Realms of Dread and Wonder
Fiction has the ability to transport us to places that defy explanation, and these unfinished tales are no exception. They function as windows into dark and fantastical worlds, offering a view that is limited but intense. Without a beginning or an end, these narrative fragments force the reader to confront the immediate horror or beauty of the scene, stripped of its context.
This collection is part of an ongoing exploration into the utility of artificial intelligence in the arts. We are studying how AI can assist in maintaining tonal consistency across complex genres like fantasy and horror. The goal is to enhance digital literacy among writers by demonstrating how these tools can be used to expand the scope of their storytelling.
The genres featured today include the grounded introspection of Literary Fiction alongside the expansive scope of Fantasy and the visceral impact of Horror. The writing moves from the philosophical to the terrifying. Authors Jamie F. Bell and Eva Suluk have contributed these evocative pieces, challenging the boundaries of reality.
We encourage you to read these excerpts with the lights on. Use your imagination to populate the shadows that these stories leave unexplored.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
Delving into the darker corners of imagination, this series merges Literary Fiction with the intensity of Grimdark Fantasy and Horror. Our approach to publishing involves leveraging creative technology to amplify the Poetic and Lyrical aspects of these short stories. Through our exploration of AI-assisted narrative design, we are advancing digital literacy and creating robust Action-Adventure and Romance tales that challenge the traditional limits of genre fiction.
A Congealed Frost
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Grimdark Fantasy | Genre: Literary Fiction
The chill of December had seeped into the old house, clinging to the threadbare upholstery and the dust motes dancing in the faint light. Outside, a late afternoon snow began to fall, soft and insistent, muffling the already quiet street. Inside, the silence was a different kind of heavy, punctuated only by the distant, rhythmic hum of the ancient refrigerator in the kitchen. It was Christmas Eve, a day that felt less like a celebration and more like a carefully maintained truce with sorrow.
Ghost Snow
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Grimdark Fantasy | Genre: Literary Fiction
The old cottage hummed with the barely contained chill of a brewing winter storm, its single propane heater fighting a losing battle against the encroaching cold. Outside, the world was rapidly blurring into a monochrome landscape of white, snow already piled against the sills, muffling the usual creaks and groans of the ancient structure. Inside, the quiet was thick, heavy, punctuated only by the crackle of the dwindling fire and the distant, rhythmic drip of a leaky faucet from the kitchen.
When the Season’s Hinge Stiffens
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Poetic / Lyrical | Genre: Fantasy
The Henge Stones were humming, a low-frequency thrum that vibrated up through the soles of Kaelen’s boots and settled in her teeth. This was the Fulcrum, the point around which the year turned, and it was her responsibility. From her vantage point on the ridge, she could see the Unravelling beginning: a patch of green grass down in the valley blushing to a premature, impossible orange, while fifty feet away, a field of late corn withered under a pocket of shimmering, localised heat.
A Grin in the Amber Leaves
Author: Eva Suluk | Category: Horror | Genre: Horror
A biting wind, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant bonfires, whipped the last stubborn leaves into a chaotic dance across the asphalt. Pete, perched precariously atop a weathered bench, meticulously observed the disarray of the schoolyard, a place typically bustling but now eerily quiet after the bell. It was during these moments of solitude, between the cacophony of dismissal and the eventual arrival of his grandmother, that the world often revealed its most peculiar aspects.
Cold Bloom and Copper Wire
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Romance | Genre: Action-Adventure
The Scottish Highlands in late autumn, a place of skeletal trees and bruised skies. A biting wind, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant woodsmoke, whipped across the land, tugging at Christian’s worn jacket. The terrain, a mosaic of browning heather and slick, grey rock, offered little comfort or concealment. Above, the clouds hung low and heavy, threatening more than just the season’s chill, as a singular, urgent purpose drove him deeper into the desolate expanse.
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
