100th Issue Countdown: Issues 4-15 (2020)

2020 was a tumultuous year, but here at FFO, we kept right on working, bringing you twelve more issues of brief, bold, and beautiful flash fiction!

Issue #76 – January’s issue is one of New Year’s resolutions, where the characters in the stories make life-altering decisions. John Wiswell and Rebecca Birch both return in this issue, and Cathy Tenzo* brings us the story “Glass Slippers aren’t For Everyone,” which is part of our Reading Series.

Issue #77 – We published another February “love”-themed issue in this year, including an ethereal story of obsession by Sylvia Heike* and a love story with environmentalist themes by Floris Kleijne*

Issue #78 – For March’s issue, we delved into the world of fairy tales, exploring some fresh, new takes on the genre from authors like Maria Haskins.

Issue #79 – April’s issue turned once again to the surreal and strange, including a story of suburban time travel by now-EIC Wendy Nikel, the tale of a hitchhiking robot by Marie Vibbert*, and Hailey Piper‘s peculiar horror story, “Endless Parade.”

Issue #80 – May 2020 brought forth another Mother’s Day issue, with stories that explore that important, live-sustaining role, including fantasy by two-time FFO author Jennifer Hudak*, sci-fi by three-time FFO author Aimee Ogden*, a heartfelt near-future sci-fi from our most-published author Stewart C. Baker (whose stories have appeared in our pages eight times!), and the poignant tale “Blood Magic” by FFO newcomer Angela Teagardner.

Issue #81 – June’s issue flips the previous month’s theme on its head, focusing on the stories of children as we follow young protagonists through the unique struggles that their upbringing brings, be it lying woodcutters and sick grannies in Samantha L. Strong‘s fairy tale retelling, or the slow decline of a sibling’s health in Lora Gray*‘s “Matches, Tower, Sister, Stone,” or peculiar relatives coming to stay, as in Renee Jessica Tan*’s “Auntie Cheeks,” which was included in 2020’s Best Small Fictions.

Issue #82 – July’s issue was fantasy-themed, with magical stones and wings, and strange dreams in a Maria Haskins tale that found its way to the Best Small Fictions anthology.

Issue #83 – We selected a series of stories for August that focused on somewhat “gritty” characters–ones who don’t quite fit into society, who play by their own rules and forge their own path.

Issue #84 – September’s issue includes stories with things that we want to hold onto. Filip Wiltgren* and Aimee Ogden*, and bring us fantasy tales in this vein, while Juliet Kemp*‘s characters turn to their “Small Magics” for help, and T.R. Siebert* makes us long for something that’s nearly been lost in “The Last Day of Faith.”

Issue #85 – We once again published some strange and eerie stories for our October issue, including a retold fairy tale by Marie Brennan and a new take on the werewolf trope in Corey Farrenkopf*‘s  “Fences and Full Moons”

Issue #86 – November’s issue took a more literary turn, with non-speculative stories by A.C. Spahn and Samuel Barnhart* that focus on the struggles of everyday life.

Issue #87 – And finally, we wrapped up the year with the final issue edited by long-time FFO Editor-in-Chief Suzanne W. Vincent, whose contributions to FFO through the course of the past 87 issues can’t be overstated. Throughout the years, she worked with authors, staff members, readers, and reviewers to shape and mold Flash Fiction Online into the magazine it is today.

Love these stories from 2020? Want to help us continue publishing into 2022 and beyond? Check out our 2022 Super Subscription or donate via PayPal today!

*Super Subscribers will receive the following author interviews in their inboxes:

• Dec 8 –  Cathy Tenzo
• Dec 9 – Floris Kleijne
• Dec 9 – Sylvia Heike
• Dec 11 – Marie Vibbert
• Dec 12 – Jennifer Hudak
• Dec 12 – Aimee Ogden
• Dec 13 – Renee Jessica Tan
• Dec 16 – Juliet Kemp
• Dec 16 – T.R. Siebert
• Dec 16 – Filip Wiltgren
• Dec 17 – Corey Farrenkopf
• Dec 18 – A.C. Spahn
• Dec 18 – Samuel Barnhart