Short Life Story

A collection of compelling short stories from talented contemporary writers

Latest Stories

The Soil Between Us

The morning light came gray through the windows of the Golden Lotus Nail Salon, and Linh Nguyen sat in the third chair from the left, the one with the small tear in the vinyl that she'd covered with clear tape...

The Unmuted Murder

The little green light beside Priya Mehta's laptop camera blinked steadily, a cyclops eye witnessing what would become, in the peculiar fashion of modern times, a most unusual crime scene...

The Last Order

The smell hit Priya on the fourteenth floor, just as the elevator doors wheezed open. Not the usual cocktail of Mumbai apartment building odors—curry, incense, mildew from the monsoon that never quite dried out. This was something else...

The Longest Ride

The ping came through at 11:47 PM. Miguel looked at the pickup location—the medical complex on Camelback Road. Probably another nurse getting off the late shift. He'd done this run a hundred times...

Our Authors

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Margaret Thornfield

Margaret Thornfield is a contemporary American writer whose stories are infused with subtle melancholy and deep understanding of the human condition. Born in a small Midwestern town, she learned to find beauty in the ordinary and discover stories in the simplest encounters. Her work is distinguished by its lyricism and ability to convey complex emotions through everyday details and natural imagery.

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James Blackwood

James Blackwood is a master of psychological suspense and atmospheric fiction. Born in a small New England town, he was surrounded from childhood by old legends and dark folklore. He worked as a high school teacher, which gave him deep insight into human psychology and the fears that shape us. His work excels at finding the extraordinary within the ordinary, transforming familiar situations into compelling psychological landscapes. He has a particular talent for exploring the inner demons of his characters and how ordinary people cope with extraordinary circumstances.

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Eleanor Hartwell

Eleanor Hartwell is a master of psychological mystery and character-driven suspense. In her stories, mysteries interweave with subtle human dramas, and unexpected revelations keep readers engaged until the final lines. Hartwell creates a distinctive atmosphere where every character could be a suspect, and truth is always hidden in the details.

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Thomas Riverside

Thomas Riverside is a writer whose works are filled with romantic longing, the search for meaning, and bittersweet human connections. His characters seek love and understanding in a world full of loss and change. Riverside has a gift for showing the fragility of human emotions while giving them eternal significance.

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David Sterling

David Sterling is a master of philosophical fiction and speculative storytelling. His stories blend everyday life with unsettling glimpses of the future, forcing readers to consider humanity's place in a rapidly changing world. His work often explores themes of responsibility and the price of human choices.