I am super excited that my flash story “Mathematically Sound” was selected as a finalist in Crystal Lake Publishing’s Shallow Waters Flash Fiction Contest!

The theme for the month is “Liminal Spaces”. I love liminal spaces (both for their horror potential and as an aesthetic), so when I saw this theme I knew I had to write a story for this competition!

In preparation for writing “Mathematically Sound” I read Liminal (an anthology of liminal horror) and a bunch of extra material to help me get a good grip on what liminal horror is supposed to be.

When I first started thinking about a liminal horror story, I thought a lot about the liminal horror potential of hotels, especially the staircases that we tend to avoid in favor of the elevators. Then I came across an article about capsule hotels in Japan, and well…the rest is history.

“Mathematically Sound” is about a young mathematician, jet-lagged and disoriented after a flight to Tokyo, who checks into a capsule hotel for what should be a simple overnight stay before an academic conference. But in the maze-like corridors of identical sleeping pods, something isn’t quite right. As reality begins to blur and time loses meaning, he discovers that his expertise in complex mathematical patterns might help him navigate this strange space – or it might actually be part of the problem.

All the finalist stories will be posted on Crystal Lake Publishing’s Patreon Page.

“Mathematically Sound” can be found here.

Note that you have to be a 5 USD or higher patron of theirs in order to view the stories. 7-Day free trial subscriptions can be activated here. At the end of the month, all patrons will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite story.

I look forward to reading all the other finalist stories.

Chat to you guys soon, MK

UPDATE: Thank you very much to everyone who voted for “Mathematically Sound”. I appreciate every vote, like and comment! Although my story did not make it into the top 3, I’m still amazed and exhilarated that “Mathematically Sound” was chosen as a finalist alongside an impressive group of stories by seasoned writers. Read the winning story, “Wailing Mona” by Tom Deady, here.