Friday, August 24, 2007

Friday Flash Fiction: The Last Adam

A few weeks ago, Jetse De Vries wrote this comment on the Velcro City Tourist Board:
Problem with flash fiction is that it ultimately is so forgettable: it’s *extremely* difficult to write a deep and resounding story at such lengths.

I think generaly that's true, but I'd like to offer the following as a contender. It was first published last June on Static Movement so as a reprint doesn't strictly keep to the spirt of FFF. Let me know what you think.


The Last Adam
By Gareth D Jones

The last man on earth worked in heart-broken silence, carving a name onto a wooden plaque with meticulous care. Once complete he placed it atop the last of a seemingly endless series of graves that had been harder and harder to dig with fewer and fewer people.

He sat down heavily and stared at his handiwork. He was no longer just the last man on earth. He was now the last human too.

The plaque simply read: ‘Eve’.

The End

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Damn. Looks like I was channelling again - at least it was only a name :)

As ever an interesting piece. Let's see if Jetse comes along for a look?

GLP said...

I like the way you don't say why everyone's dying. It makes Adam's plight more personal, somehow.

GLP said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jetse de Vries said...

...belatedly he entered...

Well, to be frank: while I did like "The Last Adam", and certainly wouldn't call it forgettable, I wouldn’t call it ‘deep and resounding’ either. Good but not mind-blowing.

So shoot me.

Flash fiction *is* a strange category. In a disingenuous manner, one could say it’s wannabe (prose) poetry for those who can’t really write poetry. Less scathingly I’d say it can read quite well on the first time, but almost never on a second read, because then the surprise ending is known. I just like stories that are better on a second reading, and it’s *extremely* difficult to to these at flash length.

I know I can’t do it, otherwise I’d be trying both Nature and Cosmos with it.