Really, Really Short Stories

Perhaps the most famous piece of very short fiction is the story Ernest Hemingway apparently considered his best prose:

"For sale: baby shoes, never used."

Like most things Hemingway, the few words expand into a massive picture in one’s mind.  A real work of art and, in this case, very sad.

While cruising around the ‘Net the other day, I ran into an old Wired Magazine blog post which had similarly short pieces by various sci-fi, fantasy and horror writers.

My favorites are:

“Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.”
– William Shatner

“Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time”
– Alan Moore

“Internet “wakes up?” Ridicu –
no carrier.”
– Charles Stross

For those that remember actually needing a carrier signal.

“It’s behind you! Hurry before it “
– Rockne S. O’Bannon

“Easy. Just touch the match to”
– Ursula K. Le Guin

Loads of fun ones.  Check ‘em out.