Welcome to the 34th installment of Writer Spotlight. This week’s focus is Eric Fomley. I’ve reviewed 12 of Fomley’s pieces, 11 of them individually on InkFoundry’s “Get WYSR” feed. (In case you didn’t know, InkFoundry is a wonderful and free resource that aggregates short fiction and poetry pieces!)
Recurring Themes:
Dystopian sci-fi
Weaponized technology
Reused bodies / War Horrors
Consequences of Masked Emotions
Anti-consumerism / corporations (YESS)
Day One - Oct 22
“Inhuman Cravings” | WYSR Review
You're here for an exotic experience.
You are in debt, and so must use your energy, time, voice, and even skin to pay it off.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both these stories are second person POV! Also, dystopian sci-fi, although “Inhuman” felt more horror based.
Individually:
“Inhuman Cravings” This microfiction packs a whole lotta irritation in just a few words! Ugh, rich people. It seems to have themes of rich people getting what they asked for.
“Debtlocked” This story had themes of anti-consumerism and the natural endpoint of extreme capitalism/corporatocracy.
Day Two - Oct 23
3. “No Crimes Committed” | WYSR Review
You are horrified by what the military asked you to do. But then . . . you can’t quite remember.
4. “Instructions for Building Your Replacement You™” | WYSR Review
No one has to know it isn't you.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These are both dystopian sci-fis and both are set in bleak futuristic landscapes with the tech being weaponized in various ways. They reminded me of the first two for that, and also because both are in second person POV!
Individually:
“No Crimes Committed” This story has themes of gaslighting, brainwashing, and murder sanctioned by the military.
“Instructions for Building Your Replacement You™” This one specifically reminded me of “Debtlocked” with its themes on anti-consumerism and how corporations take advantage of people with horrifying products.
Day Three - Oct 24
5. “Rebody”
A soldier gets reprinted but details start to slip.
6. “Traffic Stop” | WYSR Review
A police officer makes a routine traffic stop. What happens after is not routine.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both these stories have themes of body horror.
Individually:
“Rebody” This story reminded me immediately of “Replacement You” in the specific theme of technology building new bodies, and also of “No Crimes Committed” because of the war trauma and memory loss. Particularly chilling was the repetition of the headings and the shorter sections each subsequent time.
“Traffic Stop” This one had a much eerier, creepier vibe, with some nice suspense and escalation.
Day Four - Oct 25
7. “Filtered” | WYSR Review
A parent takes their child to the zoo, but the child sees something they're not supposed to.
8. “All Smiles Here” | WYSR Review
The government tax is going up again. No problem here!
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both these stories were dystopian sci-fis with technology being used in negative ways, namely that of obscuring truth.
Individually:
“Filtered” This one had more of a sad theme, with the tech not necessarily harming directly, but used as a way to avoid looking at truth.
“All Smiles Here” This one very much reminded me of “Debtlocked” in the way that tech is used to threaten and coerce citizens into compliance, but this one took it to a whole new level.
Day Five - Oct 26
9. “Night Walk” | WYSR Review
Shelley takes a walk at night to vent her feelings.
10. “Seedling” | WYSR Review
A research team is missing.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These stories both have elements of horror in them.
Individually:
“Night Walk” This story seemed very mysterious to me, with elements of a potential stalker/monster, but we never see their face.
“Seedling” This one has themes of body horror, plant carnage, and human/plant hybrid monsters.
Day Six - Oct 27
11. “Not So Artificial” | WYSR Review
The constructs mimic the humans they killed, but they don’t feel real.
12. “Dry Spell” | WYSR Review
Who will betray who?
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both these stories include murder.
Individually:
“Not So Artificial” This story has themes of robot sentience / consciousness, feeling “fake” and masking emotions, which made me think “All Smiles Here” and “Debtlocked,” which is interesting because in this one it’s a construct feeling fake for mimicking humans, and in the others, it’s humans masking themselves and acting more robotic / less human.
“Dry Spell” This microfiction reminded me of “Inhuman Cravings” and “Filtered” as those were both micros as well. I have truly enjoyed each of Fomley’s micros! I think they’re such an underappreciated length of story, and Fomley does a great job of worldbuilding in each one in such short word counts.
Emmie’s Personal Favorite: “Debtlocked”
Interview Questions
What are the themes you tend to return to the most in your work overall? Why do think that is?
Fomley: I really enjoy military sci-fi, dystopias, and sci-fi horror. I think this stems from a love of video games and with favorite titles like Dead Space, Mass Effect, Starfield, The Callisto Protocol, and Metro, there’s a lot of ideas to draw from and take new routes with. One of my favorite exercises is to take a piece of future tech and figure out what the extremes of it would be and how it would be harmful to someone’s life, relationship, etc. It’s a fun way to produce a flash.
2. How Has Your Writing Evolved Since You Began?
Fomley: When I began, I used to worry about plot too much. I would write to formulas and try to treat stories like bullet points that needed hit to “make” something a story. As I learned over the years, I’ve leaned more on character, relationships, and how situations make people feel on an emotional level. I think this has helped strengthen my writing the most.
3. Do you tend to start writing a story idea out of a particular element, like character, setting, or point of view?
Fomley: I tend to start with an idea about some sort of future technology. Then I ask myself who I think this would impact the most and that helps me arrive at a character. From there, especially if it’s flash, I play out a situation where the character has to deal with the fallout from that tech and poof there’s my story.
4. What short fiction author do you look up to? Why?
Fomley: I’m especially fond of Rich Larson’s short fiction. The way he bends language and creates bleak atmosphere just really vibes with me. His stories typically end with me thinking about the future and what I would have done if I were in the character’s shoes, and I think that’s what it’s all about. I was fortunate to be able to collaborate with Rich on our story “Through” which can be found in Clarkesworld. He’s an incredible talent and I learned a lot from that experience.
5. Do you have any piece, listed here or otherwise, that you would like to promote?
Fomley: My collection Futures is a good place if you’re interested in checking out my work. Futures contains seventy of my flash fiction stories published over the last ten years or so. It can be had from most online retailers.