Unwrap the Flash Monster results…

Well, that was fun. We’ve been running Flash Monster contests since 2014, but this is only our second Flash Monster in December (first was in 2022, and you can read it here). We’re looking forward to gifting this mega-issue within a few short days.

We had quite a few festive entries, but there was definitely a good mix of g-yule-ish stories and straight-up monstrous flash fiction. A running theme throughout our Top 10 seemed to be consumption, and the mega-issue will be brimming with bizarre monsters devouring things in strange ways. Another common thread was unification (and separation), with multiple stories involving entities melding together or splitting apart. And in art as in life, humans are often the real monsters.

Oddly enough, we discovered that no fewer than four writers in our Top 10 (well, Top 11, because you all are just too good) hail from the great state of Pennsylvania. Not something we see every day. And the similarities between the titles (if not necessarily the subject matter) of the two stories that tied for 10th place speak for themselves. 

But enough jabber-jawing. Let’s get to the goods. 

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

Colin Alexander
Lindsey Baker Bower
Erica Beale
Rob Bru
Michael Carter
Martha Cinader
Andrea DeAngelis
Paul de Denus
Mary Elliott
Andrea Goyan
Sandra Herman
Priscilla Long
Rebecca Klassen
Rachel Abbey McCafferty
Molly McConnell
Bradley Ramsey
Caitlin Rubin
Aeryn Rudel
A.D. Schweiss
Joseph Stumpf
Emily Teitsworth
Greig Thomson
Blake Traylor
Susan Wigmore
Abigail Williams
Alpheus Williams
Jo Withers
Stuart Ziarnik

The Top 10 that you’ll find below will be published in our forthcoming
Flash Monster mega-issue, which will be arrive before the eggnog turns.

10th (tied): “Pelican House” by Samantha Beal
10th (tied): “The Peacock Room” by Henry Heffer

9th: “A Blight of Stars” by Sophie Hoss

8th: “Hungry Ghosts” by Melinda Li

7th: “Butterflies in the Stomach” by Edward Barnfield

6th: “Dogs Gotta Eat” by Dan Scamell

5th: “The Past Is Present” by Colin Alexander

4th: “Pink Destruction” by Liz Fyne

And now for the three stories that really made us smile…

3rd Prize ($100)

“The Giving Season”
by Colin Alexander

2nd Prize ($200)

“Out of Oneness, Two”
by Elizabeth Rosen

1st Prize ($300)

“Her Name Was Laika”
by Abigail Williams

Congrats to the winners and a huge thanks to everyone who participated in our second-ever holiday Flash Monster contest! 

Check back by Festivus for the Flash Monster mega-issue.