And the winner of Esoterica's Short Story Contest is...
…Emily Zasada for Spreadsheet People. Esoterica will publish it exclusively on Esotericamag.com and in this Substack.
From the judges: Emily Zasada’s Spreadsheet People creates a world that’s familiar yet foreign, frightening but funny. It surprised us with its novel take on a modern dilemma of workplace isolation and loneliness and kept us thinking about it for days. Truly a story for our era.
Zasada, who resides in Northern Virginia, has been previously nominated for both the Pushcart Prize and Sundress Publications' Best of the Net. She will take home the grand prize of C$1000.
Honourable mentions go to:
Angharad’s Back by Ashley T. K.
Climate Change by Arria Deepwater
Crackerjacks by Myna Wallin
Hiroshima Flower, by Rudy Thauberger
Esoterica will publish the honourable mentions in this space first. Subscribe and tell your friends! Thank you to everyone who entered.