The best short stories from 2018 and 2019

On this page we have collected the best stories from our short story contests in 2018 and 2019. Due to financial problems caused by the Covid-19 mania we have not been able to organize another contest yet, but we plan to do so again in the near future.

The purpose of these contests was to inspire writers to create stories to raise awareness of the harm that we are doing to our planet. The response was impressive. We received more than 2,000 entries in total. Although the quality was surprisingly good, the relevance left a lot to be desired. Many stories lacked precisely the awareness that they were supposed to raise. Fortunately there were also stories that did reflect this awareness. Those are the stories that we present here, exceptionally good ones, highly original and, above all, relevant and meaningful, cautionary tales, food for thought. They offer glimpses of the future awaiting us. In this year 2023 the reality of climate change has become starker than ever. All over the world thousands of heat records have been broken and are still being broken. The direst predictions of experts are coming true. We are descending into a hell of our own making. And still humanity refuses to make fundamental changes. Governments, corporations and media have only responded with empty words, half measures and fake solutions.

It is now time to prepare for the worst. Many of us will face unprecedented disasters, far beyond the capacity of conventional relief organizations. Personal preparedness will be vital. Knowledge plays a big part in that. Many of these stories are not only cautionary tales, but also visionary and prophetic ones, which can deepen our understanding of the new reality facing us and our children, raising our chances of survival.