Questions Without Answers
These stories act as prompts rather than conclusions. By presenting incomplete narrative fragments, we offer a window into complex worlds without guiding the reader to the exit. These unfinished tales rely on the audience to interpret the themes and project the storyline forward beyond the final period on the page.
This collection is a result of an experimental program at the intersection of human creativity, interdisciplinary arts, and applied artificial intelligence research. It highlights how digital tools can act as partners in the writing process, influencing the development of storytelling and scriptwriting while supporting digital literacy.
The genres in this post challenge the reader’s perspective, moving from Philosophical Sci-Fi and Contemporary Thrillers to the distinct tones of Dark Comedy and Coming-of-Age. This collection includes works by Jamie F. Bell and Leaf Richards.
We invite you to take these concepts and run with them. Read the excerpts and imagine the resolutions that are yet to be written.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
We are rewriting the rules of publishing by integrating creative technology into the core of our storytelling process. This collection of short stories spans genres from philosophical sci-fi and dark comedy to the tension of a contemporary domestic thriller. By promoting digital literacy and experimenting with AI-assisted narrative, we bring you narratives that weave together elements of sports fiction, romance, and superhero mythology. Dive into our stream of consciousness explorations and coming-of-age tales to see how we are shaping the future of digital literature.
A Theory of Dissolving Spoons
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Superhero | Genre: Philosophical Sci-Fi
All John wanted was a quiet Americano and the Saturday crossword. What he got was a lesson in spontaneous entropy reversal. It started, as it often did, with the sugar. He didn’t even take sugar in his coffee, but he liked the neat, ordered geometry of the cubes in the bowl on the table. Today, however, that geometry was refusing to remain static. One cube, then another, was sliding from the pile with no discernible propulsion, arranging itself on the dark wood of the table. He was sure of it. This coffee shop was a localised anomaly, a tiny, baffling pocket of defiance against the laws of the universe.
The Unstuck Nickel
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Domestic Thriller | Genre: Sci-Fi
The bell above the door of the ‘Quik Snax’ hadn’t so much chimed as it had given a weary, metallic sigh. Leo, who was in the middle of a profound study of a grease stain on the counter, didn’t look up. Tuesdays were for the ghosts of the night shift, the people who moved through the world on a different frequency. This one felt different. The air tasted of ozone and burnt sugar, a combination that wasn’t on the store’s usual olfactory menu of stale coffee and industrial floor cleaner.
Ink Stains and Wet Earth
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Romance | Genre: Contemporary Thriller
The air was thick with the scent of damp pine needles and the cold, metallic tang of the lake. A continuous, soft drizzle had settled over the forest, blurring the edges of the distant trees and turning the surface of the water into a shimmering, grey canvas. Under the rustic, open-sided pavilion, Elian, an artist, sat hunched over his easel, lost in the delicate dance of ink on paper. He’d been there for hours, capturing the nuanced melancholy of the weather. When Steve, a figure etched with the subtle weariness of past battles, sought refuge, the quiet equilibrium of the scene shifted, a barely perceptible tremor in the damp air.
The Winter’s Grin
Author: Leaf Richards | Category: Sports Fiction | Genre: Dark Comedy
The world outside the bus window was a smeared, grey landscape of exhaust fumes and slush, a typical Winnipeg winter tableau. But inside, it was just me and the ringing in my ears, the echo of Coach Graham’s words still burning through the static of my disappointment.
Beneath the Scarlet Canopy
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Stream of Consciousness | Genre: Coming-of-Age
The crisp autumn air bites, carrying the scent of damp earth and woodsmoke. Scarlet and gold leaves, brittle underfoot, carpet the suburban backyard. The sky hangs low and grey, mirroring the restless stirrings within a young boy who yearns for adventure beyond the familiar confines of his world.
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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