1st Annual Stacker News Fiction Month!1st Annual Stacker News Fiction Month!
~BooksAndArticles is teaming up with 21 Futures to sponsor the first annual Stacker News Fiction Month.
Beginning August 1st 2025, all fiction posted to the ~BooksAndArticles territory will automatically be entered in a competition to win the 100k sats grand prize, and the top ten runners up will win 10k sats each.
This contest is open to writers of all kinds of fiction, but we’d like your take on the theme of 'trust'.
We welcome stories which explore money, but please don't post bitcoin manifestos or Satoshi origin tales.
Be creative, and remember that great stories include vivid scenes, well-rounded characters, and conflict and resolution.
Guidelines:Guidelines:
- Writers may only enter their own original work.
- New and previously published fiction is welcome.
- Stories must be <4000 words (shorter stories are more likely to attract readers, zaps, and comments).
- Stories must be posted to ~BooksAndArticles territory during the month of August, 2025.
- Writers are welcome to enter more than one story.
- Please tag your submissions with [FM] in the subject line before the title.
- Do not post AI-generated stories. They are hideous to read, easy to spot, and we will down-zap you.
PrizesPrizes
The top 10 works of fiction posted during the month of August in ~BooksAndArticles will be selected by the SN Top filter at 11:59PM on August 31, 2025 will each receive 10k sats.
The judges (@totallyhumanwriter, @siggy47, and @Scoresby) will select a grand prize winner which will receive 100k sats. The story will also be published and promoted on the 21 Futures site and socials.
To all Stackers, we need your help to judge the competition.
Whether you submit a story or not, please support others and help make Fiction Month a success.
By reading, zapping, and commenting on the stories you enjoy, you'll help send them up the rankings.
Get your writing caps on, and start thinking about 'trust'.
We'll keep you up to date with developments and all the [FM] news.
We're looking forward to some great stories and lively discussions!
Rather like a literary magazine without, hopefully, all the horn-rimmed liberal judges who know what "good literature" ought to be. Usually, you can't even get a submission in to those. Looks promising.
As a youngster, I submitted so many stories to the black hole of online literary magazines.
(now, if truth is told, my stories were really awful...)
Yeah, but compared to what made it in to many older mags, they might not have been that awful!
How dare you insult my spectacles!
Your glasses are often worn by jerks. I am sorry that is so. Those glasses deserve better.
Thanks to @Scoresby, @siggy47, and Stacker News for collaborating on this.
I'm really excited to read your stories. Prepare to be zapped!
And if you are looking for inspiration, head over to the 21 Futures blog to check out some bitcoin and cypherpunk stories.
Most of the posts and comments on SN I treat like fiction anyways
Obviously I'm being 40 percent sarcastic
Is this the moment I finally start reading fiction? It’s all on you now! 🤠
Get ready for the [FM] deluge.
There is no escape from stories.
Sounds interesting! I might even have a go.
Go for it. Start formulating some ideas, and set some time aside to write and edit.
Stories can still be impactful even if they are only a few hundred words!
Ohhhh, maybe just maybe I can do this. I have like three novels I started writing for National Novel Writing Month, some were kinda of good some not, but it was fun trying. I think I might be able to actually pull this off and get ONE done! Thank you for this!
Your are welcome to post an excerpt of the novels, especially sections which relate to trust.
Max word count is 4k, and I'll be looking for well rounded complete stories as a judge. Still, go for it!
I even got the bracelet! lol
Challenge Accepted.
I love this show, I've watched it many times over, and my husband announced we are finished watching it....I cried. I dont think I should probably love a cartoon so much...lol
stackers are giving new meaning to 'paper bitcoin summer'
this will be very motivating for writers who are hesitant to put their work out there
awesome initiative
REBRAND: The Pen & Paper Bitcoin Summer.
you would never believe me if i told you i had the same idea
@TotallyHumanWriter @Scoresby @siggy47
Do does it have to be about Bitcoin or money at all? Or can I just write any short story around the theme of “trust?”
It can just be about any old kind of trust. Like a beanie baby trust fund for your children or the time you did a trust fall with Uncle Jim and he totally just let you hit the ground. Take it whatever direction is interesting!
That time I trusted the Coldplay concert kiss cam to not point at me
in
*Insert shocked Pikachu face
I have something written already - The Return of Satoshi.
yeah I'm cooking
This sounds really cool!
I think I might have it a go. It will be a good opportunity to practice my (poor) English writing skills on a more formal way and, maybe, earn a few sats while doing that
Not sure if SN is English only.
Can anyobe answer that?
If you're allowed to post in your native language, you might pick up votes from those who speak it too.
It's not. There are many posts in other languages too but, unfortunately, they don't attract many readers, with a few exceptions from time to time.
I wonder how many fictions have this theme for you to have warned about.
@remindme in 15 days
Not my first rodeo...
“If there’s a sign, there’s a story.”
Time to put my head to work and come up with a tale.
Awesome idea.
Interesting! Looking forward to reading more.
I imagine we'll be getting several daily entries, from 6-word micro stories to 4k epic fantasies.
I propose this fictional story in form of a podcast: Mysteries of the Bitcoin Citadel
https://fountain.fm/show/RdBny3x8kiOcHY4GwEgD
Yes, this fiction series is on my radar. Heard good things about it, and cool to see multimedia work in the space.
To enter the comp, you must post your own work though!
Fantastic share! I will certainly give this a listen.
This is the kind of creative initiative Stacker News needs more of. Exploring 'trust' through fiction adds a human layer to our usual sat-focused discussions. Count me in!
1 more sleep until FICTION MONTH.
Looking forward to see who posts first and what strategies Stackers use to try and make the top 10.
I have a feeling the most active commenters and readers will get a groundswell of support for their own stories.
will do updates sorta like live action reporting #1063679
is that cool?
Moar fiction on Stacker News!
This is such a well-constructed contest. Choosing 'trust' as the inaugural theme is a masterstroke—it's the bedrock of money, society, and storytelling itself.
It immediately gets the mind racing with possibilities beyond the obvious. A story could explore:
The fragile trust between partners in a high-stakes venture.
The slow, corrosive decay of trust in a system or an institution.
The difficult, internal struggle of learning to trust one's own judgment.
Thinking about it from my perspective here in Ethiopia, the theme resonates deeply. A story about trust set in the bustling controlled chaos of the Mercato, or against the backdrop of our ancient history, could be incredibly powerful.
The prompt is specific enough to be a real challenge but broad enough to allow for true creativity. This is going to be a fascinating month of reading. Can't wait!
I won't judge based on the quality of your grammar or language.
Please write to express yourself.
Don't use ChatGPT!
I'm really looking forward to this.
Hmmm...I just noticed this post, and at first I thought I missed it...
I was so excited to read that it hasn't even started yet, and it will last all of August...
I'm in! ;)
Let's gooo!
Great initiative! I hope to read and post stories to drive more traffic to this territory. Bitcoin needs more stories of all sorts to bring its values, concepts and use cases to life.
Thanks!
Question can AI-art be submitted as part of the story without being down-zapped?
Sure. Images and art won't be considered as part of the judging, but you can include what you like.
This is a fantastic initiative! What a brilliant way to encourage creativity and strengthen the community.
The theme of 'trust' is incredibly rich and central to so much of what we discuss here, from sound money to social contracts. It's a perfect prompt. I also have to give a huge shout-out for the explicit "Do not post AI-generated stories" rule. It builds trust in the competition itself. Very clever.
The timing is perfect, too. August is right in the middle of the rainy season (kiremt) here in Ethiopia, which provides the ideal atmosphere for curling up with a good story.
I'll definitely be reading, zapping, and commenting to support the writers. Huge props to ~BooksAndArticles and 21 Futures for putting this together. Can't wait to see the stories that emerge!