The inaugural Starry Eyed Press Drabbles Contest sponsored by Gregg Cunningham has concluded and we’re pleased to announce the winners, along with their submissions below.
Narrowing it down was incredibly difficult as we received a plethora of incredible submissions in sticking to our theme of science fiction – technology, western and robotics.
First Place receives a paperback copy of REDUX II: The Search For Floyd (Redux Cycle Book 2) by Gregg Cunningham, Redux: The Lost Patrol: A SciFi Time Travel Novel (Redux Cycle Book 1) ebook and Jason Russell’s 224-Verse Omnibus (Zan Dane Cycle Book 1) ebook.
Second Place receives an ebook copy of REDUX II: The Search For Floyd (Redux Cycle Book 2) by Gregg Cunningham, Redux: The Lost Patrol: A SciFi Time Travel Novel (Redux Cycle Book 1) ebook and Definition of Glory by Kelley Walker ebook.
Third Place receives an ebook copy of REDUX II: The Search For Floyd (Redux Cycle Book 2) by Gregg Cunningham and Definition of Glory by Kelley Walker ebook.
Without further ado, here are our winners:
Third Place
Alone
Louis Hill
It’s not being alone I mind; it’s being lonely. Isolation isn’t new to me, and crowds of people do not mean I feel seen.
Obviously, three hundred days alone is not ideal.
The poster on the wall acts as a reminder with markings recording the time.
I sip from a juice box and watch the final dregs escape the straw and form orange blobs that float across the room.
There was a time when I would catch them. Stop them clogging anything up.
But what’s the point?
If orange juice in a sensor is what kills me, so be it.
Second Place
Burnt Things
Dawn Colclasure
The man chose a robot; burnt, but still functional.
“This one,” he said.
“It’s burnt,” the shopkeeper grunted.
“I like burnt things,” the man said.
The man took the robot home to repair. The robot helped service space shuttles.
A ship driven by other burnt robots arrived. They emerged holding ray guns. They destroyed the unburned robots, sparing the man’s burnt robot.
Planning to kill the man, the leader robot signaled to hold fire once it saw his face.
“Not him,” it said. “I like burnt things.”
The man gratefully rubbed his hand across the burn scars on his face.
First Place
Robotomy
Nikki Root
Kasey’s titanium fingers scrolled through thank you messages.
One from a blind girl. His eyes.
An overworked foreman. His heart.
A diabetic grandmother. His kidneys.
“Mr. Adams, how are you feeling today?” Dr. Briscoe asked, sliding up a chair.
Kasey’s new chrome body reflected iridescent colors like in the posters.
Machine Colony Bliss: Air so clean you won’t need to breathe.
“They lied. I feel nothing. I want to go back.”
“There is no going back, but this might help.” Dr. Briscoe adjusted computer settings.
Kasey’s mechanical voice said, “Best decision I ever made.”
“There,” replied Briscoe, “another successful robotomy.
Congratulations not only to our winners, but also to everyone who made it into the final round. We have compiled all of these entries into a collection available for purchase now on Amazon in both paperback ($8.99) and Kindle format ($2.99) – the proceeds of which will be used to create further opportunities for new and established authors.
Starry Eyed Press 
congrats to everybody who made it into this fine antho
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Thank you, Gregg and Starry Eyed Press. There are so many great stories here! Congrats to everyone. I can’t wait to read the SciFi Pocket anthology and the free books. I am honored to be among such great writers!
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