The Best Flash Fiction of 2018

Warning: "Best" is a relative term. These are the ones I, the Editor, most enjoyed. Feel free to argue eloquently in the forum if you disagree!

The Last Dawn by Susan Anwin The Condemned writes a final letter Family Crisis by Ron Guell Our story begins in a wilderness caught in the grip of a harsh and scalding winter. X-tra by Denny E. Marshall It always pays to have a spare! Lothar’s Head by William Squirrell Be careful what you ask for.

The Real Me by Susan Anwin Love is a terrible thing. Nineteen by Andrée Gendron Count the gargoyles. First Flight by C. E. Gee If you believe this, can I interest you in a Phlogiston pump? The Replacement by R. Gene Turchin Is it my fault if I'm an early adopter?

Every month for almost ten years, we have run a flash fiction contest in the "Fun and Games" folder in Aphelion's forum. In the contest, we post a challenge with a specific theme and participants get two weeks to write a flash story based on the challenge guidelines. Then the members vote of the stories, rating them in six different categories. It's a great place to hone your writing skills, meet some fellow writers, receive some feedback, and possibly win a prize, or at least, bragging rights. Flash stories from all of our previous challenges are archived in the Flash Challenge Entries Index, which lists over 775 stories.

New participants are always welcome. Submissions for the contest are done through the forum. Just click 'Flash Challenge' button in the Navbar link on the left side of this screen, or go to the ’Fun And Games’ topic on the forums, to see what we're up to right now