Diabolical Plots #54, August 2019
“The Inspiration Machine” by K. S. Dearsley
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There were two new stories in the 54th issue of Diabolical Plots. One flash and one short fiction.
“The Inspiration Machine” by K. S. Dearsley
Barnes is under pressure to develop the next great idea in this flash SF. His boss gives him that knowing smile to say he’s on borrowed time if he doesn’t come through for her.
The only problem is that every visionary nugget evaporates when he’s momentarily distracted. If only he could develop an inspiration machine that could retrieve those ideas.
This was a fun flash story that engaged the reader.
“Colonized Bodies, Desiccated Souls” by Nin Harris
The undead, made up of British colonials and their families, attack the living each night in this short horror story. Udin and his common-law wife Salmah have formed a defense group to fight for their survival on this Malay island.
Battling against endless hoards of the undead, their native Malay blood keeps them immune to the deadly infection. But then, Salmah lets her husband know a fact about her ancestry that she had kept secret.
At times the use of local terminology made this story hard to follow. But the plot was interesting and the twists unexpected. Overall an interesting story.