Gold Rush in the Galaxy

Summary

In "Gold Rush in the Galaxy," a flash fiction piece from "The Fiction Writer's Den," two old prospectors are unexpectedly whisked into space by an alien or futuristic technology, juxtaposing the familiar gold rush setting with the unfamiliarity of interstellar adventure.

Abstract

"Gold Rush in the Galaxy" is a drabble that humorously combines the historical gold rush era with a futuristic space setting, as two old-time miners, Burt and Bob, are accidentally beamed up into space by a mysterious entity or technology. The story unfolds with dialogue between the miners and an unseen narrator who tries to convince them of the reality of their situation. The miners, skeptical and more concerned with their recent gold find, are unimpressed by the turn of events. The narrative cleverly mashes together two disparate genres—Western and science fiction—to create a unique and entertaining tale. This piece is part of the "100 Story Challenge" and responds to prompts involving the word "joke" and the idea of combining uncommon genres, reminiscent of the novel "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."

Opinions

The author, Eva MacInnes, playfully explores the concept of mixing genres, showing a creative approach to storytelling.
The characters Burt and Bob represent a humorous skepticism towards the extraordinary, grounding the story in relatable human reactions despite the fantastical setting.
The narrative invites readers to suspend disbelief, enjoying the absurdity of the situation as the miners are more concerned with their earthly gold than the interstellar adventure they've stumbled upon.
The story's brevity and wit are characteristic of the drabble format, which challenges writers to convey a complete narrative within a strict word limit.
The inclusion of a real-world prompt and the challenge of genre-blending showcase the author's engagement with the writing community and a willingness to experiment with storytelling forms.

The old timers' adventures in space…

“What you sayin’ boy? Is this some kind of joke?”

“Nawh Burt. I think he’s serious about this space thing…”

“Bob, now don’t you think if there were some kind of space thing, we woulda heard about it before now?”

“If I could interject here… I assure you that this ‘space thing’ is real. I apologize. My calculations were a tad bit off, and it had the unintended consequence of picking you two up out of your panning creek…”

“A tad bit is right…” Burt interjected. “Now how’s about you set us back down? I just hit a pay streak!”

And I wrapped in the prompt from JF Danskin A Different Side of Fiction (Idea 9) as well. (Write a story that mashes together two genres or settings that are not often combined. Think “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” as an example.)

Thank you for reading my drabble. I’d love to hear your responses.

FICTION | FLASH FICTION | 100 STORY CHALLENGE | DRABBLE | THE FICTION WRITER’S DEN

Gold Rush in the Galaxy

The old timers' adventures in space…

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