Shadows and Static
The short stories collected here are deliberately partial. They function as windows into lives already in progress, capturing a single scene or a fleeting interaction before fading to black. By presenting these unfinished tales without their conclusions, we highlight the texture of the writing itself and leave the heavy lifting of plot resolution to the audience.
At its core, this project is an investigation into the capabilities of artificial intelligence within the arts. It seeks to define how digital tools can act as partners in creation, streamlining workflows and opening new avenues for scriptwriting and narrative construction. This is research into the future of storytelling tools as much as it is a showcase of fiction.
Our current selection is heavy on atmosphere, blending the grit of Noir and Mystery with the speculative tech of Cyberpunk and the cynicism of Dark Comedy. Interspersed among these are moments of Slice of Life realism. This post introduces the work of Jamie F. Bell, Tony Eetak, and Leaf Richards, whose distinct styles shape these varied worlds.
Take these story seeds and let them grow. We invite you to be the co-creator of these narratives, filling in the blanks that the authors have left behind.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
Exploring the nuances of Noir and Cyberpunk through intimate First-Person Narratives, this selection of short stories underscores our dedication to the evolution of digital publishing. We blend the grounding elements of Slice of Life and Romance with the intrigue of Mystery and Dark Comedy to push the boundaries of creative technology. By utilizing AI-assisted narrative tools, our project aims to enhance digital literacy, offering readers a sophisticated mix of Epistolary formats and genre-bending fiction that anticipates the next era of literary expression.
Wet Asphalt and Cheap Coffee
Category: First-Person Narrative | Genre: Noir
A rundown bus terminal on a rainy autumn night, filled with the smell of wet wool and diesel.
Granite and Glitches
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Slice of Life | Genre: Slice of Life
Three friends haul heavy camera equipment up a steep granite outcrop in the heat of a Northwestern Ontario summer, intending to film a message for their collaborators in China.
A Fine Dusting of Despair
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Romance | Genre: Dark Comedy
The air in the clearing carried the sharp, metallic tang of rust and the deeper, sweeter decay of wet leaves. What remained of the old ‘Recovery Depot’ sign dangled precariously from a single bolt, creaking a mournful rhythm against the steady, relentless wind. The few ramshackle buildings, grey and skeletal against the deepening autumn sky, seemed to sag further into the earth with each passing year. It was a place where hope had not merely faded, but had been meticulously catalogued and then, probably, forgotten in a poorly labelled box.
The Frozen Mark
Author: Tony Eetak | Category: Mystery | Genre: Mystery
The ravine chewed at the last vestiges of daylight, its icy teeth gleaming. Snow lay heavy, a thick shroud over the forgotten things. Every breath was a small, ragged cloud, a testament to the brutal, unyielding cold that had seeped into the very bone of the land. Here, silence was not peaceful, but a waiting thing, a held breath before something broke.
A Highway of Scratched Promises
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Epistolary | Genre: Cyberpunk
The asphalt shimmered, a long, grey ribbon unwinding under a sky the colour of a faded denim jacket. Inside the automated ‘Cruiser’—its designation a relic of a bygone era—the air conditioning whirred a quiet, persistent hymn against the summer heat. Winnipeg’s receding cityscape, a fractal mess of glinting towers and smog-smudged low-rises, finally gave way to the monotonous green of prairie fields, punctuated by the skeletal frames of automated agri-farms. Jack, slouched in the passenger seat, fiddled with a stray thread on his cargo shorts, while Penny, hands resting loosely on the haptic steering interface, watched the highway flow under them.
About the Project
By design, these stories have no beginning and no end. Many stories are fictional, but many others are not. They are snapshots from worlds that never fully exist, inviting you to imagine what comes before and what happens next. We had fun exploring this project, and hope you will too.
The Unfinished Tales and Short Stories collection is part of an experimental, creative arts and research program by The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners collectives. Each chapter is an interdisciplinary arts and narrative storytelling experiment focused on two key areas: AI-Assisted Scriptwriting, where researchers explore using AI to generate story ideas, plot structures, and alternative story arcs to enhance creative development; and Talent Development and Training, where the project studies the necessary skills for creative professionals to manage AI and immersive technologies in production, helping to inform future training curricula. The project was made possible with funding and support from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program and the Government of Ontario. We thank them for supporting the arts, digital transformation research and innovation in Ontario.
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