Letter From The Founder
I’m proud of this one. I mean, I’m always proud of them but there’s something about this months collection when read end to end that especially pleases me.
I think it comes down to the fact that this months theme ‘Flight’ is weighted with a lot of tropes and cliches and well-worn avenues, so much so that it almost coaxes the writers to go down them. And yet everyone who has contributed this month has been able to sidestep all of these lazy motifs and creative dead ends that could come from the topic.
If this was by sheer act of will, of effort and discipline it would be impressive and commendable enough but I think the truth is even more noteworthy. And that is that through work and practice, but also self-belief and the best kind of bloodymindedness our writers have become a coalition of true individuals. Everyone has their own readily identifiable voice and worldview and obsessions and philosophies such that even a fairly middle-of-the-road prompt like flight becomes, in their hands, a runway to head off to places far outside of the ordinary.
And this, deservedly, might be some of the highest praise that you can give to anyone on their creative journey. They have become themselves, distinct, unique, true originals.
Enjoy.
Essays
Perseids by Ana
Some write by looking through the telescope, others through the microscope. Ana Bosch is a master of the latter, of taking small, every day pieces and fashioning them into something great. Those who deal in the small tend also to be far funnier for some reason, as you will see when you read this.
Who was the first sci-fi writer? by Konstantin
The fake call to action buttons (you’ll see what I mean when you read this) made me laugh out loud. Comic timing is hard to achieve with the written word but this was a simple little masterstroke that used Substack-as-a-medium nicely. But beyond that this is simply a great essay, which Konstantin Asimonov has proven time and again that he is capable of delivering seemingly at well.
We Are Test Pilots by Edward
We featured this one way back in February, but it is brilliant- and very much fits the theme- so I don’t care. Some things merit multiple opportunities to gain the readership they deserve, and this piece by Edward Rooster is one of those.
Three things my girlfriend gave me by Terry
Hats off to Terry Freedman for interpreting this months theme/prompt as flight as in stairs and double hats off for him then using this to reference the voluminously trousered Rock ‘n Roll pioneer Eddie Cochran. This is how you impress people like me.
Fiction
Falling by Dane
I’ve said this before but Dane Benko being a filmmaker has a terrific eye which he is able to utilise in stories via some of the evocative, just-right bits of imagery that he is able to bring to bear. Immersive.
Search Term by Morgan
I love work that use found material- in this case an image- and create a whole story, a whole world from them. Morgan Beatty does an outstanding job with this one and I suspect he may now have a whole creative avenue to explore as a result.
The Flying Flagon by Clint
I love seeing how our contributors evolve over time. I remember when Clintavo was a rabble rousing essayist (and he still very much is that, don’t get me wrong) so seeing his transformation into a world-building, genre-spanning, yarn-spinning story writer has been quite the journey. You love to see it.
Sonic Assault by Adam K.
As much as I would love to talk about this story here, I am instead compelled to quote- in full- Adam Kozak ‘s disclaimer at the end because it is brilliant and deserves to be highlighted:
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, strictly a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance, perceived resemblance, or similarity to any other fictional works, to actual events or persons, living or dead, and any perceived slights of people, places, or organizations are products of the reader’s imagination. This fiction is the result of a partnership between a human writer and the character(s) he accessed with his creative subconscious as he raced through the story with them. No AI of any kind, generative or otherwise, was used in any way to write this story.
Dragonfly's Retinal Structure by Vanya
This story is one thing, but with the perfect accompanying playlist Vanya Bagaev is entering true show off territory, in the best way. Creative exuberance that inspires you to up your own game whatever your medium is.
Tulubaika.
People Of A Faraway Land by Edward
Edward Rooster is month’s utiliser of the famous Vanya’s Gambit wherein writers get a second bite of the cherry if they submit two works that are in different mediums. And he uses it like a true pro, adding a beautiful time spanning bit of science fiction to compliment his essay above. All you can do is applaud it.
Peas in Flight by Mike K
Michael K offers us a deceptively simple tale of schooldays altercations and frozen peas. This one has a beautiful flow to it. Simple isn’t easy and effortless prose takes a lot of effort.
Film
Flight by Trilety
What I wrote above about Clint’s evolution very much applies to Trilety Wade too. This year- in a move that I did not see coming but which makes perfect sense in retrospect- she revealed herself to be a daring, funny, incisive and sensitive maker of experimental (but by no means inaccessible) short films. Who knew?
Elliot’s Corner
Tonight We Fly (In Modern Duet) by Elliot
Elliot is Elliot, and the fact that he is able to retain his fundamental Elliot Lessing-ness in a world that is so often so dull and safe and unElliot like is a testament to him and his true and unwavering creative spirit.
So that was the STSC symposium on the topic of Flight. We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Thank you for your support with these projects we share, thank you for reading them and thanks for all of your comments, feedback and notes. Thank you for taking the time to share them and pass on the word.
And of course above all thanks to all of the contributors and those who help keep the STSC going via their kind support, especially those who keep a low profile, I hope we will be able to coax more of you into taking the plunge and participating in future issues.
Cheers.
Thanks for the great blurb, Tom 😀. Looking forward to reading this collection