Ten Tales of Speculative Fiction

1.

“Does my bum look big in this?”

He glanced at her. “Well, yes. But I like women with big bums.”

“Great!” she beamed. “In that case, I’m ready to go…”

2.

As always, every available bank teller was on duty, so Steve found himself at the head of the queue in no time.

3.

Gwen tutted as the bus finally arrived. Ten minutes late!

“I’m so sorry,” apologised the driver, as a number of young men rose to offer Gwen their seats. “My fault, I’m afraid. I hope you weren’t too badly inconvenienced…”

4.

Tom immediately sat down and wrote an extremely constructive letter to his local council, alerting them to the problem and suggesting some practical solutions. Within two days he received a phone call from the council, thanking him sincerely for his input, and informing him that already several of his ideas were being put into practice…

5.

True to his word, the plumber arrived at exactly 10.30 that morning…

6.

“Definitely the alternator,” said the mechanic. “Luckily I’ve got a spare one out the back, just sitting around gathering grime. Glad to find a use for it. Call it … twenty bucks for labour, and I’ll throw in the part for nothing. If you’ve got time to wait, shouldn’t take more than half-an-hour...”

7.

“So,” he said, hesitantly. “Do you, er, want to cuddle? Talk a little? You don’t have to go right away, do you?”

“Sorry,” she said, throwing back the sheets. “You know how it is. Anyway, I was really just after a good, hard -”

8.

“Hi, how are you today?” said the nineteen year old sales-assistant, smiling, and immediately hanging up the phone as Jenny entered the boutique.

9.

“Well, I’ve got no bloody idea where we are,” he said. “Hang on – I’ll just pull over and look at the map.”

10.

“The machine worked, Susan! I made the jump – right into an alternate version of our world!” Dean gazed up painfully from his hospital bed. “A twisted version, where those in power impose wars and sanctions upon those least able to fend for themselves! Where whole nations starve, while others produce more food than they can possibly consume! Where children are sexually abused, or sold like appliances! Where the have-nots are turned away by the haves! Where white-collar criminals receive harsher punishments than rapists and murderers! Sexism! Racism! Overpopulation! Animal cruelty! Environmental vandalism -!“ His voice rose to a shout as he struggled to sit up.

“Shh!” She pressed a hand against his sweating brow, and he fell back against the sheets, panting. “Dean, the technicians examined the remains of the machine very carefully. There’s absolutely no evidence that it ever worked. You must have bumped your head. Imagined it all.”

“No!” He shook his head weakly. “It was real! A nightmare world -!”

“Yes,” she said, quietly. “Only a nightmare…”

Back