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42 Stories Anthology Presents: Book of 42²
An anthology of 1,764 42-word stories within 42 genres of from over 1,200 writers across the universe with their questions, and answers, to everything and anything. Inside are 42 chapters of 42 stories with 42 covers and 42 Story of Excellence Award-Winning stories and 42 special guest judges who chose them. Here, you can find details about the project, interviews with writers, special guest judges, artists, and more. Click the book cover for a link to the book.
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42 chapters of 42 genres​
1) Alternate Reality
2) Apocalyptic
3) Clown
Sample Story:
MY FIRST AND LAST ENCOUNTER WITH A MONSTER
by Eval Allan Jaeger
I was seven years old when the clown attacked.
Right in my face, zany. Scary white hands.
Aggressive smile. "Hi, little boy," he exclaimed. "Do you like balloo—ugh."
Bozo never saw my fist coming.
Blood slid down from his squeaky red nose.
4) Crime
Sample Story:
THE REASON WHY THE WEDDING WAS CALLED OFF
by Suzanne S. Austin-Hill
Her finger, the one on the hand with the gaudy ring, moved slowly down the paper.
The countenance of his betrothed fell flat.
His name was on the list.
That explained why there had only been a gold tooth to identify him.
5) Culture
6) Dystopia / Utopia
7) Escape
8) Fairy Tale
9) Fantasy
10) Fight
11) Hitchhiker's Guide to History
12) Horror
13) Humor
14) Impairment
15) Indigenous
16) Macabre & Morbid
17) Monster
18) Mystery
Sample Story:
HIDDEN IN MY BOOK OF LONG-FORGOTTEN THINGS
by S. A. ROBBINS
It was not, as he first thought, the memory of his grandmother’s soap or its aroma . . . it was the moment when, still a boy, he saw white tiles beneath her amazing claw-footed tub, saw six-sided tiles for the very first time.
19) Mythopoeia
20) Noir
21) Oddball
22) Outer Space
23) Paranormal
24) Parents
25) Poetic Prose
26) Romance
27) Satire
28) Science Fiction
29) Siblings
30) Sports
31) Steampunk
32) Sword & Sorcery
33) Thriller / Suspense
34) Tragedy
35) Trapped
Sample Story:
A PUG STOOD INNOCENTLY POSING FOR A PICTURE
by Jim JazzMullin
…with family. Having more to look backward on than forward to – a daunting visceral reality. Numbness overcame the urge to feel abandonment, replaced thoughts of gratitude for the “yets.” More to come with hints overlooked in the swirling cyclone of predestined behaviors.
36) Travel story
37) Vampire
Sample Story:
POTLUCK AND BRIDGE AT THE IMPALERS TONIGHT
by Jessica Sarlin
His wax-skinned bride shrieked, “Vladimir. For literally the millionth time: Crucifixes go upside down in the dishwasher. They do not get clean.”
“Yes, my dove,” he replied sallowly, rolling his eyes.
Being immortal is not all it is cracked up to be.
38) War
39) Werewolf
40) Western
41) Zombie
42) Craft of Writing
