“Connected Lives” is actually a concept I was playing with for a few years with a project to be titled “Missing Links”, about a race of powerful interdimensional beings that would ultimately take control of the Earth from mankind. In this story it is more of a reflection on mankind’s propensity for violence against one another from these creatures’ perspective.
“Majestic Pride and Death” is a royal revenge story. One prince discovers the truth of his paternity and the wickedness of the man he thought to be his father. However, in this revenge plot, the king decides to go out on his own terms and condemn the prince in the only way he can.
“Evergreen” is another alien invasion story, but with a happy twist. In this tale, Earth’s conquerors are a benevolent race of plantlike beings that actually come to aid humanity and the environment rather than enslave or eradicate the people. The aliens provide mankind with more efficient ways of living and more advanced technology. I probably wrote this on Earth Day, now that I think about it…
“Nothing Special” is a story about a world where shape-shifting beings are a norm. When a lone gunman starts to terrorize shoppers in a mall, one young man steps up to protect everyone with his less-than-unique gift. I guess this story could be kind of a preview for the "Chimera" series, even though it was not my original intention for this to be established in that universe. And on a side note, I wrote this some time last year, but I understand if due to the recent string of gun violence this story would turn some people off, despite the lighter tone of the narrator.
“Soul-Searching” I think is one of the more relatable stories in this anthology, especially for someone with successful siblings. It follows a young man who is trying to decide on a career path while also feeling inferior to his other talented siblings. Every pessimist deserves an optimistic guide/friend. Even when I have low moments, more often I find myself telling someone to consider what they want/can do instead of focusing on what they do not want/cannot do, which is how I came to write this story. It is about finding encouragement and passion in the unlikeliest of places and overcoming defeatism.
This is all for today. So much diversity in this set of stories and so much inspiration abounding! It’s nice to reminisce on how each story came to be and to even revisit the sources of inspiration. Please check out these stories in Freaky and Fantastical 500 (Words or Less) today.