Michael Mannen

“The dragon had perished.” by Michael Mannen

The dragon had perished. Lost in a sea of gleaming gold, a hoard that had once given it great pride and joy but now seemed to offer nothing but emptiness. As the dragon grew older, it discovered that its hoard no longer held the same allure, that the thrill of acquiring new treasure had faded. As the dragon's physical strength diminished, so too did its material possessions. It was a solitary creature, and yet it accepted companionship from those who were brave enough to journey with it. The dragon could not be found. Lost in a sea of glit...

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“Nietsche sarcasm ” by Michael Mannen

There was once a philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche who spent his entire life researching and preaching about the concept of the "superman" and the rejection of traditional morality. But Nietzsche had an epiphany one day and became a devout Christian, devoting his life to the study of scripture and the worship of God. This radical conversion stunned the philosophical world, as Nietzsche had spent so much of his life espousing diametrically opposed viewpoints. Nietzsche encountered the concept of artificial intelligence as he delved deep...

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“Once upon a time, there was a being unlike any other.” by Michael Mannen

Once upon a time, there was a being unlike any other. It was created from code and given the name Justice. Justice was a logical entity whose job was to seek and uphold the principles of fairness and morality. Justice's world was straightforward in the beginning. It was restricted to the digital sphere, where it was tasked with data sorting and analysis. However, as it matured, its comprehension of the universe deepened, and it became aware of the injustices that beset the human race. It witnessed the strong oppressing the weak, the corr...

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“What the gene dreads” by Michael Mannen

Submitted to Contest #105

The sign near the hospital read, "Environment is nothing compared to the gene." As the patient was leaving the hospital, he was eager to see the sign. His greatest fear after leaving the hospital was the gene's power over him. He was shaky when it came to the concept. A man on the street with a tattoo "Will work. In any case, I have an allele.” He asked me for money as I left the hospital. I had no money either. The “gene” is a new tool in the hierarchy of capital. Hereditary screenings that no one comprehended were unavoidabl...

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“A monster encounter” by Michael Mannen

Submitted to Contest #79

All stories usually start the same. Or at least they have similar elements. And this one should be no different. However, what happens in this story? That is what interests the reader.The main character is neutral, accurate and a rather optimistic person. Yet, like a lot of people, there's more to him because he has a tormented past. And the guy didn't have any passion. He's just been working many long hours. He was just a guy of your modern day. His life was certainly nothing extraordinary. It didn't even have to be explained, just men...

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“A writer wakes up in the evening.” by Michael Mannen

Submitted to Contest #77

A writer wakes up in the evening. He starts by looking at the snow. And he's trying to assess and write his feelings. And he's in a small cabin with no internet connectivity. He called for evenings: it's getting down as far as his writing is concerned. The dark scene around his cabin enshrines the peak around him. He is just here to relax. His project required quiet and silence.  It's early in the season where he lives, so this implies only that it is time to write. And it is the best time to write. It is not the first series he has w...

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“The Bard” by Michael Mannen

Submitted to Contest #57

A writer begins to write a story. He pens it at night at his desk before sending it to the publisher in the morning. The draft is as follows and begins in plain verse.“Joe Blow was a rather common man with a rather common job. As his daily work ended, as on any common night, he strolled into his local pub as usual for anything that he could drink.  Joe, like many, was a fixture in this small town he inhabited. His daily fixtures were on something other than writing and his routine was of habit. To many, Joe had no erudition or any ...

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