The Best of Every Day Fiction 2008

[Camille Gooderham Campbell]

It was very, very hard to choose only 100 stories for inclusion in our anthology.  Much harder than we'd expected.  It did make us realize once again, though, how many great stories we published over our first year.  There were some very fine stories that we simply could not squeeze in, and a lot of debate before we arrived at a final consensus.

So at long last, in the order of original publication, here is the list of stories selected for inclusion in our anthology:

SCIENTISTS by Andrew LeBlanc
LOLITA'S LYNCH MOB by Sarah Hilary
ROOTLESS by Peter Tupper
THE MUD ROOM by K.A. Patterson
THE SURRENDER by Heidi Ruby Miller
THE LESSON by Avis Hickman-Gibb
BETWEEN THE 'SHEETS' by Christopher Kastensmidt
KITTY by Amy Silver
DIRTY LAUNDRY by Andrew LeBlanc
TAKE FIVE by Jeanne Holtzman
SECURITY QUESTION by Ramon Rozas III
CONSCIOUS DECISION by Oonah V Joslin
FILIAL TIES by Rumjhum Biswas
TELL'S CHOICE by Steve Goble
BRIMSTONE AND LIARS by Stephanie Scarborough
FOR CABBAGES AND ALE by Robert J Santa
XIIN by Mark Harding
BAD LUCK by K.C. Shaw
THE JOURNEY by Deven D Atkinson
STORM'S RISING by Suanne Warr
GO AWAY by Tania Hershman
SOCKS AND BANSHEES by Jens Rushing
I TAKE IT BACK by John Ritchie
RONNIE ANGEL by Jeanne Holtzman
CATHERINE by Joseph Riippi
GARDEN PESTS by Ellie Tupper
MONOCHROME by Steve Goble
HOW MY SISTER LOST THE GAME by K.C. Shaw
PETER AND SID by Rena Sherwood
THE FACTS AS I KNOW THEM by Sarah Hilary
ONE QUESTION by Gay Degani
IDENTITY THEFT by Andy Bolt
RESOLUTION by Oonah V Joslin
BARE by Lily Thomas
LONG AND SHORT by Jeff Alan
THE GORDIAN STONE by James Enge
TEARS IN A BOX by DJ Barber
SYNERGY by Oonah V Joslin
HAVEN by Kevin Shamel
SONG OF THE EXTRA-POINT KICKER by Patrick Parr
MRS. WILSON'S BREAK by Avis Hickman-Gibb
WE ARE LUXEMBOURG by Richard Rippon
EPIPHANY SALE by KJ Kabza
SILVER SHELLS by Michael D. Turner
A SHINY NEW ANDREW by P.A. Matthews
MARIE'S LAST GRASP by Ijasan Adelehin
INVINCIBLE by Steve Goble
REMEMBER? by Erin M. Kinch
LEVEL CAP by D.A. Heiserman
UNCLE LESTER HAD A HAMMER by Nicholas Ozment
OUTSIDE by Stephanie Clauson
THE WEALD MAIDEN'S WILL by Nicholas Ian Hawkins
THE BREACH by Gay Degani
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS by Patrick Parr
THE OBJECTIV-EYE by Matthew Strada
SOMEONE ELSE'S SLIP by Sarah Hilary
THE MILK MAN'S OFFER by Katie Rose
WING MENDING by Dave Macpherson
ONLY HIS NAME by Michael Ehart
THE APRIL FOOL by Matthew Strada
SHOW ME BRAVE by Kevin Shamel
WITHOUT NAPIER by Michael Ehart
LEONIDAS AND THE T-BIRD by Sarah Black
THE PHILOSOPHER IN THE DARK by Scott M. Sandridge
YARDIE GIRL by Celeste Goschen
A FUNGAL FRIEND by Lee Beavington
THE SNIPER'S SON by Jill Barth
THE HERON by Oonah V Joslin
THE HERO AND THE HORROR by Kevin Shamel
THE BEACH COTTAGE by Angela Carlton
THE BURNING BLACK by Greta Igl
PRIORITY WON by Bill Ward
AFTERSHOCKS by Alexander Burns
ONE BRIGHT MOMENT by Joel Willans
MUG'S GAME by Sarah Hilary
CAVEDWELLER 2.0 by Greg Likins
SPRING MELT by Gay Degani
THE HEIST by Ann Wilkes
DESERT ISLAND SOLITAIRE, OR, A GOOD CIGAR IS A SMOKE by Nick Logan
JUNKYARD RATS by Bill Ward
THE SALUTE OF THE OLD AND CROTCHETY by Madeline Mora-Summonte
LARRY LEGEND by Jason Stout
VIRTUOSO by Gustavo Bondoni
TO SAVE THE DISCO by Kevin Shamel
IF WE WERE BRIAR ROSES by Brian Dolton
THE CHUPACABRA IN LOVE by A.C. Wise
FORBIDDEN PLANET by Dave Macpherson
SPARKERS by Peter Tupper
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND BOYS… by Nicholas Ozment
HELLISH PARADISE by Frank Roger
THE SOUCOUYANT by Megan Arkenberg
AFTER, LIFE by Jeff Parish
BOX OF BALLOONS by Robin Vandenberg Herrnfeld
CROSSING BRIDGES by Sarah Black
EXODUS by Megan Arkenberg
WITH LOVE FOREVER YOURS by Alex Moisi
ODD PORK by Nick Logan
HAIR OF THE DOG by K.C. Ball
MY CORONA by Jason Stout
GREEN by Dave Macpherson

NOTE: Authors should be receiving proofs of their stories by email this week.  If you haven't received your proof by Thursday, November 6th, please email camille@everydayfiction.com.

[Sarah Hilary]

Great news, Camille, thank you for posting this. So exciting! Thanks to you and Jordan for all the hard work that's going into this (and for choosing my stories!), and congratulations to all the writers who will be part of this first "Best Of..." Anthology.

Sarah

[kcball]

Thank you, Camille.

I'm pleased that Hair of the Dog was selected for inclusion in the Best of Every Day Fiction collection. I so appreciate all the time you and Jordan and Steven invest, and have invested, to make EDF the special place that it is.

I shall remember you all in my will. 

K.C.

[Sarah Hilary]

Congratulations, KC!

[kcball]

Thank you, Sarah.  And to you, too. 

[Bill Ward]

This looks fantastic. Congrats to all involved, and I'm thrilled and honored to be included with so many great authors.

[Oonah V Joslin]

Four?  I'm thrilled to bitlets!  And I'm there amongst a whole lot of great writers and I congratulate you all.  It looks like a wonderful anthology.

[acarlton]

Wow...so thrilled to be a part of this collection!!!!!!! Thank you so much and congrats to all

[M.Sherlock]

Big gratz to everyone who got published, this is a must buy

[Madeline]

Thank you so much for including me in this anthology!  I am honored to be included with so many wonderful writers and stories.

And now, my Christmas shopping is done! 

[Jordan Lapp]

This was for the period of Sept 2007 to August 2008, so if you were published in Sept 2008, you are eligible for inclusion in the 2009 best-of.

The anthology rights for all other stories published from Sept 2007 - August 2008 are hereby released.

Congratulations to all the authors that are in this one! We're really excited to publish it. Camille's been knocking herself out to get it done before Christmas, so it should be available soon!

[Shameless]

Wooo Hoooo!

What a great list of stories.  I'm so happy to have mine in there!

Congrats, EDF, and to all the authors with stories in the anthology.  It rocks.

Thank you, Jordan and Camille!!

~~Kevin

[Avis Hickman-Gibb]

Oh what a lovely surprise on such a drizzly day!  Congratulations to every one who made it into this - didn't we do well?!!

And thanks to everyone at EDF for making it happen.  Cheers!

Avis

[Gay Degani]

 I'm a little in shock!  Thanks Angela for the heads up and congratulations to every one who made it and to everyone who just missed.  You guys made it tough for our exalted leaders and the comp will continue to demand the best from each of us.  Thanks to everyone who read my stories and encouraged me to keep submitting.  I owe my inclusion to all of you and of course to the Triad of Jordan, Camille, and Steven who work tirelessly for the love of sharing short fiction with the world. Phew!  In the vernacular of my youth, I'm stoked.

[catephoenix]

Congratulations to all who made it into the anthology - I am not jealous at all.   

Good to see some of my pals up there - congrats KC Shaw, Gustavo, Jeff & Robert. 

[Kate Shaw]

Golly golly gosh!  I have two in there!  Thanks!

I don't know how you narrowed it down to 100, frankly.  I read over the list going "oh goodie!  I love that story and that one and that one" and then I got to the end of the list and thought, "but what about this story and that story and that one that were left out?"  There are just too many good ones in a year.  Too much quality, that's the problem!

[M.Sherlock]

aw damn i was one month out....but who cares....i'd rather not have my story in the antho and have a more awesome story in its place, next to the other 99 awesome stories. In fact, thats probably the reason i wouldnt have been nominated for the antho...and damn straight too!

[Jordan Lapp]

I ain't saying anything, but I was a fan of your piece in Sept 2008, Michael

[Alex B.]

Oh, wow, awesome! That's a fantastic list, and I'm honored to be among those selected. I'll definitely be ordering a few copies. 

[Frank Roger]

Very nice to see my story "Hellish Paradise" included. Great news! I can't wait to see the anthology.
Thanks to all at EDF and let's make its second year even better.
Frank Roger

[Nicholas]

Thanks for picking a couple of my stories; congratulations to the other authors; and, in praise of EDF and all its contributors, I would note that a second anthology of the hundred runners-up could probably be compiled and it, too, would be bloody brilliant!

Thanks, especially, to the EDF editorial team for your superhuman efforts that have paid off to make this such a successful site.

[M.Sherlock]

hehe thanks jordan

by the way, is it going to be hard or paper back

[C.L.]

It looks really good!

[Camille Gooderham Campbell]

by the way, is it going to be hard or paper back

We are trying to arrange both a hardcover and a paperback edition, in order to offer two price points and also because some people like hardcovers and others prefer paperbacks.

[Deven]

Many of my favorite stories are in that list!
I am so honored to be included.

[Steve Goble]

Well now ... my boring night at work just got a whole lot better!

Congrats to everyone involved, and to the EDF crew for making it all happen.

[Steve Goble]

Hey, this is a reunion of sorts, too ... Deven and I used to collaborate in a country-rock band called Four Lane Highway (and we collaborated in many other ways, too.)

So ... this rocks!

[Deven]

Hey, this is a reunion of sorts, too ... Deven and I used to collaborate in a country-rock band called Four Lane Highway (and we collaborated in many other ways, too.)

So ... this rocks!

Yes, indeed!  This really rocks!
 

[CelesteGoschen]

Thanks Camille and Jordon for all your hard work. Your inspired site and detailed feedbacks really make all the difference to all us writers out there. Thank you for including me in the anthology. I'm honoured! x

[greglikins]

Congratulations, everyone! I'm honored that my story "Cavedweller 2.0" will be included in such great company. I've drawn loads of inspiration from all of your stories, and look forward to submitting more. Cheers!  --Greg