Set your story after aliens have officially arrived on Earth.

Posted in Science Fiction on Aug 4, 2023

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✍️ 96 stories

“No More Elephants in the Zoo” by Michał Przywara

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #210

Anita Cable never seriously expected to come back from the dead. The forms Dr. Costa had her sign even said: they’d do their best, but the technology to reverse cryonic suspension just didn’t exist yet. And even then, there was still the glioblastoma. To her, it was all the same – bury, burn, freeze. A corpse was just a corpse, after she moved out. But it was little Molly that insisted, and how could Anita deny her anything? “I’ll wait for you, Mom,” Molly said, right before the cryo-capsule closed. As though Anita was just going for a ...

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“Pinder” by Nina H

Submitted to Contest #210

“Stop breathing on me,” Kerry said through gritted teeth. “Technically, I’m not breathing. I’m filtering. But I suppose it means the same thing here,” Broggo said in reply. “Ok, then stop FILTERING on me!” Kerry snapped and got up from the couch in a huff. “I sense displeasure. And I believe it has been caused by me. Am I correct?” Broggo queried. “Yes, it most definitely has been caused by you! Ugh! How YOU were matched with ME is…is…well it’s unexplainable!” Kerry yelled from across the room of her tiny apartmen...

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“Is Anybody Down There” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #210

Is Anybody Down ThereThe pilot aimed her craft toward the ocean surface at near mach one speed and effortlessly splashed through the rolling waves. Quickly passing all the scenic routes of coral reefs and colorful marine life within minutes the ship was cruising in the bleak abyss at about 16,000 feet below the deep blue sea.“Hey, watch out for that whale! How long have you had your license?”“Since before you were born, Petty Officer Pretty Boy. And what is a whale doing down this far, anyway?”“Probably dead and drifting downward.”“Good. Mor...

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“Take Me To Your Leader” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #210

“Greetings! We come in peace. Take me to your leader.” James “Dinky” Murray stood motionless with his jaw dropped and mouth agape at the eight feet tall man towering over him on his front porch. Being seven years old and two-fifths the size of the stranger, caused him to strain his neck trying to look up at the man’s face, and the more he strained, the more his face distorted and stretched into a look of unintelligence. “Mom!” Dinky shouted – without breaking eye contact. “It’s for you!” “Who is it, dear?” Dinky’s mother shouted from the kit...

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“Breadsticks” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #210

The aliens were not going to leave the Olive Garden. Originally, they had no plans to try out any of the fast casual restaurants the world had to offer. They were on a very strict timeline-- Arrive on Earth. Bring together mankind under an umbrella of peace and kindness. Meet Paul Simon. Go home. Peace and kindness didn’t take very long, but Paul Simon was a hard man to pin down. When the aliens finally got him on the phone, he cautiously agreed to meet with them provided they did not force him to sing “Call Me Al.” Of course, this...

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“Fresh meat” by James Larder

Submitted to Contest #210

‘Why don’t you go back to your own planet? Ya gangly E.T cunt!’The alien waved back at the heckler, to try and diffuse his apparent distain and demonstrate that no hard feelings were held, but this appeared to make things worse. The alien still had not worked out why it was that humans got offended by the alien wave. Would the alien stop waving though? No. It was important to keep up with the local custom, as a sign of respect. Also, there was no way of them speaking Earth languages, just as it was not feasible for humans to speak Krotonian....

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“Collision” by Amanda Vivilacqua

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #210

Dysus drove west, obeying the speed limit, and he trembled as he tried to light his seventh cigarette of the morning. His lips tingled around the filter. He smelled his own stale breath, captured in the palm he cupped around the lighter’s weak flame. He swallowed against the sticky thudding of the pulse that beat too high in his throat. The cigarette caught the flame and smoldered. Dysus cracked his window, and the smoke that drifted up to burn his eyes was sucked away into the cold morning. He coasted under yet another green light. He’d enc...

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“One Night Out on the Lake” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #210

One Night Out on the LakeThe best time to fish for walleyes is the last half-hour of sunlight. Every fisherman worth his weight in nightcrawlers knows that. It is also the best time to be out on the lake for any reason, or even better, for no reason- the wind dies down, the temperature drops, the sky presents a tapestry of extraordinary colors, all is quiet and still, and it is enough to just be there. Marty knew this better than any man alive, and he took full advantage. He was there so often even the fish recognized his boat. The occasiona...

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“Visitant” by Martin Ross

Submitted to Contest #210

News of the alien invasion had dominated the news around here for several days, but Oscar and Nicole saw no option but at least to try.Nicole already had lost two cousins to the inhumans’ violence in their town two states away, and there was little reason to believe there would be much mercy or humanity when they reached their destination. They controlled the water and food supplies, battling and battering the resistance. They apparently had been bred to hate the humans who ventured into their appropriated territory, and had no hesitation in...

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“Echoes Of The Cosmos” by Anna W

Submitted to Contest #210

Donna sat on the couch, legs folded under her. The afghan she was working on covered her lap and fell over the side of the couch. Taylor suppressed a sigh. Mom always worked on the blanket when she worried about something. She loved her mother’s crocheted creations, but when she saw her working on the ever-growing purple afghan, she knew something bad was brewing.“What’s wrong, Mom?” Taylor asked, sitting down next to her on the couch and pulling the blanket up over her own legs. It had grown as long as the rectangle rug that covered th...

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“Cathyheimer” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #210

Cathy nudged up her Vint & York Adeline glasses as she studied the data on her screen. It was unmistakable. A signal.Until that moment, Cathy had believed the future of the planet to was hopeless. Global warming, inequality, pollution, the mistreatment of animals–so many issues. And there was no way out. People were too driven by their own selfish desires.But what if we received help from another race of intelligent beings? One that travelled the stars would know how to transform this planet into a truly sustainable ecosystem. Follo...

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“Your Point Is?” by LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco

Submitted to Contest #210

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you an important message from the office of the President of the United States of America. Hardly a single head in Tequila Mockingbird, the high-class bar in a dead-end town, stirred an inch in response. The President had stopped mattering much to anyone in this area many moons ago. Across the country, there was a similar non-response wherever the TV programming could be interrupted. L...

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“The Human Invasion” by Matthew Ruiz

Submitted to Contest #210

Connor stared at his laptop in shocked silence. The blood in his veins seemed to be replaced by ice water and he could feel all of the color drain from his face like in those cartoons he watched as a kid. Except this time he wasn't a kid and the scene he watched play out on the screen was not as cartoonish as one might be led to believe. His phone buzzed somewhere on the couch beside him and his hand glided across the leathery surface, searching, as he could not unglue his eyes from what he was seeing. His fingers wrapped around his ph...

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“The White Toblerones” by Shuvayon Mukherjee

Submitted to Contest #210

‘Why’d you turn off the news? Do you want to talk about something?’ says Anabela, a restless finger tapping against her coffee cup, a tremor contorting the liquid. Her tone is casual, as if we’re going to delve into our usual lighthearted discussions, or laugh about our alien speculations from yesterday. But I know her tells. Her back is unnaturally stiff against the office chair and she won’t meet my eyes. Her gaze flickers around the office instead. Before responding, I glance around to make sure we’re alone, or maybe to delay the con...

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“Elvis Has Left the Planet” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #210

Dean staggered into the kitchen rubbing his bleary eyes. “Coffee. Gotta have coffee. My kingdom for a cup!” His kids, Lucy and Rex, looking at the morning paper, barely reacted. They’d heard it many times. Rex focused on the sports section. Lucy commandeered the calendar page. “Where’s your mother?” He began making coffee. Monica, still in her robe and slippers, stood at the kitchen door. “Here. What a night! Dogs barking. Lights flashing…” Dean rolled his eyes. “You too?” “Like the good old days, huh?” She smiled wanly. “Ready for school, ...

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Set your story after aliens have officially arrived on Earth.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 96 stories

“No More Elephants in the Zoo” by Michał Przywara

“Pinder” by Nina H

“Is Anybody Down There” by Mary Bendickson

“Take Me To Your Leader” by Chris Campbell

“Breadsticks” by Story Time

“Fresh meat” by James Larder

“Collision” by Amanda Vivilacqua

“One Night Out on the Lake” by Murray Burns

“Visitant” by Martin Ross

“Echoes Of The Cosmos” by Anna W

“Cathyheimer” by Scott Christenson

“Your Point Is?” by LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco

“The Human Invasion” by Matthew Ruiz

“The White Toblerones” by Shuvayon Mukherjee

“Elvis Has Left the Planet” by John K Adams

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who has to grapple with something completely alien to them.

Write a story about a character who is trying to share groundbreaking news, but isn’t being taken seriously.

Make a mysterious message an important part of your story.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “We’re not alone.”

Contest #210

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

302

Contest entries

112

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: