Author Archives: jeffbaker307

“Blue Shoes,” A Friday Flash Fics Sequel by Mike Mayak (January 16, 2026)

Posted on January 16, 2026 by jeffbaker307

Blue Shoes by Mike Mayak (Sequel to “A Bicycle Built Fortuitously”) Franco and Anthony had followed the Yellow Man’s directions and pushed the bicycle to The Midnight Cafe which was positioned under a yellow, neon sign of a crescent Moon. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, In The Under, LGBT, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Cait Gordon’s “Speculative Shorts.” New Collection Reviewed by Jeff Baker. (January 15, 2026)

Posted on January 15, 2026 by jeffbaker307

Characters who sign. Accessibility. Ableism. This book deals with issues of… No. Wait… Two Opera divas in an otherworldly rivalry, complete with tentacles. Love stories across every gender spectrum. A non-binary Alice meets a different kind of Cheshire Cat. People … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Cait Gordon, Collection, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Reviews, Science Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short-Stories, Speculative Shorts | Leave a comment

Flash Fiction Draw Challenge Results for January 2026! A Zamboni and a Horse Or Two!! January 11, 2026

Posted on January 11, 2026 by jeffbaker307

Hi! I’m Mike, A.K.A. Jeff Baker. The draws for the January 2026 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were: A Fantasy Set in a Skating Rink Involving a Plastic Toy Horse E. H. Timms wrote: “Zamboni” https://thinkingthinking123.blogspot.com/2026/01/flash-fic-challenge-zamboni.html And I wrote: “The Way … Continue reading →

Posted in E. H. Timms, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

“Elevator Story.” Friday Flash Fics from Jeff Baker. (January 9, 2026)

Posted on January 9, 2026 by jeffbaker307

Elevator Story by Jeff Baker The two of us got on the elevator at the same time. The twenty-something with the brown hair in the suit and tie punched the button for Floor 34. The doors closed and the two … Continue reading →

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Follow “The Way Of The Horse” the January Flash Fiction Draw Challenge Story from Mike Mayak (January 6, 2026)

Posted on January 5, 2026 by jeffbaker307

The Way Of the Horse by Mike Mayak The Draws for the January 2026Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were: A Fantasy, set at a Skating Rink involving a Plastic Toy Horse. This is what I came up with. And yes, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Skating! Fantasy!! And Plastic Horses?!?! Flash Fiction Draw Challenge Draws for January 2026, from Mike Mayak (January 5, 2026)

Posted on January 5, 2026 by jeffbaker307

NOTE—January-ish pic taken by Ashton Tharp in NYC. First, here’s the prompts for the January 2026 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, the first one of the New Year of 2026! Then my usual long-winded explanation: A Fantasy Involving A Plastic Toy … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Nathan Burgoine, Cait Gordon, Jeffrey Ricker, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge | 2 Comments

A Fortuitous Story To End the Year With from Mike Mayak (December 29, 2025)

Posted on December 29, 2025 by jeffbaker307

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Flash Fiction Draw Challenge prompts I didn’t use this year were: A Fantasy, involving a Bicycle, set in A Swimming Pool. Too good to pass up, so I wrote this. Happy New Year, everybody!! —-mike/jeff A Bicycle … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Progress Report for November/December 2025 from Jeff Baker.

Posted on December 21, 2025 by jeffbaker307

Photo by Amy Tharp November/December 2025 A little more progress to report, but not much. I wrote the December QSF column, a rant actually, and then wrote another one so I am ahead about a month on the columns. Wrote … Continue reading →

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Reading Report from Jeff Baker. “Day Million” and Others November/December 2025

Posted on December 21, 2025 by jeffbaker307

Reading Report, November/December 2025 Listened to a recording of Frederik Pohl’s “Day Million.” I’d never read it before. Read Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpekis’ story “Oil On Water” online. It’s in the magazine LOLWE. A well-done horror story that doesn’t pull its … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, E. H. Timms, Frederik Pohl, John Maddox Roberts, Kaje Harper, L. Sprague DeCamp, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpekis, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Enter “The Dark Tower” If You Dare! Spooky Friday Flash Fics for Christmas from Jeff Baker December 19, 2025.

Posted on December 19, 2025 by jeffbaker307

The Dark Tower by Jeff Baker All the kids on my street knew the old grain elevator was haunted, especially around Christmas. The street stretched into a dirt and gravel road with a gully and overgrown weeds on either side … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, Ghost Story, Horror, Kansas, Short-Stories | Leave a comment