Charlie Fish and Fiction on the Web

Who here is migrating to Bluesky? I've started posting over there instead. Come follow me: buff.ly/3UW45HP

Watched Baraka and Samsara with my daughter. Wordless images of Earth and human culture. Compelling, and mostly beautiful, although both movies touched on darker material too. Samsara felt more colourful, which we enjoyed, and felt more pointedly edited, which got mixed reactions

We’re launching a literary contest!!! And I can’t wait to read your work!! i-d.co/article/creati…

Rise Up My Love By Philip Graubart - mailchi.mp/7eb458917950/f…

Saw The Sheep Detectives at the cinema). Cozy murder mystery solved by a flock of sheep. Best feel-good talking animal movie since Babe. I solved the mystery halfway through, and felt smart for getting it right, but the real magic of this story was its humour & heart. Recommended

I read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, about life in a Soviet labour camp. Reminiscent of Holocaust concentration camps, but the risk of being randomly killed is replaced with the knowledge that you've wasted 10 years here and will waste 10 more.

Rewatched Gremlins. Kids' movie about a weird pet that's super-cute unless you break one of the ominous rules about caring for it. This movie was a PG when I watched it as a child, and now it's a 15?! Full of references to old films, which was fun. Holds up well.

Emile by Philip Cesario - mailchi.mp/ddcddfb53dde/f…

Reader comments on Femi Salami's story about a child going missing in a West African village: "Short, sweet, and with some striking imagery and choice use of language." "We need more writing that engages in this space of fairytale / folklore writing." fictionontheweb.co.uk/2026/05/the-bo…

@MEProctor3 I had forgotten it was Spike Lee

@FishCharlie It's so good.

Rewatched Inside Man. For me, it's one of the best heist movies - top-three easily. It dives straight into the action, and gradually ratchets up the tension. The plot is clever; the ending is satisfying. Great.

I'm submitting! Let the rejections flow...

The Albion Inn by Alyx Barter - mailchi.mp/317e2aec93e8/f…

Rewatched 1999's The Thomas Crown Affair. Insufferable millionaire steals art for fun until lawless insurance investigator catches him. Yeuch. Paper-thin characters. The celebration of conspicuous wealth feels tasteless. Looking forward to the Michael B. Jordan remake, though.