Writing hero stories for a lit zine that emphasizes the dark and offbeat can be a tricky proposition. But once again, we were bowled over by the talent on display—your twisted imaginations took us to strange and surreal places. 

This contest involved some stiff competition, with many quality submissions rolling in from all over the globe. We read entries from writers in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Japan, the UK, and the USA. The following writers had stories that made it through several rounds of cuts, but didn’t quite squeak into the Top 10.

Close-but-no-cigar shout-outs go to:

James Agombar
Steve Bertolino
Michael Carter
Matthew Di Paoli
Jaq Evans
GJ Hart
Sean Hooks
Aj Jones
Artyv K
Aaron Katzmarek
Joy Kennedy-O’Neill
Emily Livingstone
Chris Milam
Emma Musty
Fred Nolan
Ville Nummenpää
Geoffrey Philp
Aeryn Rudel
Matt St. Hilaire
James Turner
Kaleb Tutt
Carlen Vigo

The Top 10 that you’ll find below will be published in our forthcoming Flash Hero mega-issue, which will drop within the next few days. They will also be included in a future Prize Winners Anthology print issue, to be published in Fall 2018. 

Now check this out:

10th Place – “Company Man” by Christina Dalcher

9th Place – “Tiresias in Manhattan” by Jim Nawrocki

8th Place – “The Magician Invents Fire” by Bailey Bridgewater

7th Place – “Let Me Tell You About Helen” by Lisa Beebe

6th Place – “Footsteps” by Aj Jones

5th Place – “Hiro” by Nancy Dassy

4th Place – “A Piece of Work (At First Manassas)” by Peter Parsons

And now on to those stories that really stuck the landing. 

3rd Place ($50)

“Superhero, Hollywood USA”
by Heidi Sterling

2nd Place ($100)

“Breaking the Chain”
by Faith Currie

1st Place ($200)

“Story of a Witch”
by Rebecca Matteson

Congrats to the winners and a huge thanks to everyone who participated in Flash Hero. It was a joy to read your work, and we couldn’t run these contests without you. Check back soon for the Flash Hero mega-issue!