by Myna Chang
I love genre fiction and flash fiction, so I was thrilled when I learned Uncharted would be offering another flash contest this year! The contest is open to stories of 1,000 words or less in any of our genre categories: science fiction, fantasy, thriller, horror, mystery, historical, or young adult. We love mashups, so feel free to combine those categories however you want!
As you develop your entries for the contest, I encourage you to pay attention to the size of your story—not just the word count but the heart of the piece. Does the plot come to fruition luxuriously within the flash-sized container? Do the key moments leap off the page, with a vibrant distillation of emotion or revelation?
I hope the following examples of stellar flash will inspire you. Consider these a jumping-off point!
By Paul Martz
This story won the 2023 Uncharted Flash Contest! This is the heartbreaking tale of a sentient AI that has been retired. The parallels to human aging, loss, and grief are woven beautifully into the narrative, leaving the reader with multiple levels of meaning to ponder.
By Tara Campbell
A delightfully unexpected situation with a wondrous pair of characters. The language is precise, with no wasted words. A casual reader can enjoy this story on the surface level; deeper readers will be rewarded with a more complex experience.
By M. L. Krishnan
This horror piece grabs the reader with explosive language and doesn’t let go. It’s easy to get lost in the gorgeous phrasing and vibrant images, but do read it a second time to appreciate the story arc—an impressive feat in only 337 words.
By LM Guay
This mashup fantasy/crime noir has it all—the worn-out detective, the femme fatale, and the nightclub where it all goes down. The striking images and language will knock your stockings off.
By Lixin Foo
This historical story is based on the life of Consort Zhang Lihua of the Chen Dynasty. The first-person POV makes a harsh world of intrigue and inevitable demise personal, pulling the reader immediately into the story with the startling title and opening lines.
More recommended genre flash:
A Hitchhiking Robot’s Guide to Canada By Marie Vibbert
A Love of Bicycles in the Violent Now By Brandon Case
By a Doorstep That Never Receives You By Ai Jiang
Five Answers to Questions You Probably Have By John Wiswell
The Sea Became A Diamond Sheet By William Squirrel
Homeland in Verse By Naomi Day
Parable of the Fish Bone By Star Su
How To Survive Working for the Mob According to Virginia Hill By Candace Hartsuyker
First Girls By Jessica Luke García
The Restaurant at the End of the World By Sarah Freligh
Shelley and Harvey By Caroline Bock
Superposition By Josh Denslow
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MYNA CHANG is the host of Electric Sheep SF and author of the award-winning micro collection, The Potential of Radio and Rain. Her work has been selected for the Locus Recommended Reading List, Flash Fiction America (W.W. Norton), Best Small Fictions, and Best Microfiction. She has won the Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction and the New Millennium Award in Flash Fiction. See more at MynaChang.com or find her on Bluesky or Twitter at @MynaChang.