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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#82: How App-ropriate

Love it or loathe it, there’s no denying that modern technology has reshaped literally every aspect of our daily lives. From the way we stay in touch with family and friends, to the ready access of information (or misinformation), to how we work and then spend our hard-earned cash, there’s no part of modern life that isn’t impacted by technology.

And it’s safe to say the advancement of tech is only accelerating. But while some characters welcome — or even help usher in — this changing world, others won’t be so accepting. This week, let’s take a look at some of the highs and lows of a world run by algorithms.

This week's prompts

Write about a technophobe who’s been given a device to solve a problem they’ve struggled with for years, but isn't sure how they feel about it.

Character – 95 stories

Your character has just realized the app they’ve been developing has become self-aware. How do they react?

Science Fiction – 74 stories

Write a historical fiction story about someone working at a company that helped revolutionize early computers.

Historical Fiction – 17 stories

Write a near-future thriller where a piece of everyday technology has turned against your character — and only your character.

Thriller and Suspense – 130 stories

Write about an android just trying to blend in with their human companions.

Science Fiction – 221 stories

Stories

“The Fourth Wall” by Ishan Chopra

Submitted to Contest #82

How is a creator supposed to feel when they are bested by their own creation?The right feeling, the most proper and appropriate feeling of course is one of selfless pride stemming from unconditional love.But at their core, all artists are human.An artist craves recognition and attention.An artist craves to be understood.So what happens when this attention is snatched away from them?What happens when the painting jumps out of the painter's canvas and proceeds to make a painting the likes of which no one has even seen before?The sniveling, gru...

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“Thinking Machines” by Nikhil Jain

Submitted to Contest #82

Alan was sweating. Something was missing. Something important. Even though he had been sitting for the past three hours, his muscles ached from the tension in his body. His cramped apartment was dimly lit and sparsely furnished, apart from the prominent bookshelf stuffed with abstruse mathematical tomes and a desk sprawled with reams of scribbled notes which were under interrogation from Alan's intense gaze. "Bloody hell," he muttered under his breadth as he flipped through papers with inscrutible mathematical symbols scribbled over ...

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“BESK - The Living Device” by Georgia Krumova

Submitted to Contest #82

Come on – a my house, my house a come on I’m gonna give you candy Axel opened his eyes. He raised his hands and purred like a kitten as he stretched. Come on - a my house, my house a come on The song. The phone. Yes, his phone rang with that song. His favorite song. ‘Hello?’ Said Axel in a sleepy voice. ‘I have news. They accepted it! They accepted your project! Congratulations! I hope to see you today. ' ‘What?’ Axel rubbed his eyes. The stranger on the other end of the phone was saying strange things to him. He had dreamed something, but h...

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“The Room” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #82

“Please go down to the end of the hall. The door will open automatically. Go to your left. Enter the second door on your right. It will be open. Please be seated and await instructions.” The voice ominous, cold, coming from a speaker that was not visible. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t the monotone voice of an undertaker. I dutifully followed the instructions. The door as promised slid open as I approached, its green eye blinking unceremoniously as if I had disturbed it. I followed the cor...

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“Driven to Distraction” by Jaime Faulkner

Submitted to Contest #82

With space becoming more and more scarce and the world's countries finally agreeing to do something about global pollution, personal transport was no longer an option. Instead, each apartment block - there were no individual houses any longer either - was allocated a specified number of self-driving cars, depending on how many adults lived in that building. I was in a small building that only had six families, so there were two vehicles. There were times when there wasn't one available, so you had to walk, something too many citizens h...

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“Battery Dead” by Chris D

Submitted to Contest #82

Call her Charlene, call her Charlie, really anything but insane, because that's all her friends will call her these days. Ex-friends, because she is not insane. She is completely sane, and completely singled out by her phone. Yes, evil cell phones are a thing. She would know. She has one. She doesn't know if it's revenge for dropping it in the toilet (it was an accident, she swears) or maybe some sort of twenty first century kind of voodoo where her nemesis Charles, the OG Charlie, as he refers to himself, because at twelve days her senior, ...

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“The Suicide Status” by Kerrie Clements

Submitted to Contest #82

Laura stood up and stretched. She had been sat at her laptop all morning, writing a report for the local FoodHub magazine. She had been writing for them for quite a while now, alongside a few other companies. She was well known for her excellent reports in Lonsville. Which is where she lived on her own, in a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a small block. Laura put the kettle on to boil and had a look outside. It was raining. The wind was howling too. It was only 2 p.m. but the sky was dark. Laura had seen on the news that t...

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“No More Lies” by April Rawlins

Submitted to Contest #82

It was an ordinary day, and I was swishing about the kitchen, trying to make lunches for the children to take to school, and for my husband to take to work. I made it look effortless. The television was on, telling me the latest forecast for the day. There would be rain later. I was not concerned. I was however, delighted that my packages I ordered would be arriving that day. I had placed another delivery last week. Everything was so easy these days. All you had to do was yell out for Alexa to order something for you and she would. Then, all...

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“Only You” by Austin McCreary

Submitted to Contest #82

*Authors Note: This story takes place semi in the future where robots are starting to enter the world. Sam is the first person in the world to make a functioning robot like this one. Enjoy!*"You sure this is a good idea, Sam?" Jay asks me nervously, I glance over at him as I finish screwing in the last few bolts of the metal machine. "Oh Jay, you worry to much" I grin as I screw the last bolt in place, "Ready?" I look at him, excitement full in my eyes and my grin large "You know im not, but that aint gonna stop you" I shrug and nod my head ...

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“Zola” by Melanie Moore

Submitted to Contest #82

There was a time when I couldn't get enough of technology. However when I started feeling phantom buzzes on my wrist each night while my smart watch was on the charger, I knew it was time to take a step back. I'm not a surgeon. Did I really need to be notified immediately that my friend's toddler visited their first petting zoo or that an article on twenty Sunday night sheet pan dinners has just been posted?I kicked the smart watch habit. I had resigned myself to only being as technologically advanced as my smart phone. After all, the only ...

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“Am I Psychic?” by Nousheen Neelambra

Submitted to Contest #82

"Harry".... Grandma Michael always calls Harry when his parents take their foot to the courtyard to go for work. Its Harry's duty to look after his grandma when his parents are away for work. "Harry", coughed Grandma Michael because she raised too much voice which is not good for her throat. Harry who was opening his new brand mobile phone's box got irritated and replied in a loud displeasing voice "coming Nanny". Harry opened his room's door and made his way to his Nanny's room which was opposite to his room. "Why can't she just sit there ...

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“The Smell of Java” by Peyton Hull

Submitted to Contest #82

I used to be afraid of the most childish of things. Things like the dark or the monster in my closet. Things most children fear because they are unknown. See, I wish I was still afraid of those things. Those were simple. They had a way to fix them. Turning on the light, for example, got rid of the dark. One peek under the bed and you can see that there was in fact, no monsters under the bed. However, since things that we typically see in our everyday life, we aren’t afraid of them as much. A car is responsible for most of the world’s deaths,...

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“When a House is Not a Home” by Nico 93

Submitted to Contest #82

I do not get nightmares because every waking second I’m filled with a cold tingle down my spine. The sanctuary of my home has turned into a dark, fear inducing black hole. My hand starts to shake as I turn the key. A drop of sweat trickles down my neck. The door creaks open. “Surprise!”Countless faces with gaping grins are staring at me. I muster a small smile as I’m led by arms and hands through a corridor so long that it begins to feel like an optical illusion. All of my senses feel attacked; my eyes attempt to adjust to flickering pa...

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“Chaotic Electronics.” by 𝓔𝓜𝓜𝓐 𝓐. 🎀

Submitted to Contest #82

I look up at the clock on the wall, the second hand ticking. I squint my eyes trying to make out the numbers, too blurry I think. I reach out to grab my phone except it’s not where I left it. I look around before finally asking a coworker what time it was. “1:30 pm” came the reply. Time for lunch, I better grab something before I have to get back to work. I smile when I see my favorite lunch tray in the cafe. I quickly pay for it and skip back to my desk. “Where is my phone?” I mutter to myself. “Under your desk Marie, Where you always leave...

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“6:45” by George Puscuta

Submitted to Contest #82

The world shifted and as it did colors dissolved into each other and shapes became mangled in front of him.Thud!The drop had knocked the wind out of him and as he lay on his side he could hear a soft wheezing come with each breath. It hurt, and it hurt a lot.Actually, was he in pain or was he imagining everything? wheeze… Why would anyone imagine pain, what would be the purpose of that? wheeze… So, this had to be real! wheeze … wheeze … But why would he be hurt? He shouldn’t be hurt! wheeze… wheeze… His confusion started to recede and as it ...

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$50

Prize money

537

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 26, 2021 EST

Won by Cyndy Reads 🏆

Title: ALN23061912RK

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!

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