Every other year, the Society of Actuaries hosts an Actuarial Speculative Fiction Contest. The rules: the author has to be an actuary (including anyone who has taken one exam). The story has to involve actuaries or feature some actuarial concept.
By now, you may be asking, "What's an actuary?" My favorite answer to this question is: "A mathematician who predicts the future by examining patterns in the past." That usually gets an oooh.
For me, this contest is the intersection between my day job and my aspiration as a writer. By entering this contest, I can write stories geared toward other geeks just like me. And I also get to read what my fellow geeks come up with. Some of the stories can be quite good.
This is my fourth time entering. My first three entries tried: #1) Funny, #2) Parody, #3) Action flick. This time I went with a tiny bit of humor mixed with actuarial fantasy and exploring what happens when you turn someone's world around. Will this be the time I win a prize?
You can see all eighteen entries by clicking here. I invite you to read, and check out this crazy world of actuarial fiction. Then if any story strikes your fancy, vote for your favorite story (instructions at the link).
In a couple of weeks, I'll present my own overview of the eighteen stories and pick my three favorites.
Happy actuarial reading!
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