“Goodbye to Rock”

The Molotov Cocktail Elemental Flash Issue cover with a golden person or god perhaps on fire descending into a green gas or the atmosphere of a planet, with other planets or moons and a starscape in the background

7th Place: “Elemental Flash” Contest
The Molotov Cocktail
13 Sep 2021

The Molotov Cocktail
“Elemental Flash” Issue
20 Sep 2021

“We remind them that road trips and human exploration lead back, without adding ‘if all goes well.’ Ride an explosion, walk on another rocky surface, collect some samples, more vials, return with the samples on top of another explosion. We can be there to cheer them on.”

Description

Fleeing natural disasters, a couple travels across the continent to watch the launch of the first crewed mission to Mars.

Background

The Molotov Cocktail is an online zine based in Portland, Oregon that publishes “volatile flash fiction.” I love the mix of literary, genre, pulp, surrealist, experimental stories they publish every month. In 2017, I started submitting stories to some of their quarterly flash contests. In 2020, a couple of my stories were “close-but-no-cigar” shortlisted.

And now? My flash fiction story “Goodbye to Rock” placed 7th in the “Elemental Flash” contest! The issue was published online today and our stories will be published in a print anthology in the future! I’m grateful to be included; these flash contest issues are always a highlight.

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