Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic

Edited by Karen A. Romanko

Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic views sports and games with a speculative twist, in prophesied futures, parallel presents, and imagined pasts. From tennis matches with Death to chess games with Oberon, from free throws with the Fairy Court to surfing with werewolves, every sport imaginable (and a few unimaginable) exist within this speculative city of games. 42 authors, veterans and rookies alike, have contributed flash fiction and poetry that will take you from pong with a dust mote at the beginning of the world to sailboarding through the stars at the universe's edge.

Sporty Spec is published by Raven Electrick Ink. The anthology is currently available for purchase at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and most online booksellers.

Come be a spectator at our games. There are no sports like these!

Annotated Table of Contents:
  • Paul Abbamondi, "The Sport of Kings," sf-fantasy/horseracing story.
  • Marge Simon, "Ebonmadder's Run," sf/horseracing poetry reprint (Space & Time, Spring 2000).
  • Jo L. Gerrard, "Somewhere, the Sun is Shining," sf/baseball story.
  • Robert Frazier, "Stealing for the Record," slipstream/baseball poetry reprint (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, August 1990.)
  • E. C. Myers, "Perpetual Check," fantasy/chess story.
  • C. A. Gardner, "Riding to Faery," fantasy/chess poetry reprint (Mythic Delirium, Iss. 6, Winter/Spring 2002).
  • Brenta Blevins, "Running for Life," dark fantasy/running story.
  • James S. Dorr, "Leaves," horror/running poetry reprint (The Magazine of Speculative Poetry, Autumn 1997.)
  • Adam Nakama, "The Empress of the Dragon" slipstream/uniquesport story. 
  • Todd Wheeler, "Less Than Perfect," sf/uniquegame story.
  • Beth Langford, "Inland Sea," slipstream/ice-skating story.
  • Deborah P Kolodji, "Approaching Europa," sf/ice-skating poem.
  • Jude-Marie Green, "Hang Twenty," dark fantasy/surfing story.
  • Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, "Star Boarding," sf/sailboarding poem.
  • Paul L. Bates, "Prey," fantasy/hunting story.
  • Samantha Henderson, "The Tithing Hunt," dark fantasy/hunting poem.
  • Connor Moran, "The Football Phase," fantasy/football story.
  • Roger Dutcher, "1967 NFC Championship Game Remembered After Awakening from Cryogenic Sleep," sf/football poetry reprint (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1991.)
  • Amanda M. Hayes, "Blackthorn Darts," dark fantasy/uniquesport story.
  • Richard Pitaniello, "Librarian Gladiators," dark fantasy/uniquesport story.
  • Erin Kinch, "Mutiny," fantasy/uniquegame story.
  • Ruth Berman, "Dealing in Tarot," fantasy/cards poem.
  • Lawrence Schimel, "The Court Photographer," fantasy/basketball story.
  • Michael Ceraolo, "Games People Play," science fiction/basketball poetry reprint (KillPoet, Vol. 1, Issue 1).
  • Alison J. Littlewood, "The Drop Zone," dark fantasy/competitive skydiving story.
  • K.M. Praschak, "Leiris of Green Wyvern United," fantasy/uniquesport poem.
  • Larry Hodges, "Ping-Pong Ambition," fantasy/ping-pong story.
  • G. O. Clark, "Virtual Pong Circa 35,000 B.C.," sf/pong poetry reprint (Pirate Writings Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1996.)
  • Camille Alexa, "Night Vaulting," fantasy/pole-vaulting+cycling story.
  • Jennifer Crow, "Liliya's Game," dark fantasy/soccer story.
  • Stephen D. Rogers, "Gravity Field Golfball," sf/uniquesport story.
  • Willow Katsumi Relf-Discartin and Terrie Leigh Relf, "Space Envelopes," sf/uniquesport poem.
  • Kevin Lightburn, "Soul in One," dark fantasy/golf story.
  • Brian Rosenberger, "Menace Anyone," horror/tennis poem.
  • Alex Dally MacFarlane, "Jumping Over the Moon," fantasy/uniquesport story.
  • Rob Rosen, "Poltergame," horror/Monopoly (board game) story.
  • Aurelio Rico Lopez III, "All the Medals and Trophies," dark fantasy/swimming story.
  • Stephen M. Wilson, "The Running of. . . ," fantasy/uniquesport poem.
  • Stoney M. Setzer, "Curses!" fantasy/baseball story.
  • Eric Hermanson, "6.66 Earned Run Average," horror/baseball poem.
  • Andrew C. Ferguson, "Organic Geometry," sf-fantasy/cricket story.
  • Daniel Ausema, "City of Games," fantasy/uniquesport story.