Author Description

From The Lottery to Those That Walk Away From Omelas, speculation has a rich history in written fiction, especially in the short-story format. The obvious appeal lies in its ability to shuck the constraints of what we know know now in favor of exploring what we think could be. However, in literature, these speculations are often levied at the larger society, the teeming masses holed up in dystopian metropolises. It's easy to see the reason why so many writers would go there: it's where the action is. But what happens at the margins, in the podunk small towns where history is forgotten and the future seems so removed compared to the rest of the world? How does the little man or woman deal with these (oftentimes catastrophic) changes? That's what I wanted to find out. I grew up in a town with a population of around 2,000. And while I'd always lamented being trapped at the cross streets of Boring and Hopeless, I recognized the relative safety in the confines of a small town. But what if that were to change? What if everything went to shit? This anthology of short stories is a way for us to explore these changes, and explore we do. From killer dick pills to retro-futuristic Hatfield and McCoys; from Thunderdome-esque child gladiators to the just plain weird; Small Town Futures is your chance to tap into the twisted, sometimes bleak, sometimes hilarious minds of a new crop of authors just begging you to look into their crystal balls. Caution, however, is advised, for you might not always like the future you see.