This is a classic, and it’s always a blast — roll a d20 or use a random number generator, once for each of the two tables below. Then, take each of the results and mash them together in a flash fiction story.
Note: the goal is not to tell a literal fan-fic story set in those pop culture storyworlds — though, I guess if you wanna do that, hey, YOU DO YOU. The goal is to take the spirit of those two properties and find a story that embodies the weird mashup. (The origins of this particular challenge come from that old Hollywood conceit of pitching your original story to executives as X meets Y — “It’s The Big Bang Theory meets Westworld ha ha ha right? Hand me money.”)
Length: You have, mmm, let’s say 2000 words for this one.
Due by: next Friday, 7/19, noon EST.
Post the story at your online space.
Give us a linky-poo so we can follow it back.
Now, the two tables —
TABLE X
- The Incredibles
- The Last Starfighter
- Adventure Time
- Gravity Falls
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- Gilmore Girls
- The Thing
- Saving Private Ryan
- Goodfellas
- The Hobbit
- Dune
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- The Jetsons
- Batman
- Stephen King’s The Stand
- Get Out
- The Matrix
- Watership Down
- The Hunger Games
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
TABLE Y
- DuckTales
- Hamilton
- Avatar the Last Airbender
- The Princess Bride
- When Harry Met Sally
- The Shape of Water
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Se7en
- Neuromancer
- Spirited Away
- Indiana Jones
- The Fast & The Furious
- James Bond
- Alice in Wonderland
- Transformers
- GI Joe
- The Cat In The Hat
- Parks and Recreation
- Twin Peaks
- The Bible
17 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Pop Culture Mash-Up Edition”
Next Friday is June 29th. July 19th is a Thursday. The next time the 19th is on a Friday is in October.
Pick a deadline! Any deadline! You do you! 😉
Maybe it’s 2019…?
Did the site get an overhaul or something? Or.. is my browser being trippy?
https://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-dreams.html
I think I could have done better, but then you guys be the judge. 🙂
I think you did splendidly! Loved the world building and suspense. This could definitely be a stepping off point for future adventures. Three thumbs up!
I’m killing myself laughing, some poor poor person is going to to write about Watership down meets Indiana Jones. Is Dr Jone responsible for all those deaths and homlessness in bunny paradise?
Oh yes, those poor bunnies are just tharn, aren’t they?
By random (or not – everything happens for a reason!) I chose #15 The Stand and #20 Bible. What do these two books have in common other than their epicness? Quite a bit! This was fun to write.
https://foxfreshca.wordpress.com/2018/06/27/standing-on-thin-ice/
This was excellent. The monologues, the flashbacks, the atmosphere, all top notch. Great job!
Here’s mine. I got James Bond and Hunger Games.
https://write.as/vacuum-packed-fiction/spy-games
Clever, meta, and works on many levels. Nice work!
Dune meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: “Tribute to the Wild Desert”:
http://kiyanicoll.com/2018/06/29/flash-fiction-tribute-to-the-wild-desert/
This was excellent. The monologues, the flashbacks, the atmosphere, all top notch. Great job!
*meant for The Fox*
Hey thanks for the thumbs up. Love your story … it’s full of unexpected twists.
It’s late, but here it is. The Matrix meets Alice in Wonderland…IN SPAAAAAAACE!
https://sambrady.wordpress.com/2018/07/04/chuck-wendig-wormhole/
When is there going to be another flash fiction challenge?