fiction – Page 4 – Andrew Careaga

New micro fiction in ‘Mythic Picnic’

‘Devin Found a Flash Drive’ included in MICRO MAYHEM v5 (Sci-Fi and Horror)

I’m happy as a creature feature fanatic to have my warped little micro story, “Devin Found a Flash Drive,” in the latest edition of the X/Twitter-only literary magazine, Mythic Picnic: MICRO MAYHEM v5 (Sci-Fi and Horror edition).

Since Mythic Picnic exists only on X/Twitter, I can’t link directly to my story, but click on the link above and scroll for a bit and you’ll find it. It’s the third piece from the top. But don’t skip the other micros in this issue; they’re all bangers, as the kids say.

Here’s a teaser for my story:

DEVIN FOUND A FLASH DRIVE by Andrew Careaga @andrewcareaga

It was on the sidewalk at his bus stop. Devin grabbed it—maybe it’ll have some games on it, he thought, or better yet, porn—and when he got home, plugged it into his laptop.

But the only file he found was called “readme.txt.” He opened it and read.

“Dear stranger,” it began. “I need your help. Desperately.”

Devin read on.

Follow Mythic Picnic on X/Twitter at @MythicPicnic.

Thoughts on ‘Tacoma,’ by Aaron Burch (with excerpts)

A quick and quirky bit of autofiction infused with magical realism

If you’re looking for a lively, quick, and quirky read suffused with a good dose of modern magical realism, Aaron Burch‘s latest novel, Tacoma, might be the book for you.

In Tacoma, Burch mixes magical elements into this autofictional/speculative account of a modern-day quest for … something. I think Burch leaves that to the reader to decide, so I’ll refrain from making any definitive pronouncements here.

Read two excerpts from Tacoma.

On the surface, the story is about a couple who decide to “take a break from life” one summer and housesit in a luxurious mansion in Aaron’s hometown of Tacoma, Washington. The protagonist (whose name is Aaron) describes the place as “Beautiful mid-century modern, recently remodeled, state-of-the-art everything. A Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous episode devoted to a Frank Lloyd Wright house built in a waking life dream set in 21st century Pacific Northwest.”