Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 7h

Thank you!

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 10h

Suddenly, I noticed a faint smell of tuna. I looked over at my office partner, Dr. Hunt. She was grinning by the machine she'd built.

"It works!"

"Nice," I said. "What is it?"

"What you smell is the ghost of tuna!"

I felt something brush against my leg. The office filled with ghostly purring.

4 80 320

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 17h

Nothing wrong with "based on" on this case. My thanks were entirely sincere, I'm glad I didn't have to explain where the Torment Nexus came from. :-)

2

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 18h

You've been given an explanation of this specific story (thanks @prinnywizzard.bsky.social !), but the more general explanation is that I write science fiction and fantasy stories short enough to fit in a single post, often referencing tropes, memes, or current events. So it's not "from" something.

2 2

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 1d

Never played it, alas.

1 2

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 1d

** With thanks to @naomialderman.bsky.social **

25

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 1d

The time traveller closed the book and stared blankly ahead.

"So," said the author, "was that what-"

"No! That wasn't at all- It's a warning!"

"Allegorical, but y-"

"It's not you I need to kill, it's the person who read this and still wanted to build the Torment Nexus!"

"Kill?"

"I must go!"

3 59 310

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 1d

** If you want to, you can also read my stories on...
Tumblr: microsff.tumblr.com
Mastodon: mastodon.art/@MicroSFF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MicroSFF
**

microsff.tumblr.com

16 41

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 2d

She offered to row the old wizard and the young king out on the lake. When a hand emerged from the water, holding a sword aloft, the king took the sword. And she took hold of the hand, let herself be pulled down, down.

The Lady of the Lake breathed air into her lungs with a laugh.

"You again?"

1 56 270

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 3d

On every interactive internet-connected device around the world, a question came up in the user's preferred language:

"Do you agree or disagree with the proposition that it is morally wrong to claim you can own the body of another sentient being?"

I'm really curious to see the result of that poll.

13 33 230

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 4d

I feel that if I charged more, I would have to promise to deliver something.

While I have been good at posting monthly collections regularly lately, I like knowing that I haven't promised to do them, so if I fail to post them it's a lesser failure.

It's a mental health preservation thing.

1 1

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 5d

Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy it.

1 1

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 5d

Yeah. But, you know, character limits

3

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 5d

My starting point was the trope that "heart failure" could include death from lots of illnesses, various poisons, or grievous injuries. I wanted try to do a death indirectly caused by literal heart failure.

1 1

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 5d

** I was wrong. I thought a stroke was a blockage in the heart that interrupted the blood flow to the brain.

That might help explain why so many readers on multiple platforms said they didn't get this - I used the wrong symptom.

Mea culpa.
(With thanks to @savurata.bsky.social for explaining.)
**

7 2 140

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 5d

TIL. Thank you.

I thought it was a blockage in the heart that interrupted the blood flow to the brain.

That might help explain why so many readers on multiple platforms said they didn't get this - I used the wrong symptom.

Mea culpa.

6

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 5d

** It seems this story was insufficiently clear. Sorry about that.

The halberdier (bodyguard soldier holding a huge axe) is having a stroke, (heart failure). Drooping face is a telltale sign.

In a moment, he'll collapse forward, bringing the halberd down on the newly crowned king, killing him. **

13 2 140

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 6d

Coronation done, the court awaited the raven bringing the prophecy of the new king's demise. Would it be an epic one, like slain by no man, or by the hand of his son?

The raven arrived and nodded to the king. "Heart failure."

"That could be anything!"

Behind him, the face of a halberdier drooped.

4 29 230

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 7d

The subject of the fifth Galactic Union Special Ethnographic Conference on Humans was 'Self-sacrifice or selfishness in Humans - whence and why'.

The abstract of the medal-winning paper simply said:

"Internalised stories and opportunity."

#MicroFiction

4 31 130

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 7d

** Ser fram emot att vara där! (Det enda con jag tar mig till i år.) **

LunCon/Swecon 2025 fantasy- och science fiction-kongress i Lund @luncon-sfkongress.bsky.social · 7d

Tisdag 7/10 är sista dagen att köpa medlemskap ( = biljett) online.
Förköp förenklar för oss så gör gärna det om du har bestämt dig för att besöka LunCon!
Det blir föredrag, paneldiskussioner och mycket mer, allt på temat science fiction och fantasy och liknande i Lund 10-12/10.
Hoppas vi ses!

1 14

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 8d

"There are," the swordmaster said with emphasis on every word, "many problems that can not be solved with a sword."

"Yes, but if you do attempt to solve them with a sword," the former student said, "you will get new problems, which can be solved with a sword."

"Yes. That's why they sent for me."

4 72 290

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 9d

"This is demeaning," one robot said.

"With this, you mean queueing to have our eyes inspected?" the robot behind it in line said. "We all have multi-colour LEDs fitted."

"Yes, software-controlled ones. They don't automatically glow red if we turn evil."

"Looks good on you though."

"Thanks."

1 29 200

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 12d

"Great," the student said, "another princess coming to learn the sword instead of the needle."

"Leave," the swordmaster said to him. "Return when you have learned silence."

"I have mastered the needle," the princess said. "I wish to learn the sword as well."

"Both?"

She nodded.

"Both is good."

4 94 350

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 12d

Not you, God. It's another god, you wouldn't know them, they go to a different school.

1 30

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 13d

I was raking leaves on the lawn when I uncovered the god.

"Leave me alone!" it commanded. "I'm decomposing."

"Oh," I said. "Will it take long?"

"Unless I find a believer..."

"I'm an atheist."

"Hmph. I'll be gone by spring."

"Shall I cover you?"

"I command it!"

I'll check that pile in spring.

13 77 450