What if short stories were 8-bit video games? Or at least looked like them? Over at Slacktory, Oliver Miller has created a fun series of 8-bit adaptations of the first lines of some of his favorite short stories. He explains, “I was an English major, and then I got an MFA in writing. Before that, I was a nerd who huddled in a basement, with his nerd friends, clicking with a mouse to play Bard’s Tale II. So basically, making 8-bit drawings of short stories encapsulates my whole life and, I hope, yours as well.” How did you know, Oliver Miller? If that sounds a little like your life too, click through to see a few of our favorites from Miller’s series, and then be sure to head over to Slacktory to check out the full set.
Stephen Crane — “The Open Boat”
Charles Bukowski — “The Most Beautiful Woman in Town”
Donald Barthelme — “The Balloon”
Lorrie Moore — “How to Become a Writer”
Franz Kafka — “At Night”