Here it is, the first story of 2025: New Dystopian Fiction – Poetry’s Price. My latest short story has just been published in Unlikely Stories Mark V. Poetry’s Price tells the tale of a near-dystopian city that was once Portland, Oregon, a new caste system, and a world where possession of pens or blank paper is a capital offense.
Welcome to the New Year! Grab yourself a dose of dystopian fiction!
Read the Story NOW!
Unlikely Stories is a great online ‘Zine featuring weird and wonderful fiction, including my story Poetry’s Price. What’s more, Unlikely Stories is a FREE read. W00T! Without further ado, mash the big button and you will be whisked away to literary land.
Poetry’s Price is my first story to be featured in Unlikely Stories. Without a doubt, Unlikely Stories is carrying on the tradition of offbeat fiction while at the same time fighting the fascists. Intrigued? You should be! Besides reading my story Poetry’s Price (yes please!) you can peruse the whole lineup of present and past issues at:
The New Year is upon us, my Lovely Readers, and I wish each of you a bodacious 365 days and more. As I look back on the last month, I can only stare slack-jawed in amazement. December saw ten published stories and seven stories accepted. That’s a record-breaker, folks!
But it’s a New Year here at MEF headquarters. We must look ahead to future stories, So, how will you know when a new story breaks? Glad you asked, Friends. Read On! Drum roll and… Meanwhile, don’t miss any upcoming stories. You can stay tuned for all the latest by following the MEF blog:
And finally, with your indulgence, allow me a blatant book plug:
Power Tools
There are moments in life when having the right tool makes all the difference.
An elderly woman sets out alone on a journey into a new life. Two soldiers in a bunker share candy and memories. A widower takes on the Supreme Court with a robot. Grief is sung over the cobbled streets of Valletta. Two old heroes question their purpose. These stories tell tales of love lost and found, of the fight for justice, and the glimmering flame of hope that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters push back against the crushing weight of the world and shoulder the burdens they carry within. Love, laugh, dance, weep; these are the stories of Power Tools.
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 more than eighty reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. Power Tools gathers twenty-one of his best short stories into one collection. An elderly woman sets out alone on a journey into a new life. Two soldiers in a bunker share candy and memories. A widower takes on the Supreme Court with a robot. Grief is sung over the cobbled streets of Valletta. Two old heroes question their purpose. These stories tell tales of love lost and found, of the fight for justice, and the glimmering flame of hope that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters push back against the crushing weight of the world and shoulder the burdens they carry within. Love, laugh, dance, weep; these are the stories of Power Tools.
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/