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Legacy: A One-Shot Anthology of Speculative Fiction
Legacy is the sixth of our "one-shot" anthologies, following Colony , Sanctuary , Nourishment , Outsiders, and Mutation . Each title is the product of an intense, one-day period of writing and editing by a team of authors currently residing (mostly) in Toronto.
Legacy has over thirty stories, and just under 100,000 words—longer than the average novel—all of them written and edited in a 24-hour period!
The one-shot anthology is radically different from most fiction anthologies, which typically take around a year to produce. At just 24 hours, we are working over 300 times faster to get to the finish line. For this reason, you are not seeing the polished prose of a standard book; instead, the one-shot anthology gives a rare window into the creative writing process.
This anthology is itself a kind of legacy. On Sunday, August 21st, 2022, a team of writers combined their concentrated efforts, time, and talent during a grueling write-a-thon, leaving behind this anthology as a testament to their collective ordeal. It is bequeathed now to you, dear reader, and I hope you enjoy the wide array of stories and styles in the endowment of Legacy .
—David F. Shultz
This anthology includes stories
Legacy has over thirty stories, and just under 100,000 words—longer than the average novel—all of them written and edited in a 24-hour period!
The one-shot anthology is radically different from most fiction anthologies, which typically take around a year to produce. At just 24 hours, we are working over 300 times faster to get to the finish line. For this reason, you are not seeing the polished prose of a standard book; instead, the one-shot anthology gives a rare window into the creative writing process.
This anthology is itself a kind of legacy. On Sunday, August 21st, 2022, a team of writers combined their concentrated efforts, time, and talent during a grueling write-a-thon, leaving behind this anthology as a testament to their collective ordeal. It is bequeathed now to you, dear reader, and I hope you enjoy the wide array of stories and styles in the endowment of Legacy .
—David F. Shultz
This anthology includes stories
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2022
2 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 13, 2022
Full disclosure, I have a story in this anthology, but for this review I'll only be talking about the other stories. As with any anthology, especially one this large, you're bound to find something for you. There are a lot of good stories here. I'm not going to mention each and every one, just the ones that really did it for me.
'Death Trembles' by Brandon Butler is a lighthearted tale about Death coming to collect the soul of a respected figure and things don't go quite as planned. Butler nicely instills great humour into this rather cozy short, and I quite enjoy the portrayal of Death.
'It'll Be Up To You' by Don Miasek was a nice surprise, a multi-multi-generational story following a family's bloodline though a time. Miasek handles the long timeline very nicely, and even though each generation only gets a small amount of time on the page the characters still shine.
'The Portrait of Darryn White' by Justin Dill is a dark tale involving a family and a creepy painting. The tale is concise and very well written. I really felt for the main character Darryn, and definitely enjoyed the ending.
'Re-Stack the Deck' by Chris Donald Griffin is a weird one for sure! I'm not sure if I liked it or not, but it's definitely super unique. A card game that changes.. well, everything, I think. Definitely one to check out!
'A Legatee's Guide for Dealing With Deities' by Jessica K. Rust is another unique tale, with the main character having to deal with a god. There's some humour, a bit of darkness, and it's really easy to read.
'The Executioner and the Prince' by Julia Wang was one that really stood out for me. A tragic and lovely tale about an executioner meant to execute a prince. (That's not really a spoiler, as it's the first line of the tale.) The setting is quite lovely, the story rounded, and the characters so nicely done. One of the best in the anthology.
'The Johnston House Wars' by Melissa Terry might be my personal favourite. It's light. It's funny. But there's a touch of darkness there too. Long after the fall of mankind, sentient appliances war for dominance over the house. Kitchen versus Lounge! A battle for the ages! Blender leads the kitchen, with trusty Rice Cooker by his side. It seems silly, but then you find you're really caring for these characters and their war.
'Wiley's Book of Wisdom for the Winsome' by Jennifer Davis is a slower paced tale with a wonderful and almost classic feel. Eunice is a great character, dealing with high society after the death of her famous aunt. The story unfolds slowly but naturally, and it's well worth the time spent.
'Famous Last Words' by J.D. Hopper is another that merges a bit of humour into the darkness. The story is funny, but still creepy. Saajid runs a fan club for a famous author. Said author has gone missing, and Saajid goes looking, though he might not like what he finds.
There are a lot of stories in here, ranging from funny to serious, fantasy to sci-fi, and even a bit of mystery tucked away within. Reviewing each and every one would take too long, so these were just the ones that stood out for me. Check it out, I'm sure you'll find several of these stories to your liking!
'Death Trembles' by Brandon Butler is a lighthearted tale about Death coming to collect the soul of a respected figure and things don't go quite as planned. Butler nicely instills great humour into this rather cozy short, and I quite enjoy the portrayal of Death.
'It'll Be Up To You' by Don Miasek was a nice surprise, a multi-multi-generational story following a family's bloodline though a time. Miasek handles the long timeline very nicely, and even though each generation only gets a small amount of time on the page the characters still shine.
'The Portrait of Darryn White' by Justin Dill is a dark tale involving a family and a creepy painting. The tale is concise and very well written. I really felt for the main character Darryn, and definitely enjoyed the ending.
'Re-Stack the Deck' by Chris Donald Griffin is a weird one for sure! I'm not sure if I liked it or not, but it's definitely super unique. A card game that changes.. well, everything, I think. Definitely one to check out!
'A Legatee's Guide for Dealing With Deities' by Jessica K. Rust is another unique tale, with the main character having to deal with a god. There's some humour, a bit of darkness, and it's really easy to read.
'The Executioner and the Prince' by Julia Wang was one that really stood out for me. A tragic and lovely tale about an executioner meant to execute a prince. (That's not really a spoiler, as it's the first line of the tale.) The setting is quite lovely, the story rounded, and the characters so nicely done. One of the best in the anthology.
'The Johnston House Wars' by Melissa Terry might be my personal favourite. It's light. It's funny. But there's a touch of darkness there too. Long after the fall of mankind, sentient appliances war for dominance over the house. Kitchen versus Lounge! A battle for the ages! Blender leads the kitchen, with trusty Rice Cooker by his side. It seems silly, but then you find you're really caring for these characters and their war.
'Wiley's Book of Wisdom for the Winsome' by Jennifer Davis is a slower paced tale with a wonderful and almost classic feel. Eunice is a great character, dealing with high society after the death of her famous aunt. The story unfolds slowly but naturally, and it's well worth the time spent.
'Famous Last Words' by J.D. Hopper is another that merges a bit of humour into the darkness. The story is funny, but still creepy. Saajid runs a fan club for a famous author. Said author has gone missing, and Saajid goes looking, though he might not like what he finds.
There are a lot of stories in here, ranging from funny to serious, fantasy to sci-fi, and even a bit of mystery tucked away within. Reviewing each and every one would take too long, so these were just the ones that stood out for me. Check it out, I'm sure you'll find several of these stories to your liking!
December 13, 2023
Good collection
I'm surprised that some of these were written in only one day. This is a pretty cool project and I thought a lot of the stories were cool. Some were duds that I skimmed through, but there's plenty for everyone here. Awesome job!
I'm surprised that some of these were written in only one day. This is a pretty cool project and I thought a lot of the stories were cool. Some were duds that I skimmed through, but there's plenty for everyone here. Awesome job!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews