In My Opinion

Winter Reflections

Hi Readers –

We’ve hit the cold, quiet, dull part of the winter when we all have time to read stories in a lot of different genres. This has gotten me to thinking about the old question: What makes a good, i.e. readable short story, regardless of genre?

As with most philosophical questions, I’ve come up with a bunch of answers that vary from the academic (very snotty and wordy) to the off-the-cuff (It depends on what you like.), to the mid-winter silly (Don’t ask me questions now, I’m reading. Here’s a stick. Go poke a hibernating bear). As you can see, some of my answers are better than others. Still, I have come up with an answer I rather like.

For me, right here and right now, my best answer is this: A good, i.e. readable short story, is a grabber, no matter which genre it falls into. It starts off with an interesting problem/question/mystery/secret/proposition/puzzle – whatever – that immediately engages my attention and that requires a solution. Then, through various twists and turns, it holds my interest, until finally the story leads me to its conclusion. A conclusion that is unexpected/interesting/amusing/scary/unique, but a conclusion that is satisfying to both the story’s needs and to my needs as a reader. Oh, and a good, i.e. readable story has characters I care about or engage with on some (preferably positive) level.

In Issue 14 of 4 Star Stories we have four grabber short stories of the sort to engage any reader’s attention.

Lou Antonelli leads off Issue 14 with a medieval morality tale. In The Grove of Curiosities a want-to-be Squire who, equipped only with his wits and sense of honor, embarks on a quest that may cost him his life.

Followed by Tony Conaway presenting us with his science fiction story, Exile from the Perfect World. It was just another ordinary assignment for an Universal Security Agency Operative on an alternate Earth -- until his doppelganger showed up -- and his partner tried to kill him.

Then, in Torah Cottrill’s story, The Interpreter, wandering interpreters, members of the Sisterhood, collect information of now-lost technologies in hopes of unlocking their secretes and use ancient, nearly extinct lifeforms to carry out their mission of maintaining the genetic diversity of their world.

Finally, Antonio Urias tells a tale of the old West with an alien twist with his story, “To Sing a Song of Distant Worlds”. A mute girl dreams an alien song that grows to an obsession. An alien wants to replace the Earth with his own universe, and all that stands between him and his goal is the mute girl, the song and a confidence man who is more than he seems.

In addition, 4 Star Stories is excited to present for your reading pleasure a special, dark-roasted treat in the form of a bonus story by Konstantine Paradias – the highly caffeinated How Frappuchino Destroyed the World.

And that is 4 Star Stories, Issue #14!

Enjoy and be amazed! See you for 4 Star Stories Issue 15, coming out around the middle of the year!

The Editors: M. Gray and D. Gray

P.S. We are open for submissions. If you are a serious writer and you have a story you think meets our criteria, send it along to us. We would like to read it.

At 4 Star Stories, we are looking for well-written, original Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories, preferably with an upbeat, positive attitude.

For all da' rules, checkout our Submissions page.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Oh, and writers, remember to self-edit and spell check every story before you send it to us, or to anyone else for that matter. Reading a clean, error-free manuscript makes editors happy, and a happy editor is more likely to publish your story.

Your Editor,

Gray

4 Star Stories is an online speculative fiction magazine that publishes 4 short stories, Science Fiction and Fantasy, 4 times per year. Come and join us each season. Tell your friends about us. Read the stories, look at the art, have some fun. We are. It's important.

Hearing from you is important too. We value your opinions. Click on Contact the Editors to send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

[Index] [About Us] [Stories] [Guest Art] [Editors Write] [In My Opinion] [Archives] [Contact Us] [Links]