Shadows and Satire
The entries in this collection are not whole; they are significant fractions of a story. These unfinished tales establish a tone and a conflict, then leave the stage, allowing the silence that follows to speak as loudly as the text. Readers are encouraged to analyze the trajectory of the narrative and hypothesize the final destination.
Representing an experimental program at the intersection of human creativity, interdisciplinary arts, and applied artificial intelligence research, this initiative investigates the partnership between writers and digital tools. The aim is to evolve traditional storytelling and scriptwriting workflows through enhanced digital literacy.
This selection offers a stylistic mix, featuring the gritty atmosphere of Noir and Action-Adventure alongside the sharper edges of Literary Fiction and Satire. The authors featured in this post are Jamie F. Bell and Leaf Richards.
Engage with these stories as active participants. We encourage you to fill in the blanks and determine the fate of the characters introduced below.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
Our initiative seeks to bridge the gap between traditional literary fiction and modern creative technology. By focusing on digital literacy and the future of publishing, we present short stories that range from journalistic noir and satire to the relatable struggles found in young adult and slice of life genres. We utilize AI-assisted narrative tools to construct compelling action-adventure plots that resonate with diverse audiences. Witness the transformation of storytelling as we combine artistic integrity with technological innovation to deliver unique and thought-provoking content.
Echoes in the Gilded Cage
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Young Adult (YA) | Genre: Noir
The air hung thick with the ghosts of commerce, a fine, silver dust motes dancing in the weak light filtering through the grime-streaked skylights of what was once the Obsidian Gallery, a temple to forgotten desires. Cracked marble tiles stretched into the gloom, reflecting the skeletal remains of mannequins draped in tattered finery, their vacant stares fixed on phantom shoppers. Overhead, a single, rusted chandelier, half-fallen, cast long, distorted shadows that writhed with every breath of the chill, stagnant air. The only sound was the scuff of their boots, a tiny disruption in the grand, echoing silence.
The Star’s Return Through Snow
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Literary Fiction | Genre: Action-Adventure
The snow was a living, breathing thing, an insurmountable white wall that stretched from the frozen riverbank to the distant, blurred silhouette of the old cottage. Thomas pushed a gloved hand against the stinging cold, drawing a ragged breath that caught in his throat, each exhalation blooming white before him. His muscles screamed, a dull, insistent ache radiating from his hips and thighs, but he kept moving, one slow, deliberate step after another. The forest, a silent sentinel of spruce and fir, held its breath, the muffled silence amplifying the rhythmic crunch of his boots, the only sound for miles. The air carried the crisp scent of frozen pine needles and something mineral, like static before a storm. He wondered, briefly, if he was entirely mad.
The Glazed Path
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Young Adult (YA) | Genre: Literary Fiction
The city’s winter bites hard, transforming familiar paths into treacherous sheets of ice and slush. Amidst the grey, churning landscape of a university campus, Siobhán confronts the harsh realities of urban life, far from the quiet, predictable snows of her northern home, seeking a fragile foothold in a world that feels increasingly alien.
The Moth-Eaten Scarf
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Slice of Life | Genre: Slice of Life
My mind, always a cluttered attic, rifled through memories of past bus stop encounters. Usually, it was the briefest of nods, perhaps a shared sigh about the weather, then the mechanical groan of an arriving bus would disperse the moment. Today, however, the air was thick with something else. It clung to the thin, almost transparent man perched on the far end of the bench, draped in a moth-eaten scarf that seemed to carry the weight of decades. The sun, a pale, indifferent disc, struggled to break through the perpetual haze that hung over the industrial park we bordered. The scent of ozone from the nearby power station hummed under the usual exhaust fumes, a metallic tang on the back of the tongue. Every now and then, a gust of wind would whip past, tugging at the man’s scarf, as if trying to unravel his story.
A Summer of Synthetic Solutions
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Journalistic | Genre: Satire
In the oppressive grip of a midsummer heatwave, a young reporter finds himself at the launch of a city-backed housing initiative, surrounded by the artificial cheer of PR and the stifling glow of plastic promises, where something feels inherently wrong.
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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