Short Fiction

The Last Waltz - fiction by MIchael Downing
The Last Waltz - fiction by MIchael Downing
Recent Short Stories
Lost Exit - fiction by Michael Downing
Lost Exit - fiction by Michael Downing
Candy's Smile- fiction by Michael Downing
Candy's Smile- fiction by Michael Downing

Lost Exit

published in The Yard: Crime Blog

Coming Soon:

"The Edge of Night" @ Mythic Picnic (November)

"God of War" @Literary Garage (part of Gods and Heroes feature)

"Maybe God Looked Away" @ Yellow Mama (Spring 2025)

UNDER THE THUMB book cover
UNDER THE THUMB book cover

Under The Thumb Anthology

Stories of Police Oppression

Honored, proud, & humbled to have my story "By The Numbers" included in this amazing anthology focused on police violence & abuse. A killer line-up of writers who I admire (and an amazing editorial team at Rock and A Hard Place Press, including guest editor NY Times Best-Selling author S.A. Cosby).

This collection delves into themes of police violence, systemic disparity, and abuse of power, presenting narratives that explore the darker aspects of law enforcement and its impact on individuals and communities. Each of these stories are beautiful, poignant, and heart-breaking - and each has something to say about injustice within the justice system.

abandoned cars
abandoned cars

Rock and a Hard Place, Issue 14: Summer 2025

One way or another, the ocean claims its own.
There are worse things than cancer.
Yeah, Maybe don't rob that bank during hunting season.
Some scammers are born with it.


Would you know all this without Rock and a Hard Place? Maybe, but why take the chance? Issue 14 brings a new batch of noir the way only RHP can: by dropping you in the shark-infested deep end. Hope you brought a life jacket.

Fiction and Essays By:
Jason Allison, Christine Blackwicks, Libby Cudmore,
Michael Downing, Jacqueline Freimor, Michael A. Gonzales, Andrea Goyan, Christina Hoag, Mark Kaijim, Mike McHone, Wil Medearis, Phil Robbins, and AD Schweiss.

Rock and a Hard Place is the literary magazine that knows that despite whatever they may tell you, yes, it can ALWAYS get worse.

You can check out my story "The Way It Works" in RHP's Issue 14, along with other great stories from some truly excellent writers

Our world is changing dramatically before our eyes.

Increased average global temperatures have wreaked havoc on ecosystems, economies, and people’s lives. Fires rage. Flood waters rise. Storms and heat waves are occurring out-of-season and are becoming increasingly more dangerous and more frequent.

Neighborhoods are being destroyed. People are losing their lives and livelihoods. Still, some politicians, some pundits, and some corporate oligarchs continue to deny reality and refuse to take responsibility and necessary action to mitigate this existential crisis.

Those who did the least to cause this crisis will suffer the most from its consequences.

In On Fire and Under Water, we explore the intersection of climate change and crime, through the lens of fifteen short stories from some of today’s best crime fiction writers. Edited by Anthony Award-winning, and Macavity and Derringer-nominated author Curtis Ippolito and the editorial team at RHP Press, the stories contained within this anthology peel back the curtain on the ways in which climate change impacts real people in their most desperate hour.

Some say the world will end in fire. Some say flood. In On Fire and Under Water, you get both.

Proud and honored that my story "Burn"is part of this tremendous collection.

On Fire and Under Water Anthology