Wow! You all made it extremely difficult for our judge! If you missed any of the stories, go read them here. (Feel free to make your own comments.) Done? Good. Now let's read what the judge had to say:
This week my thoughts turned toward the tension of paired
contrasts: a new day that’s a final day, and a debilitating condition that is
itself defeated. And in the funny way these contests sometimes work, you
responded in pairs: the brink of suicide (Lauren Green & Margaret Locke),
super-human transformation (Dr. Mike Reddy & Christy), condemned prisoners
(Mark Driskill & Michael Simko), macabre physical procedures (Holly
“Stephen King” Geely & Kate “All Who Agree, Say Eye” Julicher), and even
reborn space explorers (Clive Tern & Nancy Chenier). We also had
mountain-climbers (Phil Coltrane & AJ Walker), heart-sore near-princesses
(Rose Ketring and Tamara Shoemaker), and incurable incapacitations redeemed by
technology (Charles Short and Geoff LePard). How do you do that?!
Thank you so much for sharing your fascinating and
terrifying and wondering visions here. It was an honor and pleasure seeing
through your eyes, if only for a moment. (Of course, with several of your
stories, a moment was more than enough, thank you!!!)
Margaret Locke: What a pleasure to see you at FTT! I hope
this is the first of many times. J Loved the look at Tourette’s and its
possibilities, and I’m so grateful for the introduction to the very real and
awe-inspiring Tim Howard. Thank you.
Dr Mike Reddy: LOVED your imagery—esp the sun “kicking off
the bedsheets of night,” what a visceral image!—and the nod to the very, very
brilliant Oscar Wilde. And a totally fab last line.
AJ Walker: Cheeky boy, daring to write about Rebekah and a
dragon! I love how Rebekah’s physical journey from home to monastery to caves
mirrors her internal quest for peace. And I am SO glad you allowed her a bit of
hope at the end (I was waiting for you to kill her off).
Lauren Greene: What I loved best about your story is the reminder
of how we never know how our words may affect others. A single text saved
Marty. May our words bring healing too! We can’t know the darkness others may
be battling. Thank you for sharing this story.
Holly Geely: This story ought to have been marked NSAL, “Not
Safe After Lunch,” haha! This was both gruesome and hilarious at the same time
and just about did me in; I didn’t know whether to vomit or howl with laughter.
In fact I’m still shrieking over “His father would have supported him, if his
mother hadn’t required his liver for that potion.” DARN THE LUCK!!!!
Tamara Shoemaker: This too was some really, really good
worldbuilding. I could totally see our outcast mermaid student miserably
flopping along while biding her time. What a fun take on the prompt, from
windows and sunrises to the bottom of the sea. Really nice.
Rose Ketring: This piece read like a garden; I could almost
feel the breeze and smell the wildflowers myself. How incredibly rich a tale,
and so gently told.
Charles Short: I really loved the tension here between a man
whose contagion demanded absolute isolation and his innate need for
companionship. This story read almost like a cautionary tale and reminded me in
way of Geoff’s story, in that the marvels of technology ARE amazing, and yet
they are not enough. Such a good reminder.
Christy: Ahhhh, Gilbert, and what he sacrificed for the sake
of others! The final lines reminded me of the frame of my favorite musical,
Aida, in which Radames and Aida, ancient lovers, meet again in modern times.
Are there any themes more universal than love and loss? You’ve illustrated them
so well here.
Mark Driskill: Like Margaret and Lauren’s protags, your
Captain James was saved from suicide by last-minute intervention from others.
This is SUCH a huge story. Oh my word, I’ve no idea how you fit it all into 500
words. I so love your imagination; I’m especially dying to know the history
(and fate!) of the Meridian Stone.
Kate Julicher: This was some really fantastic storytelling;
it read in some ways like those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books I gorged on
as a kid. Well, a combination of those and the urban legend about waking up in
the tub with a note saying, Call paramedics as we’ve just harvested a kidney.
–What a great read. Terrifying world. May our society NEVER reach the point
where we think this sort of thing is okay.
Michael Simko: First off, yes, being a putz always counts,
regardless of the category. :D This was a tremendously fun read. I couldn’t
help picturing Cap’n Jack Sparrow, with your womanizing egomaniac who probably
deserved the execution he was supposed to get but OF COURSE got saved by a very
nice woman at the end anyway. What a romp. Thank you!
Nancy Chenier: I’m a huge Robin McKinley fan, so it was
impossible for me to read your story without thinking of her mind-speaking
black pegasus Ebon and his rider (one of my favorites!). You’ve taken this Ebon
in a direction all your own, however; it was satisfying on so many levels to
see Ebon’s deepest fears conquered. The relationship between Ebon and Luna
(such great names, all of them!) also worked beautifully as they transitioned
between kinds of beings and as Ebon found the courage he needed and peace he
deserved. And the gorgeous last line WE hoped for. J
Special Challenge Champion: Geoff LePard: I so appreciated
looking out of James’ eyes; technology has brought us SO far, and I’m grateful,
but there’s still so much it can’t do. James’ own determination earned him the
triumph he’s achieved; I’ve rarely felt so proud of a fictional character.
Runner Up: Clive Tern: OHHH the deliciously fabulously
wonderful worldbuilding! What *I* would give to smell chappaberry and the sea,
or fly in an aelectropede. This is a strong example of what seamless
worldbuilding looks like, and it’s used to marvelous effect here. I could spend
a lot more time in this world. Hint, hint.
Grand Champion: Phil Coltrane, “A Conversation in the Airport
Lounge.” Ahh, the gorgeous Philippines! I wonder which volcano you had in
mind?? I love that part of the world, and this scene read so vividly for me. I
loved your saucy interpretation of the prompt—chat windows and Tequila
sunrises, haha! Some really wonderful repartee here (“I’m clean and sober!
Except for the alcohol, of course”) and character development. Complex and
interesting perspective, too, with the thoughtful busboy the one painting the
picture of the lovers. Unique take, excellent pacing, fresh writing (do you
speak Tagalog!?), strong characters, and a man leaving “paradise” to return to
his true “paradise”? That’s a CHAMP tale
for me. Awesome work.
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