March Theme Prompt Winner
- Jim Dutton
- May 18
- 3 min read

Editors' Choice:
"The TQL Gambit" by David Barlow is the editor's pick as the winning theme story for March/April. Congratulations David!
Last month's theme prompt, Begin at the Big Ending, ended on April 15th, with the final accepted entry published on May 2nd. We had a baker's dozen, thirteen backward submissions that started at the end of the story, or at least the end of something. Here's a summary of the winning story:
The TQL Gambit – Time travel never goes according to plan
Stranded in the infinite feedback loop of space-time, Susie and her exasperated crewmate have already visited the future—twice—and landed right back where they started. With faulty tech, blocked mid-phase jumps, and a dangerously disabled safety system, their only hope lies in hacking a TQL script to break the cycle and return home. But as timelines tangle and reality flickers, one thing’s certain: nothing ever goes smoothly when you mess with the chrono-safety.
The TQL Gambit is a fast-paced sci-fi romp full of sharp dialogue, high-stakes hacking, and quantum chaos. Buckle in — it’s going to get weird.
If you haven't read "The TQL Gambit" yet, start by going straight to the ending... er... the beginning of this fine story. Support our SFS family and click the link below. Don't forget to give a rocket or five if you like it!
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Honorable Mentions
The editors agree three other theme stories deserve mention this time as excellent examples of utopian sci-fi:
"Appointment at the Samarra" by Jeff Currier
"Mother Knows Best" by Randall Andrews
"Dead Right " by J. Millard Simpson
Of course, you should read all of this month's prompt stories to appreciate and enjoy the variety of ways our writers chose to treat this common theme. Here's a full list:
Title | Author | Release Date |
Jack Loftus | Mar 18, 2025 | |
Philip Apps | Mar 20, 2025 | |
Anne Wilkins | Mar 24, 2025 | |
Randall Andrews | Mar 26, 2025 | |
David Barlow | Apr 1, 2025 | |
J. Millard Simpson | Mar 27, 2025 | |
Kanwar P. S. Plaha | Apr 4, 2025 | |
Mary Lawton | Apr 11, 2025 | |
Stefan Grieve | Apr 25, 2025 | |
James Hornick | Apr 14, 2025 | |
Nina Miller | Apr 21, 2025 | |
Jeff Currier | Apr 30, 2025 | |
Jim Dutton | May 2, 2025 |
Next Theme Prompt
The next theme prompt, Many Minds, was announced on May 10 and will end at midnight on June 15. Join the prompt this month by submitting your own science fiction story about the mind, in any of its myriad facets.
To allow sufficient time to publish all the accepted theme stories before announcing the editors' choice, we ask you to please complete any necessary revisions within one week of receiving editorial comments.
If you are a subscriber to our site, you can click on that little rocket icon at the end of a story (up to five times) to express your appreciation to the author. Each month, we award a cash prize to the story that has the most rocket blasts.
You can read all of these amazing stories, plus a new one every weekday, for less than the cost of a replacement chrono-safety lock. And, by the way, a lifetime subscription to SFS is available! All you have to do is,
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