Congratulations to everyone! Thanks for joining us. If you missed any of the stories, you can read them here. Otherwise, here is what the judge had to say:
Desperate
times in Santa Monica by @studyleaks
This tale
takes you on the roller coaster with Steve and Jean as they wait for mysterious
and unexplained missiles to hit them. Stuck indoors, afraid of the radio for
its ‘fabrications and exaggerations’ or its platitudes’ they chip and chisel at
each other until they focus on Jack– their son? – when they begin to agree with
each other. Is Jack safe? That seems to be the one remaining hope. Nice
dialogue and a well-paced story.
The first
Rocket Scientist by Gordon759
This is
interesting, telling a historical incident in beautiful prose. The story is
well known but it bears the retelling and the sang froid of both Wellington,
and especially Congreve when the rocketeers came under attack is lovely. ‘“Good
for a first shot.” The major commented, as he lit the fuse on the next rocket.’
I much enjoyed this.
The Grown
Ups Are Gone by Sacha Black
Oh
heavens this was hard. The tenderness between the youngsters, the evidence of a
little hope creeping back into their lives. Joe can see another horizon, one
which might prove to escape but first Lara must fetch help. Joe is ready to
provide cover as she ‘pepper potted’ her way across the path. And then the
crunching disaster, the devastation. Bang. War is bloody but never more so than
this. This story demanding reading again
and again and the end gets no better.
After the
Electricity Died by willowdot21
This is a
mini epic, describing the collapse of civilization in a few words. We learn
that Dan and Simon have tried to retain knowledge, for a time when others can
be brought together to try and restore a semblance of normality. Dan recounts
his hopes, despite an underlying fear which at the end Simon ends when it
becomes apparent that law and order have finally broken down and war is
inevitable. Truly a dystopian tale, well told.
Mad Dash
Escape by asgardana
This is a
wonderful story of a descent to madness and how the sane want to believe that
there must be a reason, beyond the obvious. John is dragged along despite
misgivings; he has to make a swift choice and understandably sides with his
wife, Emily. But by the end his horror is revealed in her true psychosis. A
chilling story, with a horrific twist.
Always
The Scientists by Amberlee Dawn
This
reads, to me, as a somewhat surreal story, set in a future war situation but
with similar issues confronted today in conflicts. Oliver is misused throughout
and is doing his best but, sleep deprived, he is barely functioning. A clever
story highlighting the failures of those in power and the sacrifices of those
who aren’t and how, behind it all are scientists whose talents are ignored.
Well done.
Special
Challenge Runner Up:
Man and His Shed
Rowena Newton
This is a
grand tale with brilliant humour dotted throughout. The war zone is a common
one – the marital battlefield – but it is ripe for neat phrases. When George
fails to tend the yard we are told it ‘had become such an embarrassment that
Margaret now parked around the corner and had acquired a PO Box’. And when
Margaret contemplates leaving she hesitates because of a ‘man drought’ knowing
he has ‘a man in hand’. But there is always a toy boy, Audrey’s bloke who “had
talents in other areas and that his lifesaving skills extended way beyond the
beach”.
It’s a
toss up between the old and the new and finally Margaret makes a decision; she
goes to George’s shed. His refuge where he is making some incomprehensible
invention. That’s it. Margaret is leaving. Until she remembers the dog.
Delicious!
Special
Challenge Champion:
Bribery
Sarah Unsicker
I enjoyed
the ‘war zone’ here, between grandma and granddaughter. Grandma is denied the
weapons she needs so resorts to those she isn’t used to and while is pleased
they work regrets having to use them. The relationship is neatly drawn and
there’s a lovely touch in how Grandma is distracted from the washing up in just
the same way Chelsea is from her allotted task.
Runner
Up:
Army of Ineffective Badness
parkinkspot
This is a
hoot, deliberately corrupting the Good v Evil story into a plot device that has
to circumvented. His Badness is too clever, too cool, too sure. Some lines are
fabulous. ‘Dark Lord had several flaws as a speaker, including soliloquies and
belaboring the obvious.’ And on capturing the Hero’s love interest, ‘The Dark
Lord delivered the standard misogynistic magic words, and negotiated the evil
kiss despite her ridiculously ineffective struggles.’ He has to succeed until,
at the inevitable denouement he realizes he failed to take into action the
Hero’s Unrestricted Serendipity’ I want Captain Fodder, Dark Lord’s side kick
to have his own story next time.
Grand
Champion:
Enemy at the Door
Pratibha
This has
a real sense of time and place as the two men listen for orders, tapped in the
inertia of war. Some beautifully phraseology. ‘I need action to keep my mind
still.’ Someone appears – friend or foe. The men are terrified but eventually
one goes to see who is there. It is a friend, or is it. They treat him but even
so, as Vikram says, “This is war, everyone is an enemy.” There is such a
poignant tone here and you can hear the mouth organ providing mood music as
this sombre but superb story unwinds.
