Fiction | Richard French

Fiction Stories

Welcome to my realm of imagination. Here you’ll find short stories that blend the ordinary with the extraordinary—tales of unexpected magic, hidden doorways, and worlds beyond our own. From fantasy and science fiction to magical realism, these stories explore the moments when everyday life intersects with the impossible. Whether you’re looking for a brief escape or contemplating the boundaries between worlds, I invite you to step through these narrative portals and discover what waits on the other side.

A professional bond-cutter named Mira works with silver scissors on a glowing red connection extending from her client's chest. Through the window behind them, countless colored threads of light connect the buildings of the city in a vast emotional network.

Heartbound

"Heartbound" follows Mira Santos, a professional bond-cutter who can see and sever the emotional connections between people. When she meets

June 5, 2025

A woman stands silhouetted before a stone archway glowing with ethereal blue light, where a humanoid figure materializes. Modern computer equipment lines the walls of the converted chapel, contrasting ancient architecture with cutting-edge technology

The Ghost Algorithm

Cambridge AI researcher Elizabeth Winters creates an algorithm that accesses her dead partner's consciousness, opening a quantum bridge between worlds

May 22, 2025

A twilight scene of Trevelyn Cottage, a white Cornish cottage with a slate roof perched on a coastal hillside. A woman in silhouette stands at a large, glowing round doorway that emits golden light. Through windows and across the landscape, glimpses of another world with floating islands and crystalline formations are visible in the distance. Luminous birds or spirits fly through the dusky blue sky. Stone walls and a flagstone path lead to the cottage, with magical light emanating from garden plants. The words 'Inherited Magic' appear on the cottage wall. The image captures the story's essence of dimensional doorways and magical inheritance.

Inherited Magic: A Dual Experience

"Inherited Magic" brings to life a tale of dimensional doorways and ancestral power, where a skeptical risk analyst discovers her

May 16, 2025

Winchester Cathedral at dusk with its Gothic spire reflecting in the River Itchen. Mysterious geometric ripples appear in the water, hinting at the reality-altering music central to "The Conductor's Score"

The Conductor’s Score

Opening The stones of Winchester Conservatory of Music absorbed sound differently than modern buildings. Will Harrison noticed this peculiarity on…

May 16, 2025

A weathered textile fragment with faded indigo patterns displaying intricate interlocking triangular symbols along the border. The weaving technique shows a distinctive blend of Norse and Anglo-Saxon patterns, characteristic of 10th century cultural exchange in Northern England.

The Memory Weavers

A fantasy short story: When Jennifer discovers ancient fabric in her Yorkshire textile shop, she uncovers memory-weaving magic in her

April 21, 2025

A whitewashed Cornish cottage with a blue door nestled among moorland heather. Windows glow with warm light against a magical purple twilight sky, hinting at the dimensional doorways within.

Inherited Magic

Inherited Magic is a fantasy short story. When practical risk analyst Meredith Trevelyn inherits her grandmother's remote Cornish cottage, she

April 5, 2025