Shades of White and Road by Camille Alexa

“Shades of White and Road” is a 2009 speculative fiction short story by Camille Alexa. It is about a girl and her unusual traveling companions who leave behind the beautiful world.

My Favorite Million Writers Award Story

As I mentioned in my last post, I was lucky enough to be a preliminary judge for this year’s Million Writers Award. I read several cool and fun stories, but this one was my favorite! Yes it is a little bit strange and nonsensical, and feels kind of like Alice in Wonderland, but I absolutely loved it! Thus I am pointing it out first in this month of sharing my favorite nominated stories.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Sethily is a girl who is tired of “things,” so she leaves the beautiful world of her wealthy parents’ house and travels the spiral road away from the city. Along the way she is joined by some very helpful objects which are chock full of personality: a suitcase, a blanket, a stool and many other useful things. As she grows used to (and even fond of) their company, she meets a man who just doesn’t understand their wonderfully symbiotic relationship.

My Two Cents…

• Camille Alexa is a great writer, and it shows in this story. Excellent prose which is easy and fun to read makes this story a joy!
• The crazy, silly characters in “Shades of White and Road” are a blast!
• The setting of this story was very cool too. Set on a long, winding road inside a cylindrical whorl was awesome and reminiscent of Greg Bear’s Eon and Gene Wolfe’s Litany of the Long Sun.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 7
• Word Count: 4,163
• “Shades of White and Road” Placed 2nd in Fantasy Magazine’s Best Fantasy Story of 2009 Poll and Contest.
• Did you know that Camille Alexa is the Flash Fiction Editor for Abyss & Apex Magazine? Yep. You can learn more about this wonderful author on her web site.

Where You Can Find Shades of White and Road:

• This story was originally published in the April 2009 edition of the online Fantasy Magazine – where you can still read it for free.

Craving More Stories?

If you liked “Shades of White and Road” then you might also enjoy Just Before Recess by James Van Pelt.

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