Gears, Gadgets, and Human Drama
These texts are not whole; they are windows left slightly ajar. Presented as unfinished tales, they capture characters in the midst of discovery or crisis, stripping away the context of a beginning or an end. The intent is to evoke a sense of mystery, urging the reader to populate the empty spaces with their own theories and conclusions.
This collection serves as a testing ground for the convergence of interdisciplinary arts and applied artificial intelligence research. It explores the potential of digital tools to act as collaborative partners in the writing process. Through this work, we aim to better understand how technology can assist in scriptwriting and the evolution of storytelling forms.
Today’s post oscillates between the familiar and the fantastic, blending Contemporary Drama with the mechanical aesthetic of Steampunk and Sci-Fi. The authors featured in this selection are Jamie F. Bell and Eva Suluk. Their combined efforts provide the sparks for these disparate worlds.
We invite you to step into these fragmented realities. Read what is there, but focus equally on what is missing. The true conclusion of these stories resides not on the screen, but in the creative leaps you make to finish them.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
We are dedicated to the future of publishing, using creative technology to enhance digital literacy and explore the possibilities of AI-assisted narrative. Included in this selection of short stories are poetic and lyrical explorations of slice of life moments, juxtaposed against the backdrop of steampunk and sci-fi environments. Whether through epistolary formats or supernatural mystery elements within contemporary drama, our work seeks to push the boundaries of how fiction is conceived and consumed.
A Penny for a Hollow Tune
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Poetic / Lyrical | Genre: Contemporary Fiction
The wind coming off the Red River had a damp chill to it, even in late August. It carried the smell of diesel from the tour boat and deep-fried onions from a food kiosk. Mike felt the grit of the concrete plaza through the thin soles of his boots as he tapped his foot, trying to find a rhythm that wasn’t there. His guitar, an old Yamaha with a crack running through the varnish, felt heavier than usual.
Brewing Old Regrets
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Slice of Life | Genre: Contemporary Drama
The arrival of winter’s first snowfall wraps Declan’s isolated old house in a profound silence, a stark backdrop to his internal turmoil as he prepares hot chocolate, a once comforting ritual now steeped in the melancholic reflections of a past decision and its painful aftermath.
An Archive of Red Dust
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Epistolary | Genre: Sci-Fi
“That one cannot be archived,” Samuel said, his voice a dry rasp of disused vocal cords. He pointed a trembling, clay-stained finger at the sculpture in the corner. It was a chaotic assemblage of rust-red Martian rock and salvaged plating from the colony’s first atmospheric processor, twisted into the shape of a human figure shielding its eyes. “Its material composition exceeds nostalgia parameters.”
Winter Reflections, Digital Sparks
Author: Eva Suluk | Category: Slice of Life | Genre: Contemporary Fiction
The old Melgund Community Centre always held a particular chill in January, a lingering dampness that no amount of heating oil could truly banish. Edna, pulling her wool scarf tighter, shuffled through the main hall, her breath misting slightly. But today, the usual quiet hum of the furnace was accompanied by a different sound: a steady, almost companionable murmur from the main console near the kitchen entrance, where the community’s two resident AI systems, lovingly nicknamed ‘Mellie’ and ‘Gundy’ by the local kids, were in one of their programmed ‘review’ cycles.
The Vernal Cogwheel’s Tremor
Author: Eva Suluk | Category: Supernatural Mystery | Genre: Steampunk
The air in Sammie’s workshop always carried the distinct aroma of hot oil, polished brass, and the lingering sweetness of spiced ginger tea. Outside, a reluctant spring was attempting to assert itself, sending intermittent gusts of damp air against the grimy window panes. Inside, however, the rhythmic tick of countless clockwork mechanisms offered a comforting, if slightly erratic, pulse to the cavernous space. Dust motes, heavy with metallic particles, danced in the shafts of anemic sunlight that managed to pierce the gloom, illuminating intricate arrays of gears, valves, and steam conduits that snaked across walls and ceiling like metallic vines.
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.
About the Author
