brainwane for MVP October 5, 2020 12:42 AM Subscribe
Since August 28, brainwane has posted a short story or selections of short stories every single day to the blue
Now that over a month of daily short stories has elapsed I just wanted to call out brainwane for some very deserved kudos. And if people have somehow managed to miss the posts, now is a great chance to review them, they're gems.
Now that over a month of daily short stories has elapsed I just wanted to call out brainwane for some very deserved kudos. And if people have somehow managed to miss the posts, now is a great chance to review them, they're gems.
seconded
posted by Literaryhero at 3:25 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Literaryhero at 3:25 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Just noting that August 28th was, is, and always will be a great day to start things!
Thanks brainwane!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:10 AM on October 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
Thanks brainwane!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:10 AM on October 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
This has been really fun, brainwane. Thank you for the great stories!
posted by hydropsyche at 4:47 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by hydropsyche at 4:47 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes! These posts have been fantastic, brainwane, and I really appreciate them.
My favorite might be "Fifty Years in the Virtuous City" & "The Sultana's Dream"--I've thought about those two stories, and about utopias and dreams, quite often in this past nearly-a-month now.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 7:20 AM on October 5, 2020 [3 favorites]
My favorite might be "Fifty Years in the Virtuous City" & "The Sultana's Dream"--I've thought about those two stories, and about utopias and dreams, quite often in this past nearly-a-month now.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 7:20 AM on October 5, 2020 [3 favorites]
I've been really looking forward to your daily posts, brainwane -- they've given me a lot of joy. Thank you so much!
posted by ourobouros at 7:41 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ourobouros at 7:41 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes, thank you, brainwane--truly the best of the web!
posted by theatro at 8:08 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by theatro at 8:08 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
I don't make time to read as many of them as I would like, but thanks so much for the links, the ones I have read have been great.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 8:12 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 8:12 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
These have been wonderful! I was just reading some of the most recent stories.
posted by brilliantine at 8:14 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by brilliantine at 8:14 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes - three cheers for brainwane! I've enjoyed every one of these that I've read (haven't read them all). Thank you so much for doing this project, it makes me happy every day I see your post. :)
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:41 AM on October 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:41 AM on October 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm so glad people value and appreciate the series. And it means a lot that I've been helping people discover new authors and publishers. Thanks for the comments and messages! They are motivating!
In 2009, my spouse and I solicited submissions, paid authors & artists, and published a short scifi/fantasy anthology. In retrospect I thought: there already exist fantastic indie magazines and presses that get way too little attention. I didn't feel the need to make more of them; I felt a desire to get the word out about the great stuff that already exists.
And then I accidentally nerd-sniped the blue with the "you guys" post which grew to 230 somewhat fractious comments in three days. Partway through that I posted the first in the current story series. It didn't quite start out this way, but as my daily fiction posting kept going, I realized that it was a sort of penance, and I thought I'd go till people had made 230 comments, cumulatively, on the stories posts.
Now we've gotten past that and I have several more queued up. Might keep going till about mid-October, maybe longer.
And: if you want to keep up in particular with new short scifi/fantasy that's free to read online, I posted links to the RSS/Atom/syndication feeds for 11+ online magazines.
Thanks for the shout-out, Cozybee, and thanks again for the comments and the MeMail messages, everyone -- your interest and readership is why I'm doing this.
posted by brainwane at 8:55 AM on October 5, 2020 [30 favorites]
In 2009, my spouse and I solicited submissions, paid authors & artists, and published a short scifi/fantasy anthology. In retrospect I thought: there already exist fantastic indie magazines and presses that get way too little attention. I didn't feel the need to make more of them; I felt a desire to get the word out about the great stuff that already exists.
And then I accidentally nerd-sniped the blue with the "you guys" post which grew to 230 somewhat fractious comments in three days. Partway through that I posted the first in the current story series. It didn't quite start out this way, but as my daily fiction posting kept going, I realized that it was a sort of penance, and I thought I'd go till people had made 230 comments, cumulatively, on the stories posts.
Now we've gotten past that and I have several more queued up. Might keep going till about mid-October, maybe longer.
And: if you want to keep up in particular with new short scifi/fantasy that's free to read online, I posted links to the RSS/Atom/syndication feeds for 11+ online magazines.
Thanks for the shout-out, Cozybee, and thanks again for the comments and the MeMail messages, everyone -- your interest and readership is why I'm doing this.
posted by brainwane at 8:55 AM on October 5, 2020 [30 favorites]
I love these posts. Seeing the backstory to them is great, too. In my head, you'd just decided to take 'best of the web' literally, and started posting the best shit you could find.
I've forwarded whole posts and individual story links on so many times that I'm now consciously trying not to flood my peoples' inboxes.
posted by Kreiger at 9:47 AM on October 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've forwarded whole posts and individual story links on so many times that I'm now consciously trying not to flood my peoples' inboxes.
posted by Kreiger at 9:47 AM on October 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
Hear hear! A tremendous effort!
posted by jedicus at 10:33 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jedicus at 10:33 AM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
I love these posts, thank you so much for putting them together!
posted by jameaterblues at 9:31 PM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jameaterblues at 9:31 PM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes!Yes yes yes yes. It's been great!
posted by From Bklyn at 3:51 AM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by From Bklyn at 3:51 AM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
I haven't read them all (yet?) but I've also been appreciating the series!
posted by randomnity at 9:24 AM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by randomnity at 9:24 AM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
It took me way too long to catch on that all of this lovely delicious bite-sized fiction I've been devouring was posted by one person. Adding my voice to the chorus of thanks, brainwane - this series has helped spur me to carve out space for reading in my busy schedule of WFH/virtual schooling/mental breakdowns, and it's been lovely. ♥️
posted by Ann Telope at 10:03 AM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Ann Telope at 10:03 AM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Brainwane I am so proud of you! And so grateful—you know this has been a hard series of months for me, and the stories you've posted have been a soothing balm and a great distraction.
posted by gusandrews at 1:00 PM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by gusandrews at 1:00 PM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's been very nice to see these, brainwane.
posted by doctornemo at 1:02 PM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by doctornemo at 1:02 PM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Thank you, my partner and I are planning to read through them together.
posted by tofu_crouton at 2:38 PM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by tofu_crouton at 2:38 PM on October 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am so happy to see this post because I’ve been so happy to see brainwane’s hard work but I haven’t commented. So thanks a bunch, it is much appreciated!
posted by Bella Donna at 2:02 PM on October 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Bella Donna at 2:02 PM on October 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Thank you so very much! I have read some wonderful stories and always look forward with delight to checking them out.
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:49 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:49 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Right now I have posts queued up till 31 October, and I am planning to stop there, FYI. Since so many folks appreciate these posts: consider keeping them going.
Some sources of short fiction recommendations: My short fiction recommendations (tagged on Pinboard) (I think "Retriever" and "The Most Important Thing" might particularly appeal to MeFi), Charles Payseur's reviews, joannemerriam's recommendations, No Time To Read A Book Club, Maria Haskins's quarterly short fiction roundups, Ladybusiness.
Collaborative FPP drafting on the wiki can help you work with others and keep a queue going. Once you get into a rhythm it doesn't take that much more to keep it going.
posted by brainwane at 8:50 AM on October 20, 2020 [6 favorites]
Some sources of short fiction recommendations: My short fiction recommendations (tagged on Pinboard) (I think "Retriever" and "The Most Important Thing" might particularly appeal to MeFi), Charles Payseur's reviews, joannemerriam's recommendations, No Time To Read A Book Club, Maria Haskins's quarterly short fiction roundups, Ladybusiness.
Collaborative FPP drafting on the wiki can help you work with others and keep a queue going. Once you get into a rhythm it doesn't take that much more to keep it going.
posted by brainwane at 8:50 AM on October 20, 2020 [6 favorites]
Made my last post in the series. Thanks again to everyone who commented or MeMailed, especially people who talked about their reactions to the stories!
posted by brainwane at 7:51 PM on October 31, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by brainwane at 7:51 PM on October 31, 2020 [5 favorites]
What an incredible run - so many awesome posts!
posted by adrianhon at 1:46 AM on November 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by adrianhon at 1:46 AM on November 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Now! In epub format: Free e-book "Short Stories Collected by brainwane: A 2020 Meta-Collection"
posted by aniola at 12:46 PM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 12:46 PM on November 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by adrianhon at 2:31 AM on October 5, 2020 [3 favorites]