Here we go, folks: Water Rats – New Dystopian Fiction, my fourth story of 2025. My latest short story, Water Rats, has just been published in The Raven Review. Water Rats tells the tale of a world after the water wars in which stealing water is a capital offense. The genre is dystopian fiction.
Welcome to the New Year! Grab yourself a great dose of dystopian fiction while it lasts. At the current rate of political turmoil, today’s dystopian nightmare might very well be tomorrow’s broadcast news.
Water Rats is my first story to be featured in The Raven Review, but I am certainly hoping for a return engagement. Besides reading my story Water Rats (yes please!) you can peruse the whole lineup of present and past issues at:
The New Year is well underway, my Lovely Readers, and I wish each of you peace and prosperity. Dog knows we could all use some. I write dystopias for your entertainment and as a warning. Unfortunately for all of us, authoritarian dictators are looming on many fronts. Woe unto us if we fall under their thrall.
Ah, well, on with the show. Water Rats is my fourth published story for 2025. The month of January has also yielded four accepted stories so far. There will be a whole lot more, so hold onto your hats, folks!
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. I’ve got flights to buy and places to go…
U6 Stories – Vienna Underground Tales
Every train carries a story.
The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The silver and red trains carry stories, many stories. A woman mourns her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. Eighteen tales of love lost and found, of the darkness within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.
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 seventy reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. U6 Stories gathers eighteen of his best short stories into one collection. The U6 is one line of the Vienna underground transit system. The trains transport more than people. Each silver and red carriage carries stories, many stories. A woman mourns the death of her musical lover, and a man discovers his courage. A Syrian family flees to a fragile new beginning, and a young man helps circus performers during a pandemic. Lovers rediscover each other after decades apart, and a man finds a father he never knew. A contract is broken, and neighbors defend their own. These eighteen stories tell tales of love lost and love found, of the darkness that lies within us, and the glimmering light that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters struggle against the tides and pressures of an impersonal world, and against the burdens they carry within. Welcome, Reader, to the stories of the U6.
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 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://bro.uxw.mybluehost.me/