web. Her poetry is present or forthcoming in 42opus, elimae, DOGZPLOT and temenos; and her artwork can be seen at www.cynthiareeser.com. She holds degrees in Music (Piano Performance) and in English Literature. Her poetry chapbook, Light and Trials of Light, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press sometime in 2009.
Nick Ripatrazone’s recent work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, where he was third prizewinner in the 2008 Short Fiction Contest, and is forthcoming in The Saint Ann’s Review and The New York Quarterly. He holds an MA in English Literature from Rutgers University, Newark , where he is currently pursuing an MFA. He is a staff writer for the Luna Park Review.
Alexis Enrico Santí earned his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. His work has been published in the Word Riot, In Posse Review, Dark Sky Magazine, Prick of the Spindle, Cubista Magazine, Revista 22 and The Plum Ruby Review. He has masthead credits for over a dozen newspapers, newsletters and other publications. He is the editor in chief of Our Stories (www.ourstories.us) the only peer review literary journal of its kind. Previous to founding Our Stories in 2006, he served on the boards of Phoebe, So to Speak, United and THEL. Every quarter he publishes an essay about his thoughts on writing, aimed at assisting developing writers. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania where he took care of street children, raised money for Outward Bound and taught English at a local school. In 2006 he was awarded a prestigious translation grant from the Romanian Cultural Institute. He's gave the following interview in 2007 to Mason's fiction program blog where he discuss the founding of Our Stories, publishing, MFA programs and "the craft". In the 2008 he was profiled the Pulteney Street Survey.
Beth Staples received her MFA in fiction writing from Arizona State in 2007, where she now works full time as Managing Editor for Hayden's Ferry Review and teaches an an intermediate short story writing class. Her work has recently appeared in Phoebe and The Portland Review, and she’s trying very hard to finish her novel.
D. Antwan Stewart is the author of The Terribly Beautiful (2006) and Sotto Voce (2008), both Editor's Choice Selections in the Main Street Rag Poetry Chapbook Series. Recent poems appear in The Best Gay Poetry 2008, Callaloo, Meridian, Many Mountains Moving, Verse Daily and others. He is an assistant editor for the online poetry journal Anti- and lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he waits tables while working on his first full-length poetry manuscript.
Wayne E. Yang is a writer / photographer. He is also a former associate editor at Night Train. His web site is http://www.wayneyang.com.
There were also three judges who wished to remain anonymous.