Time slides through my hands this year, slippery eels wrapping around my fingers then gathering in glossy puddles writhing around my ankles. The odd nip here and there, an invite to dance into the festive season.

Speaking of which – it’s December already and we’re heading head first into holiday season, and how is Christmas here in just a matter of weeks? I’m not done with Halloween yet.

But here we are, and that means it’s time for my roundup of short fiction from around the web in November. There’s some gems this month, and particularly if you’re seeking some Shirley Jackson vibes then Carson Winter’s In Haskins brings you some brilliantly uneasy and unnerving horror.

Mom Heart by Will McIntosh at Clarkesworld Magazine – touching and sad, about ways of dealing with grief and healing the holes left behind.

You’re Invited to my Menopause Ball by Susan Hatters Friedman at X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine – a bitingly funny invite with edge.

Missing Link by Mike Keller-Wilson at Okay Donkey Magazine – a touching search for a father.

The Days on Europa Were Long by Kyle Richardson at Flash Fiction Online – heartfelt, a quiet story that is neatly satisfying and warms the heart.

How to Escape a Time Loop by Sara Davis at Okay Donkey Magazine – a cool and smart time loop tale.

In Haskins by Carson Winter at Apex Magazine – Brilliantly uneasy, dark and disturbing, with shades of Shirley Jackson.

Dragons by Teresa Milbrodt at Strange Horizons – On gaming, addiction and escapism.

Ten Scenes from A Typical Day in the Life of the All-Powerful Despot by Adam-Troy Castro at Lightspeed Magazine – a through-the-peephole-esque account with a sneaky ending.

Love Kills by Josh Rountree at The Arcanist – each death is a little more heart-breaking.

Toll Babies by David Williamson at Maudlin House – a strange and surreal fee.