The Book of Idle Tales
“There was once a city which was an idle city, wherein men told vain tales. And it was that city’s custom to tax all men that would enter in, with the toll of some idle story in the gate.”
—Lord Dunsany, “The Idle City”
Welcome to The Book of Idle Tales, our online literary journal, which is free to read and which we keep freshly stocked with wonderful pieces of fantastic flash fiction. Submission guidelines can be found here.
Home Is a Transverse Plane
My mother dies before she knew me. When she becomes sick, I move in to her house, and when she dies, I inherit the place. An old, two-story shotgun house. Each room is an agony of her belongings. I camp in the living room closest to the front door. Venturing…
Night Fishing
On rare nights in the late fall when the moon is a sliver short of full, the fog rolls in from the sea to fill the hollows and valleys of Whitecliff. And on such nights, the children of the town go fishing. * * * Min padded down…
Water Grass
Around ten in the morning, Dr. Sekitei stopped by with a bunch of spring onions and a bottle of beer in his hand. We had become friends through our mutual love of haiku. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “You don’t look well.” “Noises from the Tasakas’ pond keep me awake…