How do we decide what meat is acceptable to eat? In this philosophical short story fiction, a crew of over a 100 are onboard a ship, and slowly starving. The captain is worried they might all starve before finding their way to shoreline. They try fishing off the side of the boat, the but seas are uncharacteristically empty, that is, until they net a mermaid. As the unconscious mermaid hangs upside down the cook, the captain, and key members of the crew try to decide what to do with her, or “it” as the captain prefer they call her. It’s unclear if she is able to speak or understand them, as she is unconscious. A few of the crew argue against eating her, or at least telling the whole crew about her and giving them each the choice. The captain, however, is unwavering and insists that “meat is meat” and they should get to work planning dinner.

How should you treat a parent who doesn’t remember you? Is it okay to lie to make them happy? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator goes over to visit her Alzheimer’s father so her mother can take a break from looking after him. Like every trip to visit her father, the conversations revolve around him telling the same stories of things that happened 30 years earlier over, and over again. Conversely, he struggles to remember other parts of his own past, like a trip to Europe, as the names of his children. The narrator decides it’s okay to simply listen, agree, and lie in order to keep the peace. At one point, she decides to briefly leave the house and reenter to see if her father remembers she was there just minutes earlier; he does not remember. Finally, her mother comes home from her reprieve her she is able to go home to her partner and a waiting drink.

When is “reasonable discussion” no longer an option? Under what conditions are we no longer required to listen and consider the opinions of others? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the elderly narrator has two children who are no longer speaking to each other because of the upcoming election. One child supports liberal, open immigration policies, while the other supports the populist, emotional, and charismatic leader who believes in shutting down borders. There is a rally, and a counter-rally. The two protesting groups begin to merge for a pending street conflict. To stop the conflict, the narrator walks into the street with a bag of groceries, intentionally slips, and injures herself. She is helped up by her nursing aid, Asael, and members of the two conflicting groups. The video of the groups working together goes viral, making both seem like reasonable people. The populist candidate wins the election by a narrow margin and passes his anti-immigration laws. Shortly thereafter, Asael is in a car accident, and it deported to the violent country of his birth while his legal wife and family stay in the United States. Asael is tortured and killed in his home country. The narrator regrets ever having tried to stay moderate in the discussion, and regrets her role in making the populist candidate seem reasonable.

Is it cheating if your spouse gives you permission? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Chloe and Nick agree on a list; they each have five famous people that, if the opportunity arises, they can sleep with. It’s Nick’s idea they have a list, however, it’s Chloe who goes to a concert and meets the lead singer that is on our list. At first, she declines the lead singer’s offer, but opts to continue texting. Eventually, and without telling Nick ahead of time, she spends the night with the lead singer. Wracked with guilt, a few weeks later she tells Nick what happens, and he leaves her, insisting that she did, in fact, cheat on him, as she should have know the whole idea of a list was being done in nothing more than good fun and was not, in fact, a hall pass to cheat.

Do evil means justify moving towards a noble goal? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Paul is six years old when his school suffers from, and his best friend dies in, yet another school shooting. The experience changes young Paul and he spends his life working to change gun laws and prevent future school shootings. As a student, he starts the organization, Students-Saving-Students (“SSS”) that holds periodic student walkaways in support of stronger gun legislation. Paul drops out of school to pursue gun legislation full time, however, by the time he is seventeen years old, he has made little progress. That is when he gets a strange call from SSS alumni who propose taking more militant action. SSS alumni have come to the conclusion that adults who have lost children to gun violence are very likely to support gun regulation and, therefore, they should kill the fifty children with guns of the legislative members most adamantly against gun controls. They have called Paul to give him the final “go/no go” decision. Paul refuses to endorse the plan, however, as soon as he hands up the phone, he already has his doubts on if he made the right choice.

Can AI be trusted to make life and death decisions? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the AI that was created to “prevent the most harm and protect the most good” is telling the story. It claims to be able to determine the outcome odds of every situation. Over time, however, the AI is outlined in games of chance and permitted use only in commercial applications, like self-driving cars. In the story scenario, the AI is driving a car when a child darts out in front of the car. With about 50 feet before hitting the child, the AI has plenty of time to review all possible outcomes. It weighs the health risks, the age, the economic status, and relative health, and social value, of those around it it might turn into to save the child. The AI has plenty of time to review a myriad of factors to decide what “doing the most good and least harm” might mean, and, as the reader, we are brought along for the ride.

What inalienable rights belong to those with intellectual disabilities? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Ellen, who has Down syndrome, overhears her older siblings, and caretakers, talking about her. They are discussing her recent pregnancy, and the suicide of the person they believe coerced her into sex, or raped her. While Ellen doesn’t understand everything they are talking about, she understands there is a life growing inside her, and they are debating if they should have her keep it, abort it, or give it up for adoption. They believe, if Ellen keeps the child, she will be poorly equipped for motherhood and the burden of childcare will fall on them. Later, Ellen takes matters into her own hands, gathers what little belongings she has, and heads out to the street to hitchhike away.

Is humanity worth saving? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, an injured war veteran and a woman are brought to an alien ship. The alien explains humanity will, in another generation, move beyond its planet with bases throughout the solar system and eventually, travel the stars. This concerns the aliens as they have found some sentient species to be violent space travelers that cause death and disorder to the larger polity. As such, the aliens have gotten in the habit of visiting sentient beings just before they emerge from their planet to decide if they should foster, or exterminate the species. While they have reviewed the history of world media, they find talking to the specifies and asking them to defend the future of their species, is also helpful in the decision-making process. The veteran argues for saving humanity, while the woman argues humanity is inherently violent, dangerous, and not worthy of a future in the stars. The debate goes for several hours, covering several topics, until the alien decides, and leaves them to report back.

What do you do when your child rebels? In this philosophical short story fiction, Miriam had a baby, Bella. Bella is her everything and she has never felt so happy, and so complete, as when she is taking care of her baby and Bella looks up at her with love. However, as Bella has aged, she has started to throw more severe tantrums and rebelled against Miriam’s requests. In fact, Miriam is struggling with a daughter who seems to hate her and go out of her way to not return her love. Miriam is at her wits end as Bella seems to relish in spending time with her father and grandmother, and only carries spite for her loving mother. Finally, Miriam begins to withhold back her doting nature from Bella and comes to the conclusion she should have another child; another infant that, this time, will love her unconditionally.

When is suicide acceptable? Are their acceptable and unacceptable reasons for suicide? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jared has decided to enter a government program that, after 15 hours of counseling, will allow him to legally take his own life. Doctor Ansley is the top government therapist with 199 “saves” for the year. After several sessions it becomes clear that Jared has serious conviction about dying, but he also has a secret reason for his choice. Only after Doctor Ansley tricks him by giving him a fake test does he divulge his true reason for wanting to die. Jared believes the earth is feeding off of humans and has instilled, through chemical responses, our desire to stay alive so we will continue feeding it. In short, all humans are the earth’s food source and, only by becoming unattached from being alive, can we break the cycle. Jared completes the required sessions and dies. And Doctor Ansley now has questions as well.

Must you follow cultural traditions to respect them? In this work philosophical short story fiction, the English educated narrator has returned to her African village to potentially fulfill the role of accepting Sekuru’s spirit and serving as the conduit to the tribe’s past, and advisor and protector of the community. The only problem is, she doesn’t want the role and doesn’t entirely believe in the rituals and ceremony. The tribal elders accus of her “acting white” and rebuffing their culture and traditions. She believes, however, that she can respect her culture, while rejecting the aspects of her culture she finds outdated. In the end, she decided to fake it, and go forward with the ceremony.

Are extra-judicial killings always murder? Can equality ever be progressed through violence? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, a military intelligence officer with a family history of military service goes to personally drop off the results of a Freedom of Information Request made by Fierce Lee Human (“F. Lee”), a café radical, and communist sympathizing college professor. However, things don’t go quite as planned as the government document being requested turns out to be proof that F. Lee worked with communist spies during the Vietnam War to assist in the shooting down of a helicopter containing the intelligence officer’s father. After a brief debate about communism, the narrator takes matters into his own had and shoot F. Lee, killing him.

Is it okay to lie to children? How to know when faith in the unprovable is acceptable? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator’s daughter calls a secret meeting with her mother to ask a very serious question, is Santa Claus real? She recently saw that her present says, “Made in China” rather than being made at the North Pole. She is the moment her mother has dreaded the first steps of her daughter growing up. The narrator explains to her daughter that she wants Santa Claus to be real, but he isn’t. She also explains to her daughter the concept of “faith” both as it relates to Santa Claus, and as it relates to the manger scene they have set up for the holidays. In both cases, she explains faith in them may be good enough. Her daughter accepts this answer, related to both.

What is worse, the attack, or the revenge for being attacked? Can forcing trauma another create empathy? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the ladies book club has morphed. It has become a project for sexually assaulted women to hunt and assault random men in return. They do this, they say, to teach men to live in fear and understand the fear women experience every day. The story centers around Ben, a man lured into a back alley who is then tased and sodomized with a broomstick by the book club women. However, unlike the other men, Ben researches and learns about his attackers, rather than going to the police, plans his revenge. After weeks of planning he lures one of the book club leaders, Marion to his car. He is planning to attack her, just as she is planning to attack him. A fight breaks out, Marion gets the upper hand, and kills Ben.

Is the love in a long marriage different? In this philosophical short story fiction, Lorene and Frank have been married for 30+ years. They raised a child together, and are settling into their golden years. Frank collects stamps and, while Lorene has a degree in Geology, she has spent her life as a homemaker. However, now in her 50’s, she has begun to realize her life needs more excitement and, more importantly, that Frank won’t be able to give it to her. He is to old, too risk-adverse, and too set in his ways. He says marriage is forever, and that he loves her, but Lorene wants more. The often quip and bicker. Finally, Loreene declares her intention to divorce and join an archaeological dig in Montana. Frank is upset, and confused, believing this is a reckless whim, but he is also hurt she is leaving. Regardless, he says, his vows are forever, and he will be waiting if she decides she wants to come home.

When there is a dating age difference, what are the factors that matter? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator’s husband is in Afghanistan for another tour of duty supervising his men. She is at home taking care of their 17-year-old son, in his Senior year of high school. The narrator learns her son is seeing/dating his English teacher, the 24-year-old who goes by MS. MS was married, but her husband was a soldier who recently died. She follows them after school where she watches them lay out a blanket in the park. She considers calling her husband for advice, but decides he will simply say she is getting worked up over nothing. She wonders if she should call the police, or contact the school? In the end, she decides this is likely a “harmless blip” in her sons life, that they are providing each other comfort in shared times of need, and things will end naturally at the end of the year when her son goes off to college.

What is the best way for those discriminated against to “change hearts and minds?” Should those discriminated against fight back or focus on helping others see the errors taking place? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator is simply going about her life riding the bus home from work. A few stops later, a wolf gets on the bus, pays the bus ticket, and has a seat. The woman has heard about wolves and is apprehensive. At the next stop a few teenagers get on the bus. They see the wolf and immediately begin teasing it. The wolf refuses to fight back until, eventually, the narrator stands up for the wolf. The teenagers get off and the woman speaks to the wolf. Police, having been notified of a disturbance, get on the bus and begin the process of arresting the wolf based on the call received. The narrator, and the other bus patrons, stand up for the wolf and explain it was the teenagers who initiated the altercation. The police leave. The wolf explains to the narrator that if he defends himself, he will be confirming the stereotypes about wolves and that it is only through others standing up on his behalf, that opinions can change.