365 Tomorrows is one of my favorite blogs. Each day, they publish a piece of science fiction or fantasy flash fiction.
Flash fiction is extremely short-form fiction; submissions for 365 Tomorrows are capped at 600 words, which is roughly one printed page. It’s just long enough to reveal a setting, a couple of characters, and a plot, but short enough to digest in less than five minutes.
This form works particularly well for science fiction: There’s not enough space for a complex character drama, but there’s enough room for a snapshot of a possible future, with just enough detail to excite the imagination.
For example, Systema Metropolis imagines a future where the machines come alive—but not sentient—in ecosystems based on getting oil and metal. Q204 explores the plight of an English student waiting for rescue from a perishing Earth. The Next Season’s Hottest Flavor describes a chef getting rare exotic fruit from a colony on the outskirts of the solar system.
It’s a fantastic bit of daily entertainment that has been running for more than three-and-a-half years without a break, which is completely awesome.
Also: if you prefer audio fiction, subscribe to the Voices of Tomorrow podcast where they read some of the best pieces from 365 Tomorrows out loud. It’s not as regularly published as 365 Tomorrows, but it’s always good to hear more great stories.