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Impact: Queer Sci Fi's Fifth Annual Flash Fiction Contest
IM * PACT
(noun)
1) One object colliding with another
2) An impinging of something upon something else
3) An influence or effect on something or someone
4) The force of a new idea, concept, technology or ideology
Four definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 110 of our favorites.
A difficult choice to be made. An object hurtling recklessly through space. A new invention that will change the world. So many things can impact a life, a society, or a planet.
Impact features 300 word speculative fiction ficlets from across the queer spectrum from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.
Welcome to Impact.
(noun)
1) One object colliding with another
2) An impinging of something upon something else
3) An influence or effect on something or someone
4) The force of a new idea, concept, technology or ideology
Four definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 110 of our favorites.
A difficult choice to be made. An object hurtling recklessly through space. A new invention that will change the world. So many things can impact a life, a society, or a planet.
Impact features 300 word speculative fiction ficlets from across the queer spectrum from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.
Welcome to Impact.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2018
7 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
J. Scott Coatsworth
90 books188 followersScott lives with his husband in a leafy Sacramento, California suburb, in a cute yellow house with a pair of pink flamingoes in the front yard.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 2, 2018
This masterful, compelling 300 word speculative flash fiction anthology has something for everyone. There are no wasted words, no fluff, and absolutely no treacle. This is a keeper and I’ll read it again and again.
I, of course, have my favorites. This might seem like a long list but there were 110 stories to choose from. Some broke my heart, some made me laugh, some were eerie and gave me goosebumps, some had me sobbing into my hankie, but every single story made me think:
• Impact by Jack Ladd
• Imp Act by Kim Fielding
• Changeling by Pelaam
• Shatter by Lou Sylvre
• I.M.P.A.C.T (Interplanetary Military Police Alien Control Team) by L M Somerton
• Signing Off by Rodney Ross
• Final Impression by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
• Indestructible by Amir Lane
• Fangs & Floss by Eytan Bernstein
• Waiting for Michael by Sadie Rose Bermingham
• A Fair Trade by Enne Lilly
• The Tiger’s Tooth by E R Zhang
• ‘Anything is Possible’ Day by Jean-Paul Whitehall
• Dream a Little Dream by Morticia Knight
• Crater Lake by Kora Knight
• Secret Identity by Rob Colton
• You Can’t Rush the Kimchi by Brenda Noiseux
• The Earth Looks After Her Own by Evelyn Benvie
• Godfather of the Brides by Trip Galey.
I, of course, have my favorites. This might seem like a long list but there were 110 stories to choose from. Some broke my heart, some made me laugh, some were eerie and gave me goosebumps, some had me sobbing into my hankie, but every single story made me think:
• Impact by Jack Ladd
• Imp Act by Kim Fielding
• Changeling by Pelaam
• Shatter by Lou Sylvre
• I.M.P.A.C.T (Interplanetary Military Police Alien Control Team) by L M Somerton
• Signing Off by Rodney Ross
• Final Impression by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
• Indestructible by Amir Lane
• Fangs & Floss by Eytan Bernstein
• Waiting for Michael by Sadie Rose Bermingham
• A Fair Trade by Enne Lilly
• The Tiger’s Tooth by E R Zhang
• ‘Anything is Possible’ Day by Jean-Paul Whitehall
• Dream a Little Dream by Morticia Knight
• Crater Lake by Kora Knight
• Secret Identity by Rob Colton
• You Can’t Rush the Kimchi by Brenda Noiseux
• The Earth Looks After Her Own by Evelyn Benvie
• Godfather of the Brides by Trip Galey.
February 9, 2020
ebook obtained through one of the 'free for a week' promotions
My issue with a book of flash fiction is that it is necessarily bitty. I appreciate that there is a theme, although 'Impact' seems to have disproportionately been used in negative physical ways, involving war and fighting.
My issue with this book of explicitly queer fiction is that the level of sophistication in how that part of a character's identity is woven into a story varied greatly. Across the many stories, it ranged from 'queerness as adjective' (where the only thing that made it queer is labelling a character) through some rather heavy handed 'identity through relationship' (queerness defined by the binary genders of the partners) to some really really beautifully rendered elements of identity.
Such a themed anthology does lend itself to more romance and relationships than many spec-fic anthologies, and that was a plus for me -- I do love a bit of that side of things in my reading.
Overall, this is an enjoyable set of stories across a broad definition of spec-fic. Best read one or two stories at a time, in stolen moments.
My issue with a book of flash fiction is that it is necessarily bitty. I appreciate that there is a theme, although 'Impact' seems to have disproportionately been used in negative physical ways, involving war and fighting.
My issue with this book of explicitly queer fiction is that the level of sophistication in how that part of a character's identity is woven into a story varied greatly. Across the many stories, it ranged from 'queerness as adjective' (where the only thing that made it queer is labelling a character) through some rather heavy handed 'identity through relationship' (queerness defined by the binary genders of the partners) to some really really beautifully rendered elements of identity.
Such a themed anthology does lend itself to more romance and relationships than many spec-fic anthologies, and that was a plus for me -- I do love a bit of that side of things in my reading.
Overall, this is an enjoyable set of stories across a broad definition of spec-fic. Best read one or two stories at a time, in stolen moments.
August 5, 2018
Among all the stories in this anthology (and not taking mine into consideration because hey, I am biased toward my own work), there were many that made me wish for a longer version, the characters were sooo riveting and the world-building so striking. For all these authors who managed to pull me in their worlds in 300 words or less, I will be looking for their other books!!
July 27, 2018
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
For the full review visit https://wp.me/p220KL-ee8
From that review: " I'm in love with the flash fiction format. It's so difficult for an author to build a universe, characters and then fit them into a well constructed story in a much larger framework, let alone one of 300 words. Yet here's an anthology of 245 pages of writers and stories, all you could want, do exactly that.
Mostly science fiction, but there's fantasy and some horror as well (divided into sections). Small amuse bouche's of fiction to delight and tantalize your narrative taste buds."
For all our reviews, check out http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
For the full review visit https://wp.me/p220KL-ee8
From that review: " I'm in love with the flash fiction format. It's so difficult for an author to build a universe, characters and then fit them into a well constructed story in a much larger framework, let alone one of 300 words. Yet here's an anthology of 245 pages of writers and stories, all you could want, do exactly that.
Mostly science fiction, but there's fantasy and some horror as well (divided into sections). Small amuse bouche's of fiction to delight and tantalize your narrative taste buds."
For all our reviews, check out http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
September 20, 2018
Enjoyable collection, overall. For there being 110 stories total, there were surprisingly few that I did not enjoy. The rest ranged from interesting to awesome.
While I usually try to review every story separately, it seemed impractical here. Likewise, I'm not going to try to mark off all the shelves the various stories fit under, beyond the basic SFF.
Disclaimer: I have a story in here (under a different name)
While I usually try to review every story separately, it seemed impractical here. Likewise, I'm not going to try to mark off all the shelves the various stories fit under, beyond the basic SFF.
Disclaimer: I have a story in here (under a different name)
September 24, 2023
The level of writing; the depth in a variety of genres; spanning to include fantasy, horror, and many varieties of speculative fiction is breathtaking. To do so in a short burst of flash fiction is awe-inspiring. I’m honored beyond words to have been part of this, to have been deemed worthy to be join in this amazing collection of stories. To all of us; working as a diverse team achieving a rainbow panorama of expressing impact, I proudly and humbly offer five stars.
December 25, 2025
Got this for free many years ago and I finally read it! It was an interesting reading experience, as I had never read a whole book of flash fiction before. I read it in bits and pieces over many months. Most of the stories are sad in some way (using "impact" in a negative way), so I really appreciated the lighter ones. It's an interesting collection full of of well-done tiny stories.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews