First Contact: a collection of short stories

From 1970s Africa to mass hallucinations heralding the end of the world, from a man haunted by the spirit of his dead grandmother to a search for justice involving a powerful figure, from a couple facing a life-changing event to estranged family members reaching out and finding each other - this collection of short stories explores what happens when they connect for the first time.This collection of short stories was brought together by Didcot Writers in 2019. 51 submissions were received and judged anonymously by members of the team; 31 were selected for publication, from 30 authors. The editors and judges had certain expectations about the sort of stories we might receive, but readers will be surprised by the sheer variety of ways the authors have dealt with the theme, with a vast range of subjects and moods, from science fiction and fantasy to humour, and gritty realism to literary fiction, from uplifting to humour, to sad and bittersweet.These stories show how a simple enough theme - just two words - can spark off imaginative journeys that go in staggeringly different directions. As one of the contributors said, ‘It’s just wide open - you can go anywhere with that theme.’ And this collection proves it.