Write a sci-fi story about a mysterious object in the sky. Throughout human history, people have looked to the skies for signs, interpreting unusual celestial phenomena as messages from the gods, warnings of disaster, or hints of major change. Ancient civilizations recorded appearances of comets, bright “guest stars,” and eclipses, each seen as a portent. In China, for example, comets were often viewed as harbingers of political upheaval or natural disasters. Roman and Greek

Apologies for the delay, folks; we didn't forget you. September's Reader's Pick Award goes to E.J. Kavounas, for Love Hack , winning the contest with a landslide. Congratulations! Along with the cash award, the Reader's Pick also carries a lovely medal to decorate the story art, as well as invaluable bragging rights. We'd also like to let you know about our three Honorable Mentions: Omni-Body Technologies , by Joshua Mannix The Mouth Beneath the Mountain , by Sophie Lennox B

Editors' Choice: "Tommy" by Michael Barbato-Dunn is the editor's pick as the best theme story for July/August. Congratulations Michael!...

Another month, another award -- this time to... [insert drumroll here] " In Stone and Story ", by Sophie Lenox! Remarkably, this is only...

Prompt: Write a sci-fi story set in some unique or interesting place on or near Earth.

An Alien Eden It was a hotly contested race, but the numbers don't lie. Once again, our Reader's Pick Award goes to... ...the incomparable Randall Andrews! His story, An Alien Eden , scored an impressive 40 Rockets! Congratulations, and well done, sir. As always, the winner receives bragging rights, the lovely Reader's Pick Medal for their story, and cash money to the tune of $100. Lest we forget, there are also three runners-up: One Can Only Wish , Will Kelly, 35 Rockets

"So much for Objective Journalism. Don't bother to look for it here — not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With...

What, so soon? Yes, so soon. This summer's just zipping by, isn't it? Likewise, this Reader's Pick contest has been an exciting race,...

Editors' Choice: "A Heaven for Holograms" by Stefan Grieve is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for May/June. Congratulations...

Write a sci-fi flash story about aliens living surreptitiously among humans. Everything I'm about to tell you is completely true. There...

In grade-school English, you were probably taught about plot, theme, rising and falling action, the climax, and so on. And that was...

On rare occasions, we'll publish something that's twisted around, upside-down, back to front, or that's missing important parts —...

Once again we have a new Reader's Pick story, voted for by you, our loyal readers. This time, unusually, the winner hasn't been in any...

Editors' Choice: "The TQL Gambit" by David Barlow is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for March/April. Congratulations...

It's that time again! We have a new Reader's Pick story, voted for by you, our loyal readers. The votes have been swinging this way and that, with four different stories each taking the lead at any given moment. And the final winner is... Unsupported Technology , by Nina Miller. As always, this victory entitles our winning writer to the coveted Reader's Pick medal, a $100 cash prize, and — most valuable of all — the genuine envy of her fellow writers, all of whom are madly

Write a sci-fi story about the mind. Of course, you'll use your mind to write the story (I hope). But that's not what I mean. That...

I've seen it countless times. Some seminar lecturer or junior college teacher says, "The past perfect tense is a sign of bad writing."...

This month, with a come-from-behind win, our Readers have Picked... " Mother Knows Best ", by Randall Andrews, with an impressive 41...

First, let me say, DON'T DO IT! Don't submit AI-generated content to SFS. We strive to publish quality flash science fiction here at...

Yes, you read that right: "And" is your enemy. So too are "or", "but", and all those commaed lists half a mile in length. Anything that...