Beyond the Final Page
This collection presents stories designed to capture a moment, a premise, or an unfolding situation without revealing a full resolution. They are fragments of larger worlds, offering readers a unique opportunity to engage with narratives that deliberately omit their conclusions, fostering a sense of curiosity and imaginative participation.
This project explores the intersection of human creativity and artificial intelligence. It stands as an experiment in how digital tools can act as a partner in the writing process, shaping new forms of storytelling and enhancing digital literacy. The goal is to observe new possibilities when a creative concept is given a fresh, algorithmic perspective.
Today’s featured genres include the sharp wit of Dark Comedy, the subtle wonder of Magical Realism, expansive Fantasy, and intricate Mystery. These unfinished tales were created by Jamie F. Bell and Tony Eetak.
We encourage you to move beyond simply reading. Consider these beginnings and contribute your own imaginative conclusions, letting your mind complete the arcs these authors have so skillfully initiated.
Today’s Unfinished Tales and Short Stories
Explore a curated selection of short stories, from Dark Comedy and Magical Realism to immersive Fantasy and intriguing Mystery, alongside Journalistic explorations, gripping Domestic Thriller, enchanting Mythological Retelling, stark Post-Apocalyptic Survival, and engaging Young Adult (YA) narratives. This project champions digital literacy by showcasing cutting-edge creative technology in publishing, demonstrating the potential of AI-assisted narrative to shape the future of digital publishing.
The Unwinding Ascent
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Journalistic | Genre: Dark Comedy
The smell of stale cinnamon and pine-scented air freshener hung thick, then was abruptly replaced by the sharp tang of fear and something metallic grinding. One moment, the escalator was dutifully carrying its human cargo upwards, a slow, gentle procession towards the electronics department. The next, with a shudder that vibrated through George’s very molars, it violently lurched, then began to unwind, hurtling its bewildered passengers downwards against their will, a sudden, chaotic reverse of fortune.
The Palming of the Queen of Spades
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Domestic Thriller | Genre: Magical Realism
The rain wasn’t just falling; it was a solid, percussive thing, hammering on the flat roof of the ‘Last Chance Gas & Go’ with a fury that made the windows vibrate. Inside, the four of them were marooned in an island of fluorescent light, surrounded by a world that had dissolved into grey water. The road was gone, the car park was a lake, and the only sound besides the storm was the gentle hum of the drink cooler and the anxious tapping of Mrs. Gable’s pen against her crossword puzzle.
The River’s Grumbling Spleen
Author: Tony Eetak | Category: Mythological Retelling | Genre: Fantasy
The asphalt shimmered under the kind of August sun that baked the very oxygen out of the air, leaving it thin and tasting faintly of exhaust and dry earth. Even the pigeons, usually brash, huddled in the meagre shade of a leaning power pole, their beady eyes half-closed. Selkirk Avenue, usually a cacophony of truck brakes and shouted greetings, felt muted, stifled by the oppressive heat. My shirt, a faded cotton number from a long-forgotten fishing trip, already stuck to my back, a clammy testament to the relentless summer.
Summer’s Sour Bounty
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Post-Apocalyptic Survival | Genre: Dark Comedy
The air shimmered, thick and hot, over the cracked tarmac. A perpetual summer haze blurred the distant skeletal remains of what used to be telephone poles, their wires long since snapped or scavenged. The scent of baked dust and something vaguely organic, perpetually rotting, clung to the back of Rowen’s throat. Flies, thick and buzzing, moved in lazy circles around puddles of stagnant water that held the oily sheen of decay. Everything felt like it was simmering, slowly cooking under the unrelenting glare of a sun that seemed entirely indifferent to the world it illuminated.
Rust and Forgotten Currents
Author: Jamie F. Bell | Category: Young Adult (YA) | Genre: Mystery
The air inside the Port Haven Mill tasted like forgotten rain and old metal, a metallic tang that clung to the back of the throat. Autumn’s chill was amplified by the concrete walls and broken windowpanes, allowing slivers of a grey afternoon sky to cut through the perpetual gloom. Dust motes, thick as fog, danced in these weak beams, swirling around machinery that looked like skeletal remains of some ancient, hungry beast. Every step echoed, a hollow protest against their intrusion.
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 an experimental, creative research project by The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners Storytelling clubs. Each chapter is a unique interdisciplinary arts and narrative storytelling experiment, born from a collaboration between artists and applied AI researchers, designed to explore the boundaries of creative writing, automation, and storytelling. 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.
