Micro SF/F by O. Westin

The God of Bad Art gets offerings from all over the world, but in Their temple, They sometimes appear. "Why bad art?" I ask. "It is brave", the God replies. "To try and fail?" "No," the God chuckles. "Any creative work is a defiance of entropy, of Death itself. If you create, you do not fail."

"I was told," said the princess, "that the point of fairy tales is not to tell children dragons exist, but that they can be killed." "Oh, absolutely!" said the dragon. "You agree?" "These rich, selfish, powerful, cruel beings that need killing, did you think they're literally dragons, princess?"

It's not that it turns out we live in a simulation, that we are all simulations, self-aware and thinking and feeling though we might be. It's not even that the simulation is shutting down. It's that it's shutting down because all the AI data centers we built use too much data. It's too stupid.

** A note to my "double catch-up" supporters on Patreon, and my monthly supporters on Ko-Fi: I forgot to prepare and schedule the annotated monthly collection for today (all stories from June 2020). Will get to it as soon as I get home from work, but it'll be a bit later than usual. **

"So what do you think of Humanity?" The alien ambassador fronded. "You have fascinating quirks." "Ah, like our stamina and resilience?" "No, your stories. Many species tell stories, but you are the only ones inventing new gods." "A long time ago." "Your twentytwenties wasn't that long ago?"

A dragon came to the royal castle and requested an audience with the king. "I hear," the dragon said, "that you have no princess." "So?" "So I propose you adopt me." "You're a girl?" "I could be." "Sorry. But wouldn't that bring more dragons?" The dragon fluttered her eyelashes. "I hope so."

I just read @tkingfisher.com’s lovely acknowledgment of @microsff.com in the afterword of Astarion, and I really loved it. And the small scene referenced was so good. Perfect 💗

"Can I help you?" the magic shop proprietor asked. "What swords do you have?" "Only one, today. This is 'Hyvla', the sharpest sword ever made." "Any conditions on it?" "Before sheathing, the blade must be quenched in porridge or it will dull." "That's inconvenient." "I also have this pot..."

"Are you lost, mortal?" a voice whispered. "I just haven't been here before." "You are in the Forest of Perpetual Gloom." "These are oaks." "Er... Their dense canopy-" "It's autumn. The leaves are falling." "But the days grow shorter, so..." "Perpetual gloom except around lunchtime?" "Yes."

"Here with us tonight is Bob, the first ever neutrino to travel across the universe and loop around." "It depends on how you count. In the first second of the universe-" "After nucleosynthesis. You bounced on atoms?" "Yes, I had a lucky break with a water molecule on a planet called Earth and..."

The dragon watched the girl climb up to its mountain lair. She stopped to catch her breath, then shouted: "Oi! I've got some questions." "Ask." "Princesses, why?" "They're educated and smell nice." "No noble blood?" "All humans are humans." "Yes! The revolution is go! Cheers!" "Good luck."

A demon appeared in the summoning circle. It was wearing pyjamas. "I summoned thee to give me knowled-" "Really?" the demon said. "You have the internet these days, the world's knowledge a click away. Nobody's summoned me in years." "You have all knowledge. Why did I summon thee?" "... oh shit."

The princess took an earring off and held it out. The raven looked at it. "Whatever for?" "You are wise and clever. Many princesses have dragons, but none has a raven friend." The raven picked up the earring. "Say no more." "Friends?" she asked when it returned the next day. "Forevermore."

Her son carefully lifted his ochre-stained hand from the cave wall and studied the outline. "That's me. My hand." He looked at the other hands. "Do you know all?" "Some are older than me." "That old?" "Hush you," she laughed. "We don't make these to be seen tomorrow, but because today, we live."

Dr. Dastard pressed the button. Nothing happened. "I cut the wires," Captain Clever said, "you won't rain death and destruction on the world today." "What? My rockets were going to fetch ice asteroids to crash them into the moon." "Why?" "To make an ocean, to let the moon experience tides too."

A spaceship landed in the park. A door dilated. An alien emerged with a chair, which they sat down on, backwards. "Look," they said, "we're not here, okay? You know why nobody contacts you? Because the write-up would be such a pain." They sighed. "Get your shit together, okay? We know you can."

When a wizard dies, their spells unravel. But the pattern lingers a while. When Fitzglob died, other wizards swarmed his tower, trying to find his time-stopper room, which you exited as soon as you entered, no matter how long you spent inside. "Here! This room!" "Why?" "It has a reading chair!"

I died. I expected that. What I did not expect was to be greeted by a friendly librarian holding a large book. "Hello," they said. "I'm here to answer your questions." "Uh... What is the One Piece?" They checked the index of the book and opened it. "Do you want to read, or should I summarise?"

Before the annual bonfire was lit, the witch checked it. Five fieldmice and one hedgehog were gently evacuated. Then there were the toxic things. Someone's hatred. Another's regrets. And pain. It was good they were discarded, but if you breathed the smoke... She drew them out, for safe disposal.

"Here," the witch said. She gave her girlfriend a small pearl. "I made it for you." "What is it?" "A small blessing. It can make a small change to you. Just think of what you want and swallow it." "Could it give me wings?" "That's too big." Her girlfriend swallowed the pearl, and began to purr.

"Come out and fight!" the knight called. "Very well," the dragon replied. "As the challenged party, I get to choose weapons. I choose pistols." "What? I have a lance and horse!" "I don't. Here is a matched set, pick one." "Those are cannons!" "Tomayto tomahto. Pick, or forfeit the challenge."

** This is your semiregular reminder that you can support me on: Patreon - www.patreon.com/MicroSFF Ko-Fi - ko-fi.com/microsff (Supporters get one or two annotated monthly collections.) Or just keep sharing my stories, I really appreciate that too! **

Another master came to see the swordmaster. "Let me watch you teach." He watched a lesson, then asked: "Where do they get their swords?" "Some have their own, others borrow a school sword, like this." "This is an exceptional sword!" "If you have a bad sword, you learn to fight it, not use it."

As I was crossing the river, a person ahead climbed the railing and jumped off the bridge. "Chat!" I said. "Why did they do that?" "People often jump off bridges because their friends do," Chat said. "Was that person your friend?" "I don't..." "You said you wanted friends." I threw the phone.

You can follow all the finalists (or at least all the ones who have Bsky accounts) for the 2026 Hugo Awards right here with this starter pack. go.bsky.app/mR4XaC

The first wave of teleporter pads were installed in places lots of people were already going to. The second wave were installed where previously only a few had been able to go. The third wave came with a guarantee you'd be the only one there. They're expensive, but the silence is priceless.

** Many congratulations to all the winners - well deserved for some excellent work! **

"What are the peasants' demands?" the king asked. "Fair taxes, stronger rights, fewer privileges for nobles." "Bollocks! Send knights out to disperse them." "They have dragons, sire." "What?" "The dragons claim a more equal society is more stable and prosperous." "They hoard countries now?"