Here they are: The best online short stories published during 2010.

Many thanks to the editors and readers who nominated stories. And a big thanks to the preliminary judges who screened the nominations and/or picked their own favorites: Forrest Anderson, Zachary Amendt, Adam Callaway, Thom Didato, Rusty Keele, Travis Kurowski, Dorothee Lang, Svetlana Lavochkina, Judah Mahay, Karen L. Newman, Gavin C Pugh, Nick Ripatrazone, and Wayne E. Yang (along with the judges who wished to remain anonymous).

The top ten stories of the year will be released by the end of May, 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:

• $600, plus the $100 ThinkGeek gift certificate for the first place winner;
• $200 for the runner-up;
• $100 for the honorable mention (third place).

If you are curious about my comments on these notable stories as I read them over the coming month, please check out my blog and website.

Thanks to everyone for their support of online literature.

Jason Sanford
founding editor
storySouth
www.jasonsanford.com

---

Top Online Magazines and Journals

Million Writers Award for best online publication

• The winner of this year's Million Writers Award for best publication is Words without Borders, the online magazine of international literature. Words without Borders, whose goal is to open "doors to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing," had another amazing year, publishing 12 monthly issues on themes such as Urdu fiction from India, writings from Hungary, and much more. If you're not reading Words without Borders, you're literally missing a world of literature.
  
  I should also note that the winner of this award has always been the magazine which lands the most stories on the notable stories list. However, this year Blackbird tied Words without Borders, with both receiving six nominations. Because Blackbird won the award only three years ago, I decided the award would be given to Words without Borders while Blackbird was named runner-up. I strongly suggest people check out both of these great online magazines.

Million Writers Award for best new online magazine

• The winner of this year's Million Writers Award for best new online magazine is Lightspeed Magazine. Edited by John Joseph Adams, Lightspeed has quickly established itself as one of the premier professional markets for science fiction and landed four nominations on this list. Equally as impressive, "Arvies" by Adam-Troy Castro was selected by more Million Writers Award judges than any other story in the history of our award.
  
  I should add that it was difficult to pick this year's winner because so many great magazines debuted in 2010. The runner-ups for best new magazine are Daily Science Fiction, Jersey Devil Press, Metazen, Prime Number Magazine, and TriQuarterly Online (formerly the print magazine Triquarterly, which transitioned to online only last year).

---

The Notable Stories of 2010

3AM Magazine
http://www.3ammagazine.com

• "f Stop" by Michael Loughrey
  http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/f-stop/

42opus
http://www.42opus.com

• "The Mooring Line" by Anna Blackett
  http://42opus.com/v10n1/the-mooring-line

Abjective
http://www.abjective.net

• "The Deep Dip, The Middle-way, The Highness, The Highness Above the Highness, The Outward Regions" by Kim Parko
  http://www.abjective.net/106.html

Abyss & Apex
http://www.abyssandapex.com

• "The Black Sheep of Vaerlosi" by Desmond Warzel
  http://abyssandapex.com/201004-black.html
  

Anderbo
http://www.anderbo.com/

• "Here is David, the Greatest of Descendants" by Spencer Kealamakia
  http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/afiction-046.html

Apex Magazine
http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online

• "The Faithful Soldier, Prompted" by Saladin Ahmed
  http://apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2010/11/short-fiction-the-faithful-soldier-prompted-by-saladin-ahmed/
• "The Green Book" by Amal El-Mohtar
  http://apexbookcompany.com/apex-online/2010/11/short-fiction-the-green-book-by-amal-el-mohtar/

The Apple Valley Review
http://www.leahbrowning.net/Apple/Home.html

• "If You Stopped" by Kimberly Long Cockroft
  http://www.leahbrowning.net/Apple/Fall_2010/Kimberly_Long_Cockroft.html

Barrelhouse
http://www.barrelhousemag.com

• "Most of Them Would Follow Wandering Fires," by Amber Sparks *
  http://www.barrelhousemag.com/?p=44
  
  (* Selected by more than one preliminary judge)

The Barcelona Review
http://www.barcelonareview.com

• "Presents" by Rachel Ephraim
  http://www.barcelonareview.com/72/e_re.html
• "Hero of the Nation" by Ranbir Sidhu
  http://www.barcelonareview.com/72/e_rs.html
• "A Temporary Princess" by G.K. Wuori
  http://www.barcelonareview.com/71/e_gkw.html

Bartleby Snopes
http://www.bartlebysnopes.com

• "So Much Depends" by Caroline Kepnes
  http://www.bartlebysnopes.com/somuchdepends.htm

Beneath Ceaseless Skies
http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com

• "Throwing Stones" by Mishell Baker
  http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=96
• "Memories in Bronze, Feathers, and Blood" by Aliette de Bodard
  http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=102

Blackbird
http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/

• "Mutiny" by Jocelyn Cullity
  http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v9n1/fiction/cullity_j/mutiny_page.shtml
• "What's Buried in the Ground" by Curt Eriksen
  http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v9n1/fiction/eriksen_c/ground_page.shtml
  
• "Always the Obvious Places" by Matthew Healy
  http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v9n1/fiction/healy_m/place_page.shtml
• "Cancer Party" by Nicola Mason
  http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v9n2/fiction/mason_n/cancer_page.shtml
• "Singing for Dixie" by Airin Miller *
  http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v9n1/fiction/miller_a/dixie_page.shtml
• "Banking for the Dead" by Al Sim
  http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v9n1/fiction/sim_a/banking_page.shtml
  
  (* Selected by more than one preliminary judge)

BluePrintReview
http://www.blueprintreview.de

• "The Rain Connoisseur" by Robin Susanto
  http://www.blueprintreview.de/24rain.htm

The Canadian Science Fiction Review
http://aescifi.ca/

• "Orange" by Susan Forest
  http://aescifi.ca/index.php/fiction/35-short-stories/266-susan-forest
• "Disquieting Postcards I’ve Recently Received from My Future Self " by Mark A. Rayner
  http://aescifi.ca/index.php/fiction/35-short-stories/177-disquieting-postcards-ive-recently-received-from-my-future-self

Carve Magazine
http://www.carvezine.com

• "Dirty Darlene" by Sarah Kate Levy
  http://www.carvezine.com/issue/2010/fall/levy.htm

Cerise Press
http://www.cerisepress.com

• "Tales in a Moroccan Landscape II" by Mary Byrne
  http://www.cerisepress.com/02/05/tales-in-a-moroccan-landscape-ii
• "The Train" by Dominic Saucedo
  http://www.cerisepress.com/02/04/the-train

Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
http://www.asiancha.com/

• "Crossing Over" by Gwen Florio
  http://www.asiancha.com/issue/11/gwenflorio
• "Love Story" by Kimarlee Nguyen
  http://www.asiancha.com/issue/10/kimarleenguyen

Cherry Bleeds
http://www.cherrybleeds.com/

• "A Sparrow With White Scars" by Nik Korpon
  http://www.cherrybleeds.com/words/guest1/nik-mar10.html

Chiaroscuro (ChiZine): Treatments of Light and Shade in Words
http://chizine.com

• "Plastic Sargasso" by Carrie Laben
  http://www.chizine.com/plastic_sargasso.htm
• "It Will All Be Carried Away" by Heath Lowrance
  http://www.chizine.com/it_will_all_be_carried_away.htm
• "Year of the Rabbit" by An Owomoyela
  http://www.chizine.com/year_of_the_rabbit.htm

Clarkesworld Magazine
http://www.clarkesworldmagazine.com/

• "A Jar of Goodwill" by Tobias Buckell
  http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/buckell_05_10/
• "Futures in the Memory Market" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
  http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/hoffman_06_10/
• "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time" by Catherynne M. Valente
  http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/valente_08_10/
• "The Children of Main Street" by A.C. Wise
  http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/wise_12_10

Clapboard House
http://clapboardhouse.wordpress.com

• “No Souvenirs” by Laura Longsong
  http://clapboardhouse.wordpress.com/issue-viii-fall-2010/no-souveniers-by-laura%c2%a0longsong/

The Collagist
http://www.thecollagist.com

• "Account of an Apprentice" by M.T. Fallon
  http://www.dzancbooks.org/the-collagist/account-of-an-apprentice.html
• "Cowboy Good Stuff's Four True Loves" by Joseph Scapellato
  http://www.dzancbooks.org/the-collagist/cowboy-good-stuffs-four-true-loves.html
• "The Turn" by Monica Zarazua
  http://www.dzancbooks.org/the-collagist/the-turn.html
  

Contrary
http://contrarymagazine.com

• "Above the Rooftop" by Steve Mitchell
  http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Steve_Mitchell_Above_the_Rooftop.html

Corium Magazine
http://www.coriummagazine.com

• "Buccaneers" by Stefanie Freele
  http://www.coriummagazine.com/?page_id=836

Crimefactory
http://www.crimefactoryzine.com

• "How to Jail" by Dennis Tafoya (PDF download)
  http://www.crimefactoryzine.com/php_uploads/Crime%20Factory%203%20finished.pdf

Daily Science Fiction
http://dailysciencefiction.com

• "Moonlight and Bleach" by Sandra McDonald
  http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/sandra-mcdonald/moonlight-and-bleach
• "Perfect Black" by Will McIntosh
  http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/will-mcintosh/scifi-perfect-black
• "Flashback" by Melissa Mead
  http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/melissa-mead/scifi-flashback
• "Outside the Box" by Brian Winfrey
  http://dailysciencefiction.com/story/brian-winfrey/outside-the-box

Daybreak Magazine
http://daybreakmagazine.wordpress.com

• "The Notebook of My Favourite Skin-Trees" by Alex Dally MacFarlane
  http://daybreakmagazine.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/daybreak-fiction-the-notebook-of-my-favourite-skin-trees-v2/
  "She's All Light" by LaShawn M. Wanak
  http://daybreakmagazine.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/daybreak-fiction-shes-all-light/

Drunken Boat
http://www.drunkenboat.com

• "Nebraska, 2008" by Emily Eiselein
  http://www.drunkenboat.com/db12/02fic/eiselein/nebraska1.php

Eclectica Magazine
http://www.eclectica.org

• "In Vivo" by Lior Klirs
  http://www.eclectica.org/v14n4/klirs.html
• "The Incorrupt Body of Carlo Busso" by Eric Maroney
  http://www.eclectica.org/v14n3/maroney.html
• "A Quiet Girl" by Trevor Wadlow
  http://www.eclectica.org/v14n2/wadlow.html

Eyeshot
http://eyeshot.net

• "A Short Essay On Roberto Bolaño" by Kevin Hyde
  http://eyeshot.net/bolanohyde.html

failbetter
http://www.failbetter.com

• "All-American" by Jenn Stroud Rossmann
  http://www.failbetter.com/35/RossmannAll.php

Fantasy Magazine
http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/

• "The Seal of Sulaymaan" by Tracy Canfield
  http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/fiction/the-seal-of-sulaymaan/
• "Whisper's Voice" by Elena Gleason
  http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/04/whispers-voice/
  
• Mademoiselle and the Chevalier by Mari Ness
  http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/fiction/mademoiselle-and-the-chevalier/

Fifty-Two Stories
http://www.fiftytwostories.com/

• "Destination" by Jensen Beach
  http://www.fiftytwostories.com/?p=1372#more-1372

Fix It Broken
http://www.fixitbroken.com/

• "Beware the Carousel" by Matthew Dexter
  http://issuu.com/fixitbroken/docs/issue1

FlatmanCrooked
http://www.flatmancrooked.com

• "Clues to Murple" by Kirk Curnutt
  http://www.flatmancrooked.com/archives/8583
  

Flurb
http://www.flurb.net

• "A Peculiar Fashion Business" by Jon Armstrong
  http://www.flurb.net/10/armstrong10.htm
  
• "The Paranoid Critical Method" by Bruce Sterling
  http://www.flurb.net/10/sterling10.htm

The Fox Chase Review
http://www.foxchasereview.org

• "I am Joy" by A. Igoni Barrett
  http://www.foxchasereview.org/10AW/AIBarrett.html

Freight Stories
http://freightstories.com

• "The Summer Ahead" by Lori Rader Day
  http://freightstories.com/Rader_Day.html

Fried Chicken and Coffee
http://www.friedchickenandcoffee.com

• "Leviathan, Monster of the Deep" by Michael Gills
  http://www.friedchickenandcoffee.com/2010/07/29/leviathan-monster-of-the-deep-fiction-by-michael-gills/
  

Fringe Magazine
http://www.fringemagazine.org

• "Mesh and Lace" by Celia Lisset Alvarez
  http://www.fringemagazine.org/lit/fiction/mesh-and-lace/

FRiGG: A Magazine of Fiction and Poetry
http://www.friggmagazine.com

• "Hell Dogs" by Daphne Buter
  http://www.friggmagazine.com/issuetwentynine/fiction/buter/hell.htm

GigaNotoSaurus
http://giganotosaurus.org

• "The Winged City" by Yoon Ha Lee
  http://giganotosaurus.org/2010/12/01/the-winged-city/

Gray Sparrow Press
http://greysparrowpress.net

• "We Always Trust Each Other,Except For When We Don't" by Joseph Michael Owens
  http://greysparrowpress.net/FALL2010ShortStoriesJoseph.aspx

Guernica Magazine
http://www.guernicamag.com

• "There is No 'E' in Zombi Which Means There Can Be No You Or We" by Roxane Gay
  http://www.guernicamag.com/fiction/2058/gay_10_1_10/

Hobart
http://www.hobartpulp.com

• "The Private Eye's Investigation" by Sam Martone *
  http://www.hobartpulp.com/website/november/martone.html
  
  (* Selected by more than one preliminary judge)

Hot Metal Bridge
http://hotmetalbridge.org

• "Liz Phair and the Most Perfect Sentence" by Andrea Uptmor
  http://hotmetalbridge.org/sleep-on-it/liz-phair-and-the-most-perfect-sentence/
  

Identity Theory
http://www.identitytheory.com

• "Fat People Fat Camp" by CJ Hallman
  http://www.identitytheory.com/fiction/hallman_fat_camp.php
• "Lividity" by Michelle Lawrence
  http://www.identitytheory.com/fiction/lawrence_lividity.php

Istanbul Review
http://www.ilrmagazine.net

• "Where We Come From, Where We Go" by Susan Gibb
  http://www.ilrmagazine.net/story/issue17_st11.php  

Jenny
http://www.jennymag.org/fall-10-issue

• "Dreaming in Flesh" by Matt Lattanzi
  http://www.jennymag.org/fall-10-issue/dreaming-in-flesh

Jersey Devil Press
http://www.jerseydevilpress.com

• "That Was Called Love" by Chloe Caldwell
  http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?page_id=727
• "The Pragmatist" by Hilary Gan
  http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?page_id=717
• "Captain Neptunium and Lady U-boat" by Mike Sweeney
  http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?page_id=641

JMWW
http://jmww.150m.com

• "I See You in the Lighthouse" by Franz Knupfer
  http://jmww.150m.com/Knupfer.html

Juked
http://juked.com

• "Hurt Rescued" by I. Fontana
  http://juked.com/2010/06/hurtrescued.asp

Kill Author
http://killauthor.com

• "Rites of Spring" by Finnegan Flawnt  (pseudonym of Marcus Speh)
  http://killauthor.com/issueseven/finnegan-flawnt/
• "You Enjoy Myself" by Frank Hinton
  http://killauthor.com/issueeight/frank-hinton/
  

Knee-Jerk Magazine
http://kneejerkmag.com

• "Back To This World" by Becca Yenser
  http://kneejerkmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79:back-to-this-world-by-becca-yenser&catid=13:stories

Lightspeed Magazine
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com

• "Arvies" by Adam-Troy Castro *
  http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/arvies/
• "Hindsight" by Sarah Langan
  http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/hindsight/
• "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" by Yoon Ha Lee *
  http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/flower-mercy-needle-chain/
• "Standard Loneliness Package" by Charles Yu
  http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/standard-loneliness-package/
  
  (* Selected by more than one preliminary judge)

Literal Latte
http://www.literal-latte.com/

• "The Philosophers Club" by Leslie Rodd
  http://www.literal-latte.com/2010/10/the-philosophers-club/

LitNImage
http://www.litnimage.com

• "A Quiet Snap" by Kris Saknussemm
  http://www.litnimage.com/saknussemm.htm

Matchbook Literary Magazine
http://www.matchbooklitmag.com

• "Fourteen" by Chad Simpson
  http://www.matchbooklitmag.com/simpson.html

Memorious
http://www.memorious.org

• "The Prince" by Jill Maio
  http://www.memorious.org/?id=327
• "Dreaming in Italian, 1964" by Sandra Scofield *
  http://www.memorious.org/?id=328
  
  (* Selected by more than one preliminary judge)

Menda City Review
http://mendacitypress.com/

• "And the Earth Opened Wide" by Matt Athanasiou
  http://mendacitypress.com/4.2010Athanasiou.html
• "The Blue Dirt Filling Station" by Aimee Dearmon
  http://mendacitypress.com/11.2010Dearmon.html

Metazen
http://www.metazen.ca

• "Taking Flight" by Ben Tanzer
  http://www.metazen.ca/?p=6488
  

Monkeybicycle
http://monkeybicycle.net/

• "Betta Fish" by Tara Laskowski
  http://monkeybicycle.net/archive/Laskowski/bettafish.html

Narrative Magazine
http://www.narrativemagazine.com

• "Birds of a Lesser Paradise" by Megan Mayhew Bergman
  http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-2010/birds-lesser-paradise
• "Arthur Arellano" by Viet Thanh Nguyen
  http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/spring-2010/arthur-arellano
  

Necessary Fiction
http://www.necessaryfiction.com

• "The Man Who Lived Amongst the Cannibals" by Robert Kloss
  http://necessaryfiction.com/stories/RobertKlossTheManWhoLivedAmongstTheCannibals

Night Train
http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com

• “This Is How We Walk on the Moon”*
  http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com/contents/cooper5_fb.php
  
  * Note: Technically this story is just under the 1000 word minimum limit for the Million Writers Award. However, the judge who selected it said it's "good, good, good" so, in the interested of promoting "good, good, good" stories we included it here.

NOÖ Journal
http://www.noojournal.com

• "The Coyote" by Brian Baise
  http://www.noojournal.com/view.php?mode=1&issue=weekly&id=273

On The Premises
http://www.onthepremises.com

• "Same-Day Delivery" by Desmond Warzel
  http://www.onthepremises.com/issue_11/story_11_h1.html

Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com

• "The American" by Bruce Worden
  http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=issue&vol=i20&article=_005
  Note: While IGMS normally requires a subscription to read their stories, "The American" is now open to nonsubscribers through mid June. Thanks to the IGMS editors for doing this.
  

Our Stories
http://www.ourstories.us

• "Touch" by Jesse Goolsby
  http://www.ourstories.us/Winter2010/Goolsby_WI10.html
• "A Simple Migration" by Onnesha Roychoudhuri
  http://www.ourstories.us/Winter2010/Roychoudhuri_WI10.html

PANK
http://www.pankmagazine.com

• "Graphy, or The Girlhood of Achilles" by Elaine Castillo
  http://www.pankmagazine.com/elaine-castillo/
• "Defiled Imagination" by Rachel Swirsky
  http://www.pankmagazine.com/rachel-swirsky-2/

Pedestal Magazine
http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/

• "Deck Building" by Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis -
  http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/gallery.php?item=10860

Plots with Guns
http://www.plotswithguns.com

• "Dewlaps" by David James Keaton
  http://www.plotswithguns.com/10keaton.htm
• "Have Chainsaw, Will Travel" by Matthew McBride
  http://plotswithguns.com/10mcbride.htm

Prick of the Spindle
http://www.prickofthespindle.com/

• "Mrs. Marple and the Hit and Run" by Art Taylor
  http://www.prickofthespindle.com/fiction/4.2/taylor/mrs_marple.htm
  

Prime Number Magazine
http://www.primenumbermagazine.com

• "Another Little Piece" by Kevin Wilson
  http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Issue2_Fiction_KevinWilson.html
• "The Pawn" by Scott Sanders
  http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Issue2_Fiction_ScottLoringSanders.html

Red Fez Publications
http://redfez.net

• "The Bastards Were Everywhere and Would Endure" by William Taylor Jr.
  http://redfez.net/redfez/SubPage1.php?page=SubStory&ID=143

Redstone Science Fiction
http://redstonesciencefiction.com

• "Michelangelo's Chisel" by Christopher Miller
  http://redstonesciencefiction.com/2010/06/michelangelos-chisel/
• "Raising Tom Chambers" by Daniel Powell
  http://redstonesciencefiction.com/2010/05/raising-tom-chambers/

Referential Magazine
http://rneferetialmagazine.com/

• "Someday You’ll Understand" by James Valvis
  http://referentialmagazine.com/archive/f2010/someday-youll-understand

Rose and Thorn
http://www.roseandthornjournal.com

• "Violin Karma" by BR Lawson
  http://www.roseandthornjournal.com/Fall_2010_Prose7.html

Saltimbanque Review
http://saltimbanquereview.com

• "Supper with the Exorcist" by Brian Hurley
  http://saltimbanquereview.com/supper-with-the-exorcist
  

Silver Blade
http://www.silverblade.net/

• "Throwing Stones at the Sun" by Jeff Crook
  http://www.silverblade.net/issue7/?p=82

Slush Pile Magazine
http://slushpilemag.com

• "Maps" by Suzanne Barnecut
  http://slushpilemag.com/?p=1172

Spinetingler Magazine
http://www.spinetinglermag.com

• "Cheap Bastard" by Hilary Davidson
  http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2010/03/29/fiction-cheap-bastard-by-hilary-davidson/

Spork Press
http://sporkpress.com/

• "Do You Have a Place for Me" by Roxane Gay
  http://sporkpress.com/weeklies/prose/archives/00000083.html
  

storySouth
http://www.storysouth.com

• "The Weight of Water" by Michael Chitwood
  http://www.storysouth.com/2010/09/the-weight-of-water.html
  
• "The Naturalist" by B.J. Hollars
  http://www.storysouth.com/2010/03/the-naturalists.html
• "Safe" by M.O. Walsh
  http://storysouth.com/2010/09/safe.html

Storyglossia
http://www.storyglossia.com

• "Tutorial for Novice Pistoleers" by Michael Loughrey
  http://www.storyglossia.com/39/ml_pistoleers.html
• "Uncle Rempt" by Bonnie ZoBell
  http://www.storyglossia.com/38/bz_rempt.html

Strange Horizons
http://www.strangehorizons.com

• "Hokkaido Green" by Aidan Doyle
  http://www.strangehorizons.com/2010/20101101/hokkaido-f.shtml
• "The Mad Scientist's Daughter" by Theodora Goss *
  http://www.strangehorizons.com/2010/20100118/daughter-f.shtml
• "Seven Sexy Cowboy Robots" by Sandra McDonald
  http://www.strangehorizons.com/2010/20101004/cowboy-f.shtml
• "Blood, Blood" by Abbey Mei Otis
  http://www.strangehorizons.com/2010/20101115/blood-f.shtml
  
  (* Selected by more than one preliminary judge)

Subterranean
http://www.subterraneanpress.com/magazine

• "Elegy for a Young Elk" by Hannu Rajaniemi
  http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/spring-2010/fiction-elegy-for-a-young-elk-by-hannu-rajaniemi/
• "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen's Window" by Rachel Swirsky
  http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/summer-2010/fiction-the-lady-who-plucked-red-flowers...

Summerset Review
http://www.summersetreview.org

• "Altagracia's Dream" by Hoyt Rogers
  http://www.summersetreview.org/10spring/dream.htm
• "The Artist Conversations" by Mabel Yu
  http://www.summersetreview.org/10fall/artist.htm
  

Super Arrow
http://www.superarrow.org

• "All These Violent Children" by J. A. Tyler
  http://www.superarrow.org/IssueThree/Violent.html

Superstition Review
http://superstitionreview.asu.edu

• "Rabble of Butterflies" by Joy Lazendorfer
  Link not currently available

Swink Magazine
http://www.swinkmag.com

• "Spring Training, 1976 Or: One Argument Against Stripping Jose Conseco’s Name from Southwest 16th Street, Miami" by Jennine Capo Crucet
  http://www.swinkmag.com/jenninecapocrucet.html

Thuglit
http://www.thuglit.com/

• "A Perfect Storm of Unfuckable" by Joe Deir (PDF download)
  http://www.thuglit.com/zine/Thug38/docs/A_perfect_wbio_.pdf
• "Two Minutes" by Christopher E. Long (PDF download)
  http://www.thuglit.com/zine/thug35/docs/Two%20Minutes%20_wbio_.pdf
• "Indirection, In Wait" by Kieran Shea (PDF download)
  http://www.thuglit.com/zine/thug37/docs/Indirection.pdf

Toasted Cheese
http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/

• "Floodwater" by Samantha Abrams
  http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/2010/10-3/abrams.htm

Tor.com
http://www.tor.com

• "The Fermi Paradox Is Our Business Model" by Charlie Jane Anders
  http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/08/the-fermi-paradox-is-our-business-model
• "The Courtship of the Queen" by Bruce McAllister
  http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/05/the-courtship-of-the-queen
• "The President’s Brain is Missing" by John Scalzi
  http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/07/the-presidents-brain-is-missing

TriQuarterly Online
http://triquarterly.org

• “Scarf Dancers” by Jane Hamilton
  http://triquarterly.org/fiction/scarf-dancers

Underground Voices
http://www.undergroundvoices.com

• "The River. The Town. The Dead." by Mitch James
  http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVMitchJames.htm
  

Word Riot
http://wordriot.org

• "Penumbra" by Rachel Ephraim
  http://www.wordriot.org/archives/754

Words without Borders
http://www.wordswithoutborders.org

• "The Cover" by Dejana Dimitrijević
  http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/the-cover/
• "A History of Condo Sales" by Huang Fan
  http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/a-history-of-condo-sales/
• "Delphine’s Illness" by Laurent Graff
  http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/delphines-illness/
• "Mummy and Honey" by Shahriar Mandanipour
  http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/mummy-and-honey/
• "The 'I Ching' and the Man of Papers" by Guillermo Martínez
  http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/the-i-ching-and-the-man-of-papers/
• "Fable of a Severed Head" by Sajid Rashid
  http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/fable-of-a-severed-head/
  

Writers' Bloc Magazine
http://www.writersblocmag.org

• "Jackson Pollock Moment" by Matthew Dexter
  http://writersblocmag.org/archives_13/dexter_jpm.html
  

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Preliminary Judges

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).

Forrest Anderson teaches creative writing and composition at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He has a PhD from Florida State University, where he worked for two years as an archivist and assistant for Robert Olen Butler. His fiction and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in Narrative, The Southeast Review, Blackbird, The Chattahoochee Review, and elsewhere.

Zachary Amendt is a frequent contributor to Underground Voices Magazine and the author of Portland, Boregon, a collection of short stories.

Adam Callaway has neutronium bones, the brain of Deep Thought, and the blog Sensawunda.  He also has his first professional short story coming out in online mag AE Scifi in 2011, so keep that in mind for next year's MWA.

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.

Rusty Keele is a computer programmer who lives in northern Utah with his wife and three kids. He has spent most of his life reading science fiction, comics and anthropology books. He runs several web sites, including one where he reviews a science fiction short story each week. You can find his blog at BestScienceFictionStories.com.

Travis Kurowski is founding editor of Luna Park (lunaparkreview.com) and an assistant professor at York College of Pennsylvania. His writing has recently appeared or is forthcoming in The Lumberyard, Wigleaf, Hobart, Kill Author, and The Rumpus.

Dorothee Lang is a writer, web freelancer and traveler, and the editor of BluePrintReview. She lives in Germany, and always was fascinated by languages, places and stories, themes that reflect in her own work and her web projects – the latest being “>language >place”, a collaborative blog carnival. She blogs in virtual notes.

Svetlana Lavochkina was born and raised in Eastern Ukraine, where the cities steam with important factories, where the daily bun in the school canteen is called "Romantica". A decade ago, she moved to Eastern Germany, where Leipzig teems with parks and stucco nymphs call from the pink façades. Svetlana's short stories and translations of Ukrainian poetry were published or are forthcoming in Witness, Chamber Four Fiction Anthology, Mad Hatters' Review, The Literary Review, Eclectica (shortlisted for Million Writers' Award 2010) and In Our Words Anthology.

Judah Mahay was born and raised in the rustic backwoods village of Talkeetna, Alaska, and currently lives on Long Island. His writings have been published in numerous journals. In 2008, he won the North Shoreian Yearly Writing Contest and had his story “Lord of the Dome” made into a short film after winning a contest by WeMakeYourMovie. He is also the founder of the business community and resource BeYourArt.com. The website has grown to over seven hundred artists and has published eleven video/audio podcasts, co-published ten articles with North Shoreian Magazine, and hosted the annual Be Your Art Writing Contest. In 2010, he was accepted to Robert Wilson's Watermill Center residency by a panel of internationally acclaimed artists to write his Watermill Grimoire. Find out more at www.judahmahay.com.

Karen L. Newman lives in Kentucky where she's an active member of Horror Writers Association and edits the magazines Illumen and Cosmic Crime Stories. She’s also a book editor for Morrigan Books. She’s been named Chair of the 2011 Bram Stoker Award jury for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection and is the 2011-2012 East Regional Director for the Kentucky State Poetry Society.  She edited the online magazine Afterburn SF for over four years before the market closed. Over four hundred of her short stories and poems have been published both online and in print in places such as Dark Tales of Terror, Kentucky Monthly, and The Pedestal Magazine. She writes a column for The Black Glove: Horror Culture and Entertainment. Her poetry collections include EEKU (Sam’s Dot, 2005), ChemICKals (Naked Snake Press, 2007), Toward Absolute Zero (Sam’s Dot, 2009), and ChemICKal Reactions (Naked Snake Press, 2010). Two of her poems received honorable mention in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. She's been nominated for a Rhysling Award, James B. Baker Award, and twice nominated for a Dwarf Star Award. Please visit her online at http://home.zoomnet.net/~karennew.

Gavin C Pugh is a reader who blogs and tweets about books a lot. When he's not online he's reading. You can find his blog here: gavreads.co.uk.

Nick Ripatrazone is the author of Oblations (Gold Wake Press 2011), a book of prose poems. His writing has appeared in Esquire, The Kenyon Review, The Collagist, West Branch, The Mississippi Review, Sou'wester and Beloit Fiction Journal. He edits The Fine Delight, a site devoted to all things Catholic in contemporary literature. His personal site is http://nicholasripatrazone.blogspot.com.

Wayne E. Yang grew up in South Carolina, where he learned to eat grits the proper way: smothered with butter and sprinkled with salt. You can imagine his horror when he went to graduate school in upstate New York and saw people eating their grits with milk and sugar. His writing and photography have appeared in The North American Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Asian Review of Books, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, AOL.com, ESPN.com and other publications. He is a former associate editor at literary magazine Night Train. His web site is http://www.wayneyang.com.

There were also four judges who wished to remain anonymous.

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