Participate in #SHORTADAY!
Day 1 of my #SHORTADAY Challenge is here. I have decided to read one of the most reprinted stories of all time: “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman, by science fiction great Harlan Ellison.
This is a perfect story for me to kick off #SHORTADAY with. It’s only a couple pages long, and it is an award-winning short story. It won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1966, and the Nebula Award in 1965, which is the year I was born. My birthday is Sunday, so expect to see maybe another classic by Ellison on that day as well. I’ve already read I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream. It’s in the top five on my list of all time “must read” science fiction stories. I may read it again on Sunday, or investigate one of the other stories I have from his collection I’m reading: Alone Against Tomorrow.
Some folks have asked about the list I’m working from. It’s huge. I now have over 100 stories to choose from, enough to do three months worth of #SHORTADAY reading. Let me get through my one-month challenge, and we’ll see if I can manage more reading time. I have decided to post a few of the stories that I know I have to read for this:
- “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman, by Harlan Ellison. From the collection: Alone Against Tomorrow: Stories of Alienation in Speculative Fiction.
- A Psychological Shipwreck, by Ambrose Bierce. From the Kindle collection: A Collection of Short Horror Stories by Ambrose Bierce
- Beachworld, by Stephen King. From Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 5, October 2010, Kindle edition.
- Some of Our Work with Monsters, by Ron Carlson. From What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers, by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter
- The Exterminator’s Want Ad, by Bruce Sterling. From The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November/December 2010.
- Free Elections, by Alan Dean Foster. From The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November/December 2010.
- Five Planets that Will Kill You Dead, by Genevieve Valentine. From Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 5, October 2010, Kindle edition.
- Puma and Jaguar Save the Planet, by Maria Protopapadaki-Smith. From The Best of Friday Flash, Volume 1. Kindle Edition.
- Twilight in Hysperia, by Robert Guffey. From Aoife’s Kiss Magazine, Issue 36, March 2011. (My contributor’s copy…I’m finally going to read the other stuff in there!)
- A Short Trip, by Jim Bronyaur. From the collection: October Horror. Smashwords.
- Some of the stories from Icy Sedgwick’s Checkmate & Other Stories. I like the title The Midas Box. Will start with that one, likely.
The Midas Box was the first story of mine ever to be accepted for publication! Enjoy!
Ah, the first published story is always a special one for an author. I’ll be sure and read it then! 😀
I didn’t even know this Twitter game existed. If I read an anthology in a day, am I set for the month?
John, then you’d have to call it #anthoaday. 😉 You can do it, though, if you like. I could not read an entire antho in one day. #Shortaday is doable for me. 🙂