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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#236: Retro

Whether you’re generation Tetris, Tamagotchi, or Tomb Raider, I bet there’s some kind of video game or console that reminds you of your childhood. I hope, too, that we all still know of vinyls, cassette and VHS tapes, and floppy disks, even if they’re past their prime.


I’m not usually very sentimental about technology, but there’s something fascinating about obsolete tech. Something nostalgic and sad and full of mystery and untold narrative. In that spirit, let’s pay a visit to our inner attic, dust off some forgotten hardware, and see where it takes us.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a character finding a retro piece of tech they don’t recognize.

Mystery – 33 stories

Write a story about someone finally gaining access into their family’s very old computer.

Mystery – 36 stories

Write a time-travel story where a character from the present finds themselves in the 80s or 90s.

Historical Fiction – 37 stories

Write a story about a grown-up sharing their favorite childhood video game with their child.

Funny – 20 stories

Write about a character who isn’t nostalgic about their past at all, and show readers why.

Angst – 54 stories

Stories

“Songs of Farewell” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #236

I made my way to my mother’s house with a mix of anticipation and nostalgia coursing through my veins. It was my move day from what has been the only home I had known to my own place. As I stepped through the familiar threshold, I was greeted by the sight of my mom, diligently packing my belongings into boxes. Mom, you don’t need to do all this. But THANK YOU! This is great. Aww. It’s the least I could do. There are so many memories packed around these walls. You know, when I look at all these things, it brings back a lot of good me...

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“Commodore 64 Discovery” by Joseph Monachino

Submitted to Contest #236

Commodore 64 Discovery BY: Joseph A. Monachino “We certainly have found plenty of old items while doing Spring cleaning”, said Tony to his brother Bill. Bill then uncovers an old Commodore 64 in the corner of the basement storage closet. “Look what I found, Tony”, says Bill. “What is it?”, asks Bill. “It is an old computer that dates back to 1985; a Commodore 64 to be exact”, says Bill. Tony then jokingly says: “I wonder if there is a goldmine of information on the hard drive?” “Well, let’s find out”, says Bill. Tony ...

2 comments 2
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“Computer Evolution” by Bob Ellis

Submitted to Contest #236

We bought the Timex Sinclair 1000 home computer for $99.95 in the fall of 1982. It ran BASIC instructions without the aid of any operating system. Users were forced to write programs for themselves, otherwise the six-inch by seven-inch, 20-ounce box did nothing but collect dust. The computer lacked a complete keyboard; no games, sound boards, or monitor were included. We had just moved up to Maine from Boston and had little money to spend. To get the computer’s required, but not included, black-and-white monitor, we drove from Yarmouth, M...

1 comment 1
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“Behind Lock & Key” by Jessica-Roisin Coop

Submitted to Contest #236

Behind Lock and Key When I was a child, I had burned with curiosity hotter than the sun. If there was any sort of mystery, I just had to channel my best Nancy Drew and solve the case ASAP.  If someone had put the milk carton back in the fridge with no milk, I would track down the culprit and ensure they got suitably chastised. My dad was left with red ears after the tongue lashing my mum gave to him that day.  He had given me some serious side eye once mum's back was turned. "How did you even figure out it was me?" "Well mu...

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“The File” by A.J. Williams

Submitted to Contest #236

Suburbs of Allen Commune of Boston, Massachusetts 2044 A woman in her middle years, with black hair turning gray, was using an older desktop computer. It was a Dell model with important information inside, information she urgently needed. However, she couldn't access the computer's main user without the required password. Feeling frustrated, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and thought about her father's favorite activities: fishing, hunting, volunteering, stamp collecting, and raising dogs. Trying different passwords, she atte...

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“Pete, Pearls, and Pictures” by Erica Wilson

Submitted to Contest #236

“I just don’t see what the problem is,” Jared frowned. I glared at him. “You don’t,” I asked him monotonously. My arms were folded across my chest, and I was tapping the toe of my black, patent leather stiletto heel on the brand new vinyl flooring in our kitchen. You look defensive and impatient, I heard my mother’s voice criticize, followed by a few disappointed tsks. Self-conscious now, I uncrossed my arms and planted my hands on my hips. Too confrontational, my mother’s voice scoffed in my head. I had finally settled on twirling my pearl ...

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“word perfect” by Lara Deppe

Submitted to Contest #236

Kennedy shoved the keys into my hands. “You do it.” “Why does this feel like we are breaking in?” I said as I fumbled the keys. There were only three keys on the ring, and I didn’t know which one would let us into the brown, two-story townhome. The uncomfortable tremble in my hands was shaking the keys until they rattled. “Because we have never been here without her.” She confirmed. “It seems a little creepy to be going into someone else’s house without their permission. “She left us the house Neddy; this is our house now.” I tried to com...

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“The Clerk” by Mike Fedorov

Submitted to Contest #236

Markus’s head cracked and thudded against the warm pavement, sending needles down his spine and a stabbing pain through his cranium, the rest of his body crashing down right after. Mumbles and groans escaped his sneering mouth as he swore up and down, attempting to soothe the pain. Through squinted eyes, Markus could barely make out vivid pinks, blues, and yellows - an endless amount of color that cut through the night sky above him. Among the people passing by him, he counted four who looked genuinely concerned; the others barely even glanc...

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“Orville Wadsworth Finally Gets It Right” by John Dmytruk

Submitted to Contest #236

He is making the final additions to a new invention. It looks like a small shipping container on the outside, but inside, it has four leather office chairs that were bolted to the floor. Canvas straps for seat belts that were bolted into the floor. Gauges and lights line the inside wall of the container. It wasn’t much to look at, but Orville Wadsworth thought it was his finest invention. While Willma Wordsworth did think much of it. “Orville, is this going to be another one of your finest inventions, like a robot housekeeper? Remember how ...

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“1989” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #236

The 1980's was a decade that changed America. From the many inventions like the computer and cell phone to the music, to the clothes and the many hair styles. The 1980's was truly a decade that changed us all. For me 1989, the last year of the 80's is the year that fascinated me. 1989 saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of Communism and the fall of dictators. It was a year marked with new beginnings for many and the end of the old ways for others. I saw 1989 as the year my family was freed and reunited after so many years. I was luc...

4 comments 4
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“Rewinding Hearts” by Bill Miller

Submitted to Contest #236

“This is the town I lived in when I graduated from college and started my first grown-up job Emily. Your mom and I met here.” I shared with my disinterested teenage daughter. Emily was sitting in the back seat with her socks up on the seat of the van and elbows on her knees. She was busy texting away as we drove through South central Iowa on our way to see the in-laws. She looked up briefly from her iPhone to acknowledge me with a quick nod before returning to her besties. Laura smiled at me and said “I wonder h...

4 comments 4
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“Going back for ‘a’ good!” by Andrew Venn

Submitted to Contest #236

              Going back for ‘a’ good!          There was a purpose for all of the research and the dedication required towards the construction of a mechanical machine and transportation unit, that would be capable to reverse time and decrease the age of a living person seated within this structure, and this personal purpose was to avoid an incident that would dramatically and drastically affect both my younger years and a ne...

8 comments 8
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“Starting Over” by Mary Lynne Schuster

Submitted to Contest #236

The crushing headache was expected, and having every nerve ending screaming like she was being electrocuted. But it only lasted a moment, as she had been promised, and she swam back to consciousness moaning and cradling her head. The pain faded quickly, almost instantly, and she slowly raised her head and looked around.   Sarah expected to be disoriented, so she wasn’t alarmed that she couldn’t place where she was right away. She should be in the bedroom she shared with her sister in the apartment on Glendale Road....

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“Between Reality” by Gregory Knight

Submitted to Contest #236

Jack’s eyes snap open, and he scans the room. He looks at the Heavy Metal concert posters on the wall, the chipped Swedish desk, the tape cassettes strewn about it; he sees an oscillating fan with sticky notes flapping. The place smells of nauseating incense and he can hear synthesizer tunes from the next room. Wait a minute, he thinks. Through his lethargic state, somewhere strange and somewhere very wrong had penetrated his heavy lids. He shook his head in disbelief and rubbed his face to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Flipping over on t...

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“The Last Summer with Lauren ” by Jessica Mcnally

Submitted to Contest #236

July 12th, 2018  Today, I stumbled upon a Nintendo Entertainment System for free on Facebook Marketplace. It came with the original Mario Bros. game. I drove an hour and 7 minutes to pick it up and another hour and 45 minutes back. Traffic was horrible. Yes, I felt a tad offended when Lauren and Liam called it "ancient". I had one of these when I was 14. My oldest kid is leaving for college in 37 days.  I can’t wrap my mind around it. I don’t know how to describe my feelings. I don’t know what to do with my feelings. I don’t k...

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$250

Prize money

180

Contest entries

80

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 09, 2024 EST

Won by Jennifer Fremon 🏆

Title: Frozen Lemonade

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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