My new A.I. short story Created Image, just published by the wonderfully odd editors at Literally Stories! Created Image is an A.I. story about a green-eyed robot who falls in love with its creator. Together they ride into the sunset on a Unicorn. Added bonus: the section breaks contain a secret message hidden in the binary code. But why write this? Well…
The Challenge
Not too many months ago, the esteemed Editors at Literally Stories threw down the editorial gauntlet. The short version was: Stop sending us stories about artificial intelligence. Fine, I understood. Too many cuddly or not-cuddly robot stories. But then, it got personal.
Editor Emeritus Hugh Cron went further. He added this little clarification to the editorial fiat:
And if it is an AI story about a green-eyed robot falling in love with its chiseled torso creator who is tuned into its feelings and they ride into the sunset on a Unicorn, that will be a definite no from me!!! (I dare you, Marco!!!!)
Happy A.I. Unicorn
Hold My Cigar…
Challenge accepted, Friends and Neighbors! After every trope was turned on its cute, little head, Created Image was submitted. A month later, the story was accepted and humble pie shared out all around. It was, Good Readers, a matter of honor, or some such whatnot.
Read the Story Now!
Good news, Friends and Neighbors! Literally Stories is a FREE read for your hungry eyes. Mash the big button! Once you’re there, you’ll find my latest short story as well as other great literary treats. What are you waiting for?
For you button phobic folks, here is the direct link to my story at Literally Stories. W00T! Free Read! Just mash the link and away we go! If you like my story, please leave likes, comments or both.
I’m happy to say, Friends and Neighbors, the tough months of June and July are behind us. Rejoice, August is all good news! Created Image is the fourth (count ’em, FOUR!) new story for this month. Add in four newly accepted stories, and August is going gang busters. Summer is not over yet, Folks! Read all about it on the MEF blog! Or, better yet, sign up for my alerts so you won’t miss a single story.
Are you sizzling on a tropical beach or traveling to far-off lands? I hope so! How about a brand new collection of short fiction for your vacation reading? Stay strong, be kind, and keep reading!
Broken Luggage Collected Flash Fiction
Broken Luggage: Two dozen flash fiction tales of love lost and love found, of darkness at the end of life, and light at the beginning.
A man's life condensed into the broken luggage that will contain it. A young woman alone in the Sonoran Desert. Memories of dangerous eggs, thunderstorms, and a gunshot man. A character tours his self-made hell. Another steps from between the pages. Parables of sand and migration A labyrinth into new love, and the remembrance of love past. These two dozen flash stories tell swift tales of love lost and love found, of darkness at the end of life, and light at the beginning.
Marco Etheridge is a writer of fiction, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His stories have been published in reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. Broken Luggage gathers twenty-four of his best flash stories into one collection. A man’s life condensed into the broken luggage that will contain it. A young woman alone in the Sonoran Desert. Memories of dangerous eggs, thunderstorms, and a gunshot man. A character tours his self-made hell. Another steps from between the pages. Parables of sand and migration A labyrinth into new love, and the remembrance of love past. These two dozen flash stories tell swift tales of love lost and love found, of darkness at the end of life, and light at the beginning. Unforgettable characters struggle against the tides and pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. There is joy and despair, defiance and acceptance. The inhabitants of these pages learn who they are, and sometimes, who they are not. Welcome, Reader, to the world of Broken Luggage.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Marco Etheridge
Marco Etheridge is a writer of prose, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His work has been featured in over one hundred reviews and journals across Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. His story “Power Tools” has been nominated for Best of the Web for 2023. “Power Tools” is Marco’s latest collection of short fiction. When he isn’t crafting stories, Marco is a contributing editor for a new ‘Zine called Hotch Potch. In his other life, Marco travels the world with his lovely wife Sabine. Website: https://www.marcoetheridgefiction.com/