“The Knacker Man” by Scott Dalrymple [1258 words]

Though slightly longer perhaps than what is usually considered flash fiction, “The Knacker Man” more resembles that form in that it is more of a vignette than a story. The protagonist, Moyer, is a WWI (presumably British?) soldier in France who finds the knacker man (who collects animal carcasses and repurposes/disposes of them) from his childhood haunting the woods near his trench.

The piece abides in liminality and has no interest in elucidating its ambiguities. This approach better serves the reader. The “why” of the knacker man’s presence in the woods is less important than appreciating Moyer’s state of mind when coming upon him. What the knacker man reveals about the future is better understood by the reader than by Moyer. I’m not sure if this piece came off as colder than the author intended or if coldness was the point.

“Sarah’s Laugh” Melissa A. Watkins [6488 words]

In this future United States, corporations have gained the autonomy of independent nations, building walls around “company towns” (and eventually large cities) and enslaving the people within. Inexplicably, the laugh of a child named Sarah makes the walls disappear, revealing the horrors within. The corporations and their Christian fundamentalist allies push back against this, of course.

The identity of the story’s narrator offers a surprising twist, and the framing device does a good job of bringing the proceedings into perspective for the reader. I found the story’s political messaging tendentious, rather than illuminating.