The story of the week for June 20 to 24 is…

The Last Gig by J.D. Lone Bear

I enjoyed the transition from utopia to dystopia, and the turn to dark humour at the end.

The story of the week for June 13 to 17 is…

There Be Monsters by Eva Luçien

The ending of this story renders the entire thing chilling and evocative. Truly an imagination-opener.

The story of the week for June 6 to 10 is…

Could You Please Direct Me to the Self-Help Section? by Ozzie Nogg

It’s relatively easy to tell a joke in 50 words. It’s much more impressive to add this many layers and subtleties to the humour. I was won over even harder when I recognized the punchline built into the story’s title.

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for May were:

Cryptic Quest by John H. Dromey
Alone by Verity Park
Encroachment by Daniel Slaten
Alien Nature by Patrick Yu

The winner of the May 2016 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

Alien Nature

Patrick put together something very poetic, unique, and fascinatingly speculative. It gets my mind wandering in a lot of different directions, that’s for sure!

The story of the week for May 30 to June 3 is…

A double!

The Daily Check on His Enchanted Girlfriend by Mark Farley
The Leaking and the Legacy by Bob Thurber

This is what happens when two of the strongest repeat authors in 50WS history go up against one another. Both stories are exceptional in very different ways, and both deserved recognition.

The story of the week for May 23 to 27 is…

Alien Nature by Patrick Yu

I love the speculative nature of this piece, and how open it is to interpretation. Plus I’m a sucker for poetic presentation.

The story of the week for May 16 to 20 is…

Encroachment by Daniel Slaten

The story does a great job of immersing the reader in metaphor just in time to plunk them smack dab into something very real with non-metaphorical implications. Very clever pacing and structure.

The story of the week for May 9 to 13 is…

Alone by Verity Park

This story builds great tension, then releases it in a comedic twist that carries more than just comedy. Good layering!

The story of the week for May 2 to 6 is…

Cryptic Quest by John H. Dromey

Exploration, mystery, and personal voyages are all compelling themes, well married in John’s story.

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for April were:

The Stink of a Lifetime by Bob Thurber
Terror by Viv Burgess
The Shrimp Farmer by Alexandra Keister
First Luncheon in a New City by Lynette Hinnings-Marshall

The winner of the April 2016 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

The Shrimp Farmer

Alexandra was able to tell so much story in so little space, packing a ton of character development and implied backstory into every sentence. Fantastic, chilling work!