Already Here Challenge Winners

Useful tools can change your life before you think to question them. That’s really what made these Already Here entries interesting. Writers looked past the initial “how is this possible?” and paid attention to how quickly something remarkable becomes part of the routine.

The strongest pieces didn’t ask us to choose between being impressed and being uneasy. They understood why people welcome these changes, then noticed what else shifts once we get used to them.

🏆 Winners

The Vacuum Has Locked Himself in the Bathroom to Cry Again by Aubrey Rebecca

A robot vacuum riding in the family truck is already pretty funny. But Aubrey Rebecca makes Leaf such a lovable pain that by the time he needs fixing, it’s easy to understand why replacing him feels out of the question.

Fifty Millilitres of Everything by Bradley Knight

Bradley Knight’s version of everyday science fiction starts on a boat, with fifty millilitres of seawater, a Sharpie, and a sandwich bag. He relies on the species lists that come back, but he also knows a database match can’t explain itself the way a person can.

Accept Cookies by Cali Loria

Cali Loria is pretty honest about the gap between staying in touch and actually showing up. Her phone makes it easy to reach people, and sometimes just as easy to avoid them.

No Human Interaction Required by Sasha Desideri

Sasha Desideri can scan her groceries, skip the checkout chat, and still have energy for her toddler. She’s glad for it, even as she wonders what she’s giving up and who gets left behind.

The Small Inconveniences of Being Alive by Imola Tóth

Imola Tóth gets why automating chores sounds so great, then makes a surprisingly good case for keeping some of them.

🎖️ Runners-up

• “Hey, are you already there?” by tatiana vitas

• Your Body Has Accepted the Terms and Conditions by Iris Obscura

• E.T. Phone Home by Harper Lewis

• Plato On The Toilet by I. D. Reeves

• Floodgates by Hannah Moore

• A Peculiar Gizmo by Cristal S.

• It started with a spell check by Pitt Griffin

• Nutrition is Already Here by Michael Owczarek

• The Internet Is for Porn by Jonathan Huston

• The Notes App by Brooke Moran

• Framing Connection by Caitlin Charlton

• Archiving Childhood by Polite Adjacent

• That friend whom you know is stalking you, but you can't prove it by Prart R

• Eufy to Eufena by Andrea Corwin

• My Korean Water Dispenser by Kera Hollow

🏅 Honorable Mentions

• Has The Laundromat Defined Our Future? by Cheryl E Preston

• Our Wonder Drug by Barbara Gode Wiles

• The Science Fiction Hiding in Your Ears by Tim Carmichael

• The Ghost in My Machine by Ivy Rose

• My Date with ChatGPT by Janis Masyk-Jackson

• Entry of AI by Elizabeth Lauren Jean

• Skynet Is Here by Natalie Gray

• Early Arrival by Nicky Frankly

• Tap Tap by Aoife’s stories

• The Machine That Writes While I Talk by Nolan Reed