The Belle of the Ball

by Stephen Graham Jones

In a future where people can travel back in time and do anything they want without consequences, one disgruntled young man decides to visit his parents two years earlier.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Horror, Time Travel, Indigenous

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2025

About the author

Stephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author thirty-five or so books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.

Reviews

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love time travel and the ideas explored here, plus that ending!! I wish it was a bit longer though.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short time travel tail that packs a punch. Somehow makes the idea of murdering your parents acceptable, even mundane. Did not see that coming :)

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting short story that blended sci-fi and horror. It successfully balanced the genuine tension of horror stories with the cool ideas and concepts of sci-fi stories. The story’s real achievement is how it successfully shifted tone. A character who initially seems monstrous becomes surprisingly sympathetic once you understand what he’s actually facing. That shift gave the tale genuine heart, even if it was tinged with melancholy. This was my first try with Stephen Graham Jones and it is definitely a success as I was left pondering this one after finishing it. Which is the sign of a good short story for sure.

The set-up was pretty cool. In this future world folks could (possibly) go back in time for a day and do whatever they wanted with no consequences to the “real” timeline when they returned to it. The set-up was pure slasher/horror with the implication our time traveler was going back in time to kill his parents. It never quite played out as simple as that and the story managed to pack some good emotional weight before ending on the classic sci-fi and horror twist!

The tale had fun on a few levels with its fake vs real time travel premise and the parallels to dementia/Alzheimer as well as the horror vs emotional trauma themes. I’m sure I missed half of what Jones was intending, but I found what I did take in fairly clever and thought provoking and it was all wrapped in a tale with a decent emotional core.

The ambiguous twist ending could have come with that Twilight Zone exit music for sure. I’d be interested to learn what interpretation folks are leaning into for it be it the horror/slasher vibe, the was it ever real dementia parallels, or the stages of grief vibe? I’m leaning towards the last one but expect most folks will favour the earlier interpretations.

All in all a good short story. The first time I’ve done a short story in ages and it has reminded me how effective they can be. This was my first try with Stephen Graham Jones but I definitely might give one of his full horror books a go in the future.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

Audio Note: Used the ElevenReader text-to-speech app to listen to this one. Used the Titan (conversational young) voice. Seemed solid enough.

[Lorin (paperbackbish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

How dare you make me feel feelings this early in the morning, Stephen.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love time travel stories, and that ending, messed me up man!

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never dug SGJ's short works as much as his novels, and this holds to that mold. It's an odd little story, but I have the same problem with it that I do with the Purge films: the underlying assumption that given an opportunity to do anything with no consequences, people en masse would choose murder and mayhem. I definitely understand why a disillusioned young man would THINK he wanted to choose those things (and why he might ultimately end up not choosing them) but the idea that these time travel Purge nights are commonplace just seems wildly unlikely to me.

Good, spooky, ending though.

[coty ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was not aware that stephen graham jones was capable of dropping a pkd-esque short story; that's my bad for ever doubting him.

brief but so overwhelming. sharp and incisive; it's amazing how much character he puts into only 5,000 words. this surprisingly makes a fitting companion story to 3 days, 9 months, 27 years by john scalzi; very fortuitous that two of the best writers have dropped such similar, yet strikingly different in terms of tone, stories so close together. both have such an amazing depth of worldbuilding, but scalzi's story feels just a little more hopeful in a way; belle of the ball is devastating. a masterclass in short fiction. i'm in awe.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ ALOUD 😭

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Stephen, why must you hurt us so?

[Per · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://reactormag.com/the-belle-of-t...

[Pratyasha Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Really enjoyed the author's take on time travel, and loved how the story progressed.
Not sure if I am on board with the twist in the end, but it was a fun read.

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Belle of the Ball by Stephen Graham Jones is a Tor original short. You can read this story for free on the Tor.com site https://reactormag.com/the-belle-of-t...

In a future where people can travel back in time and do anything they want without consequences, one disgruntled young man decides to visit his parents two years earlier.

My ongoing quest to get current with the Tor short stories.

It all feels real. It feels like there might be actual consequences.
That’s what Gray’s paying for.

I can't resist a time travel story!

4 Stars

[Thia Reads A Lot]

3.0*

A man pays with (stolen?) credits to go back in time to murder his parents in a commercialized fool-proof time machine. After sharpening the garden shears, he has a change of heart. He goes back but is pretty sure he isn't back to the real world anyway. He visits his parents and spends the night there, sure he is hearing his time-travelling self installing the tent outside.

The end is my least favourite part, how did he end up travelling forward in time? Or is it another him travelling back?

[Craig Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I prefer SGJ's novels to his short fiction, generally, but this one had an interesting premise, went in a direction I didn't expect, and a strong ending. What more can you ask for from 25 pages or so?

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

the gasp I gusped

[Jocelyn Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn on if I liked it, but will definitely be thinking about this for awhile.

[The Litt Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the classic simulation story!

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Interesting and emotional

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of short stories, but this had a decent idea and an unexpected twist. Don't think you can ask for much more out of 5000 words.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t have much of an appetite for horror/fantasy/sci-fi. Not my genres. But this short story captivated me. Just the right length and it packed a powerful punch.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but felt a little light on the execution. Very Twilight Zone.

[Nadine in NY Jones]

https://reactormag.com/the-belle-of-t...

[Jordan Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

More magical, slashery goodness from Stephen Graham Jones. Loved it

[MollyK · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
Me and time travel just done get along.

[g · Rating 3 out of 5]

this started off so mid and i was worried it would be an exploration of gore but that 2nd act plot twist made it so worth it

[Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

gimme everything SGJ ever writes.

[J Kuria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG?!?! 😭😭😭😭😭
Not me thinking the emotional bit was the twist to be hit by another more SGJ esque one good god.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging short story with interesting twists. I look forward to reading more by this author.