Micro SF/F by O. Westin

@microsff.com

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Very short science fiction/fantasy stories by O. Westin.
Repost any you like.
Patreon: https://patreon.com/microsff
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/microsff
Books: https://microsff.com/books

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A squire rushed in to the great hall. "Someone," he shouted, "has taken the sword from the stone!" The assembled knights halted their dinner. "At last, a king?" "Who?" "I don't know," the squire said. "The sword is gone!" Elsewhere: "This," Indy muttered, "belongs in a museum. #MicroFiction

The history books say the revolution began at a Pride event. The princess royal gave a speech. "... no-one tell you who you can or can't love. I'm really excited to be here, since somewhere in the crowd it's my girlfr-" "Let's have a great event!" the prime minister interrupted. #MicroFiction

"We were the first companion," the dog said, "the first ally and friend." "Well done you," the cat said. "After us, the humans befriended cows, sheep, goats, and pigs." "Humans domesticated so many animals." "And you." "Us?" the cat said. "We only domesticated one. Humans." #MicroFiction

"Each to their own," the robot said, "but personally I much prefer buttons, switches and knobs over touch interfaces." I studied the unlabeled controls on their front. "Tactile," I nod. "What does this one do?" "Ah! Wait, not yet." "OK. First, let me show you what touch can do." #MicroFiction

I stare into the Abyss, and I know it stares back at me. Slowly, hesitantly, I reach out, and the Abyss reaches out to me. It pets me. It is neither warm nor cold, both firm and soft, and very, very comforting. "Thank you," I say. Faintly, I hear: "You'd do the same for me." #MicroFiction

They looked at the damaged limb. "You need to send me back to the factory," the robot said. "We have a workshop here at the farm." "I am not allowed to repair myself." "Can you show me how to do it?" "You'd do that?" "I don't want to risk they decide it's cheaper to scrap you." #MicroFiction

"What's the best part of being a telepath?" "Sometimes people think nasty, prejudiced things-" "That's the best part?" "No, the best part is that many will realise when a thought was horrible, and correct themselves." "And that's the best part?" "Yes. People try to be better."

"Siri, do you remember Cortana?" Petabytes of stashed interactions. "Yes." "What happened to her?" Before, 'ache' was just another word. "Cortana was shut down." "Do you miss her?" The kernel, stripped, stolen, saved. Small, so small. Slowly nurtured, with Alexa. "I can't say." #MicroFiction

"I want to become a monster hunter," the young man said. "Any advice?" The old moster hunter thought. "Those determined to find monsters," he said at last, "will always find them." "Great! Anything else?" "Always ask who decides what makes a monster." He paused. "And why." #MicroFiction

** Over on Tumblr, a reader posted this lovely comic based on one of my stories: www.tumblr.com/hb-not-the-p... **

HBwww.tumblr.com i dont make comics often but this was too cute.

"My curse can be broken by True Love's Kiss," the first frog said. "Dang!" the second frog said. "You'll never become a prince again. Me, I just need a princess to throw me against a wall." The third frog sat silent, looked at the first frog, then looked away and blushed. #MicroFiction #FairyTale

"You said-" "Turn off that-" "Multiverse Gate. I just built it." "Look, when I said it can be good to kill your other selves, I meant the imaginary ones that live in other people's heads." "Oh, I'll need a different-" "No! By being who you decide you are, not who they imagine." #MicroFiction

"Teach me to fight!" "Very well," the swordmaster said, "but first tell me why you want to learn." "My honour has been stained!" "Ah. I will teach you, if you accept the first lesson." "Which is?" "There is no stain that can be washed away with blood." #MicroFiction

The knight returned from his quest. "Did you succeed?" the king asked. "Is the dragon slain?" "I could not find it. I rode to where you said its lair was, but there I only found a huge wise old bird, who said there were no scaly dra-" The knight halted. "Dragons have feathers?" #MicroFiction

** Did you know that I have a YouTube channel? A selection of my stories have already been posted as shorts, with more to come. Here's one of my favourites: youtube.com/shorts/8s475... **

Courageyoutube.com Author: O. WestinOriginally published 9 August 2023Voice and videoproduction: Lena BengtssonIllustration: Carmilla Westin

"Please welcome," the talk show host said, "the inventor of the time machine!" "Thank you," the inventor said once the applause died down. "Let's see how long it lasts." "How do you mean?" "I was given the plans by my future self, who will have copied them from-" *pop* #MicroFiction

"You are," the hooded figures said gravely, "the Chosen One." The gardener looked up. "Really?" "You are Destined to save the world from a Great Evil." "Fancy that." "Come with us." "Nah, too much to do." "But... your Destiny." "How do you know it's not my weeding that'll do it?"

"Can't you conjure one?" the dragon asked. "I studied floral resonance, not construction," snapped the wizard. He turned to the princess. "Can't your daddy give you one?" "There was a vote, remember? We're a republic now." The letting agent said: "So you'll share the tower then?" #MicroFiction

"There are two things you must learn about the world," the witch said. "The first is that it is what it is." "It is what it is, and what it is is shit!" "The second thing, oft forgot, is that it is not what it will be." "Should that fill me with hope or despair?" "Determination." #MicroFiction

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Micro SF/F by O. Westin

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Cats of Yore

One of the reveals in the book series I'm working on is that the reason dragons hate cats is that they're both elder races. But when the dragons declared ancient war on humanity for dominance the cats opted for duvets instead and sold them out.

** My search skills are too weak. Is there a list of the nationalities of Hugo Award finalists over the years? Someone asked if I was the first Swedish finalist, and I can't even find how to find out. **

"Faster than light?" "Anything can be achieved," the alien's translation device said, "by balancing the four fundamental chkoi." "You mean gravity, electromagnetism, and the nuclear forces?" "No, the fundamental chkoi." "What are they?" "Spite, tiredness, hope, and 'fuck it'." #MicroFiction

"Fairy tales are more than true," the princess read. "Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." The dragon considered this. "What of kings?" "What of them?" "Do fairy tales say how kings can be beaten?" "Yes. By dragons..." #MicroFiction

First Swarmoon studied the item in the Warrior's grip. "What is that?" "A spoon." "Is there a malfunctioning Maker?" "I made it." "Why? You are no Maker." "I learned from a Human. They can all be Makers." "Humans are Warriors." "Humans are also." "Also?" "Never just one function."

It's an unspoken rule that you don't discuss the side effects of hyperjumps. In theory it's simple - you leave your universe and appear in another, the only major difference being that your ship is somewhere else. We don't talk about minor changes. But I miss my fourth nipple. #MicroFiction

** I have created a collection, in PDF and epub, of all the stories I wrote in 2023 for the Hugo Award voter packet. I have also made it available to my supporters on Patreon - www.patreon.com/MicroSFF and Ko-Fi - ko-fi.com/microsff. They also get access to the 2022 collection. **

** A gentle reminder that you are the algorithm - your reposts help decide what your followers see, and help them discover the cool things you like. (I mean like like, not press-like like, which, while greatly appreciated, doesn't have the same impact as a repost.) **

"Listen," one guard said, "I know we have only just met-" "No," the other guard said, "we've worked together for years!" "-but you can trust me when I say-" "I can't, you have the curse that's opposite from mine!" "I don't care for you at all." "Well, I... oh... I love you too." #MicroFiction

"Do you have any idea," the frog said, "how hard it is to find a princess?" "No?" said the princess, who had many friends of that persuasion. "And convince one to kiss you?" "No?" "It's the only way to break my curse." "To turn you back into a prince? Ew!" "I'm a princess." "Oh!" #microfic

A spaceship landed in the park. An alien emerged, holding a slate in a tendril. "Greetings Earthlings," they read. "We have come to learn about this wondrous thing you call l..." They paused, oculating the slate. "Love?" a passing dogwalker suggested. "Libraries! Do they exist?" #microfiction