Flash Fiction Online #152, May 2026

“After Enlightenment, the Sewage” by Joelle Killian (non-genre, not reviewed)

“Soon It Would See Eyelessly, Turn Corners On Its Own” by John K. Peck

“She Said Yes and a City Died” by Liz Levin (reprint, not reviewed)

“The Screaming Garden” by Em Starr (reprint, not reviewed)   

“This Is Your Village” by Charlie Kieft (non-genre, not reviewed)

“Citizens!” by Sasha Brown

Reviewed by Mina

In “Soon It Would See Eyelessly, Turn Corners On Its Own” by John K. Peck, the line between fiction and reality is blurred. Rae is writing about an author and his work but, by the end of the story, that work has literally been brought (spoken) to life. Nothing good can come of nature seen as “fear, ill fortune, and death.”

“Citizens!” by Sasha Brown starts with an unexpected line: “There’s an excitement to being mugged.” The victim immediately posts the mugging on a citizens app, happy to be the subject of a true-crime story. He is obsessed with the reactions to his post. Citizen responders come to sing and dance, but he gets no first aid. The need to be on line has squeezed out all humanity. It’s supposed to be funny, but it’s hard to laugh at something so close to the bone.