Competition: Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros

Written by Eugène Ionesco, Rhinoceros is a play in which the inhabitants of a small French town inexplicably turn into rhinoceroses over three acts. Widely regarded as an allegory for fascism and conformity, the only human who does not succumb to the metamorphosis is Bérenger, the protagonist who is criticized throughout the play for drunkenness, a slovenly lifestyle, paranoia, and so-called obsession with rhinoceroses. The play ends with a Bérenger monologue, the last line of which contains his declaration: "I'm the last man left, and I'm staying that way until the end. I'm not capitulating!"

Competition

Write a short fiction (maximum 2,000 words) responding to the prompt in the subscriber details.

Rules & Scoring

• Subscribe to the competition to see the prompt in the hidden details.
• You must attach a snapshot of your character and their loadout. Additional characters are welcome and encouraged.
• Fiction must be 500 words minimum to qualify for participation and placement. Each fiction may not exceed a 2,000 word maximum.
• Submissions must be PDF or DOCX file formats. Links to Google Docs or other platforms that can be edited after the fact will be disqualified.
• Fictions will be evaluated according to the standard fiction rubric.