Flash Fiction Online #129, June 2024

“War Makes Flowers” by Caroline Hung

“Are They Cake?” by Justine Gardner

“The Brides, The Hunted” by Lindz Mcleod

“Face Full Of Nations” By Yelena Crane

“A Pin Drops” by Kurt Pankau

Reviewed by David Wesley Hill

There are five original genre stories in the June Flash Fiction Online, the first of which, “War Makes Flowers” by Caroline Hung, is a horrific prose poem disguised as flash fiction—and a love story about Soldier Boy and Nurse Girl, who find each other in the ruins of a city torn by a forever war. Given the apocalyptic milieu of the tale, the perfervid language—“She breathed in the floral scents, hints of ichor rust feces”—can be forgiven, if not appreciated, but ultimately the story tries too hard to be mythic, losing this reviewer’s interest in the process. I’m not a big fan of archetypes.

Next up is “Are They Cake?” by Justine Gardner, which introduces us to a world so diseased, people are routinely born without all their parts—and Franklin’s daughter, Bolinda, needs legs. To get her a pair, he enters a game show from hell, “Cake It Off,” in which contestants vie to “avoid elimination by appearing to be completely human in composition.” A nasty little pastry, and … recommended.

The third story, “The Brides, The Hunted” by Lindz Mcleod, presents a society where the sexes have reversed roles, with men becoming the passive gender and women becoming, essentially, maenads who roam the streets at night in search of male prey. Of course, given such a milieu, the question inevitably arises—can a trans woman join the pack? Read the story and find out.

Purportedly science fiction, the next tale, “Face Full Of Nations” By Yelena Crane, introduces us to a future where people wear miniature “nationscapes” on their faces as fashion statements. Yes, seriously. To be frank, I had a really hard time reading such preposterous absurdity all the way to the end, but I soldiered on, good reader, so you don’t have to. I hope my sacrifice hasn’t been in vain.

I’m no bowler, but I did enjoy the last offering of the issue, “A Pin Drops” by Kurt Pankau, which is narrated by a “smartpin,” a pin that can set itself up, “report scores and statistics automatically,” and is “more resilient than the old hard rock maple” pins. Unfortunately, technology never rests, and soon bowlers are wearing “cyber arms,” which are absolute murder on bowling pins, even smartpins, sending the poor things to the recycler by the dozen in this tongue-in-cheek examination of mortality and courage.