horror – comedy

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Summary: Clarity (noun) Four definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) Coherent and intelligible 2) Transparent or pure 3) Attaining certainty about something 4) Easy to see or hear Clarity features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

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Summary: There’s something in the dark … but is Lem’s imagination worse than reality? Out in the vast emptiness of the galaxy, anything can happen. It’s a fact that Lem and her trusty companion Spock know all too well. Sometimes, the things lurking in the darkness are all in your head. Then again, maybe there really is something out there. With her talking dog and an infuriatingly literal AI by her side, Lem must rely on nothing but her strength and wits to help her.  As a humorous homage to Arthur C Clarke’s classic A Walk in the Dark, this short adventure is a not-actually-scary sci-fi horror story that’s perfect for fans of Martha Wells and John Scalzi. 

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Summary: It is Ancient Greece, when heroes were forever 'accidentally' killing their own fathers and marrying their own mothers. So what's a young prince supposed to do when he falls in love with the wrong woman? Dare he trust his heart or will the Fates interfere? King Oeneus of Calydon has just been given the secret of wine by the god Dionysus. Unable to hold his liquor, vomit-bespattered Oeneus drunkenly forgets to honor the goddess Artemis at the harvest festival. Oh dear, bad mistake. These gods are larger than life, and bigger in emotions too. In revenge for this insult, the angry, man-hating Artemis sends a gigantic and crazed wild boar to ravage the land. With its burning breath and tusks longer than a brave man’s spear, nothing can stop this monstrous beast. What can the befuddled King Oeneus do to save his kingdom? Send out a message to the greatest heroes of the age, that's what. Soon, a party of mighty mythical heroes, led by Oeneus's son, Prince Meleager, is on the trail of the fearsome monster - but one of these heroes is a heroine! Atalanta the Indomitable is a huntress to match Artemis herself, and quickly wins the heart of Meleager. Will one of the men make the kill, or will they be humiliated when the prize goes to a woman? Will Prince Meleager woo and win Atalanta, or will the cruel gods intervene as usual? Who will die and who will survive in this tale of great loves and even greater lusts in the ancient world? A rip-roaring tale of jealousy, foul play, a family at war with itself, and a battle of the sexes - all in Weichsel's unique, no-holds-barred, ribald style.

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Summary: Living in a quiet house on the outskirts of town, Ginger isn’t like the other girls. When she wakes up and discovers the unthinkable about her adoptive parents, she runs away and goes on a rampage straight to the only friend she has. Can she control what they both become? With a violent, growing hunger and more questions than answers, Ginger has nowhere to turn.

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Summary: INK (NOUN) Five definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) A colored fluid used for writing 2) The action of signing a deal 3) A black liquid ejected by squid 4) Publicity in the written media 5) A slang word for tattoos Ink features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

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Summary: The dream of a mad scientist has evolved into a nightmare! Jennifer will do anything to be famous. She thinks she's gotten her big break after a night at the club lands her in bed with a producer, and the next morning he offers her a jungle adventure show. But instead, she and her two friends are unwittingly trafficked to the Congo for a sinister purpose. A cult lives in the jungle that worships the dark legacy of Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov as they work to accomplish his insane life’s goal. Will Jennifer escape the jungle compound, or will she fulfill their twisted vision of humanity’s future and become a broodmare to make an inhuman monster?

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Summary: Who expects a haunted doll to be such a nuisance? When Dare’s dog discovers an abandoned doll on their doorstep, Dare assumes it’s nothing more than a lost toy… until it begins to talk. After the doll offers up a string of bad suggestions and unhelpful advice, Dare is left wondering if the isolation of lockdown has finally proved too much. Struggling to get rid of the bad-tempered toy, Dare has no idea that this not-quite-scary fiend will accidentally change everything. With a dash of humour, this queer cosy-horror short story is a fun, quirky tale – perfect for readers who like the idea of being scared more than the reality of it.

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Summary: Like a spout pushing its way through soil extending deep mighty roots as it grows firm and tall, Michael like those around him has become renewed in the sun. The Wheel of Creation continues to turn through tragedy and triumph with secrets and mysteries revealed, truth discarding deceit to rot away into dust. Terror still lurks in shadow, hinting at battles yet to come and while the union of souls may reign down catastrophe upon all involved, there is a newly shared optimism that this town, rebirthed and revived again after decades can meet the oncoming storm together. Bonded in battle, humbled in heart new friendships have replaced old animosities as all the residents are finding their place in creation.Despite the odds, the couple continues their path toward blending, but if the sun sets on their hopes or the union is not supported by the Mother, disaster could befall not just Michael and Kurra but the entire Grove.Book four of The Place Of Things is Blood. The blood spilled and shared through trial and combat, forged in a family or spilled through injury, death, or pain and joy. Will the Great Mother approve of a blending of souls, or will the remains and splatter of not just Michael, but all those he holds dear be splashed in chunks upon the wedding alter.As this story concludes in the middle it continues on like the cycle of the seasons. Never ceasing always evolving. Until next time, Love from the Sacred Grove.

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Summary: Root by Daniel Fisher, the third book in the Place of Things series is the continuing story of Michael and his new, rather unique fiancée. From the Winter’s Solstice to the Vernal Equinox we find our lovers and their friends explore new and creative ways to adapt to life-altering events. Having relocated and now a resident in the sanctuary town of Sacred Grove, Michael is finding his place among the mythical, mystical, and mostly immortal residents who’ve hidden away from the outside world. Not only is he coming out of his own isolation, but they are also finding he is dragging them out of self-imposed exile as well. Sometimes against their instincts. As his and Kurra’s love deepens, new mysteries are added to the mysteries and his and their worlds will never be the same.As the union between two souls from two drastically different worlds draws closer, new mysteries, challenges, and threats crop up for Michael, the mortal, and all the immortals that get caught in his wake. Enchantments and wards may not be enough to hold back the onslaught of supernatural forces if the wedding gets bumpy. Many may yet perish if things go awry. May the Goddess help them all.Book four, the conclusion to this tale coming soon.

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Summary: IN-NO-VA-TION (Noun) 1) A new idea, method, or device. 2) The introduction of something new. 3) The application of better solutions to meet unarticulated needs. Three definitions to inspire writers around the world and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 120 of our favorites. Innovation features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

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Summary: Terror lies waiting in the jungle island of Flores. Terror in the form of cryptids called ebu gogo. Terror for the cryptozoologists who dream to discover them. The one thing Lewis Dare wants more than anything in the world is to discover the ebu gogo - three-foot-tall cryptids in the genus of Homo rumored to live in Indonesia. But Lewis Dare’s ex-wife Linda, wanting to beat the famous cryptozoologist at his own game, has rushed to Indonesia in order to discover the ebu gogo before he does. On the Indonesian island of Flores, their dream to discover a cryptid becomes a nightmare when the ebu gogo turn out to be primitive, savage, sex fiends. Warning: Ebu Gogo has repugnant sex, disgusting nudity, nauseating violence, unlikable characters, deranged humor, and cruelty to furries. It’s a lot of fun.

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Summary: Backwoods brothers, Otis and Clyde Clovis, mourn the loss of their mama by eating her. With nothing to go home to, they hit the open road. The Pigg Brother's rampage of murder, necrophilia and cannibalism begins! They soon discover the delicious taste of pig and human meat combined. Which then gives them the idea to sell burgers out of a truck. Since supplies eventually run out, they have to keep killing. Luckily, they run across a serial killer with a farm on prime real estate, so they kill him and have themselves a base of operations. The bodies pile up and people love the new 'Pigg Bros' Burgers! Hopefully they can stay in business, but the brothers aren't too smart, and start making dumb mistakes. Will the Clovis brothers stay in business, or does every good pig eventually get slaughtered?

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Summary: Tyler Vaughan is a wildlife biologist who spends his days ear-tagging elk and monitoring bear populations in the Oregon Cascades. . . until the day one of his remote cameras captures an image of a strange, thin, eyeless humanoid—right around the time that children start disappearing from the nearby town of Crooked Creek. Tyler, his would-be girlfriend Rainey Carrington, and the skeptical, blustering Chief of Police Dale Blodgett, are reluctantly drawn into investigating a terrifying possibility—that their town is being visited by the specter of Slender Man, an evil entity long associated with kidnapping of children. The stakes only get higher when their inquiries turn them into targets. Will they be able to stop whoever is abducting the children of Crooked Creek, or will they be the next ones to disappear?

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Summary: A mind-blowing collection of short fiction. This anthology of Davyne DeSye’s short stories includes twelve speculative fiction stories, ranging from science fiction to fantasy, and from humorous to horrific. This collection – which includes one new tale published here for the first time – contains: -A Ray Bradbury-esque story about a boy whose wishes come true; -A dark testimony of alien invasion and the redemptive power of a single selfless act; -The true story of Little Red Riding Hood; -An inside look into robot-assisted psychotherapy of a killer; and -A guided tour of a shop for recycled dreams. These twisted tales and others may be discovered in this anthology, which includes: “The Slide,” “Moron,” “There I Was…,” “Death, By Any Other Name,” “Mine Eyes,” “Mirror, Mirror,” “Carapace,” “…I Win,” “It’s Not What You Think,” “Shattered,” “The Cloak,” and “The Thief Speaks.”

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Summary: THERE ARE REASONS WE FEAR THE NIGHT. HE’S NOT ONE OF THEM. Bill Ryder was a dateless dork, but then he met a girl to die for – so he did. Too bad his death is about to make his life a hell of a lot more interesting. Now he’s a vampire, surrounded by creatures stronger, deadlier, and much cooler than he is. They’re giving him just ninety days to prove he has what it takes to be an apex predator of the night, assuming he doesn’t give them a reason to dust his ass sooner. Bill isn’t exactly average, though. A vamp like him hasn’t been seen in centuries. He’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, unexpected allies, and an attitude that makes him too obnoxious to quit. Good thing, too, because he’ll need all the help he can get if he wants to keep from dying – again. Join him in this hilarious tale of bloodthirsty monsters, gory mayhem, and an unlikely hero who, fangs or not, is still at the bottom of the food chain.

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Summary: Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Award Winner Best Translated Book Award Shortlist “The celebrated Châteaureynaud, who over the course of a distinguished career has created short tales that are not exactly contes cruels but which linger on the edge of darkness and absurdity.” —New York Times Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud is well known to readers of French literature. This comprehensive collection—the first to be translated into English—introduces a distinct and dynamic voice to the Anglophone world. In many ways, Châteaureynaud is France’s own Kurt Vonnegut, and his stories are as familiar as they are fantastic. A Life on Paper presents characters who struggle to communicate across the boundaries of the living and the dead, the past and the present, the real and the more-than-real. A young husband struggles with self-doubt and an ungainly set of angel wings in “Icarus Saved from the Skies,” even as his wife encourages him to embrace his transformation. In the title story, a father’s obsession with his daughter leads him to keep her life captured in 93,284 unchanging photographs. While Châteaureynaud’s stories examine the diffidence and cruelty we are sometimes capable of, they also highlight the humanity in the strangest of us and our deep appreciation for the mysterious. Reviews “Châteaureynaud is a master craftsman, encapsulating weighty themes with pith and heart. In his hands, the short story is a Gothic cathedral whittled from a wine cork.” —The Believer “Châteaureynaud celebrates the quiet, hidden beauties of the world and the objects or knowledge we hold tight like talismans to protect us from its losses and horrors.” —The Quarterly Conversation “Châteaureynaud makes expert thematic use of both light and shadow to reveal his fantastical realms of wonder and fear. His unassuming prose startles as it entrances, holding readers on the edge of elegantly rendered, fantastical dream-worlds while all at once alluding to their more nightmarish qualities. In the style of Kafka and Poe, Châteaureynaud makes the supernatural seem not only present, but ubiquitous, inclined to encroach at any moment on the humdrum lives of unsuspecting mortals. More sinister than fairy tales, yet not quite definable as horror stories, Châteaureynaud’s whimsical writings leave one unsettled and alert, appreciating anew the possibilities of the chilly night air while simultaneously feeling the urge to draw nearer to the fire—just in case.” —Catherine Bailey, Three Percent “The collection will perhaps appeal especially to those who enjoy their fiction short and concise, not to mention intense and decidedly peculiar. If you . . . are interested in dream-logic, fantastic situations, the unexplainable and/or macabre . . . this volume delivers again and again.” —Neon Magazine “Châteaureynaud’s stories are disorienting, bizarre, mythical. The stories don’t end with epiphanies or a tidy wrapping-up. Some of the endings are abrupt, even unsatisfying; they feel more like a beginning. So what? A Life on Paper is fantastic in both meanings: it’s fantastic, as in strange, unreal, weird, imaginary; and it’s fantastic, as in absolutely fucking awesome. People will call A Life on Paper magical realism. A few will call it irrealism. I don’t care what you call it. I just want you to read it.” —Bookslut “Both classic and modern, strange and simple, Châteaureynaud’s stories remind not only of Vonnegut but of Gogol and Kafka. What’s endearing about the stories is the amount of tenderness running through them. Even in stories about bizarre cruelty (the title story tells of a father who had his daughter photographed a dozen times a day for her entire life), affection provides the glue.” —Time Out Chicago “A Life on Paper is a brief selection from more than thirty years of fiction. Châteaureynaud has a backlist for American readers that this book makes enticingly tangible, almost real. His own work is such that it might be subject of one of his stories. This might be all there is, the rest pure fabrication. The unreal, awaiting translation.” —Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column “These 22 curious tales verging on the perverse will strike new English readers of Châteaureynaud’s work as a wonderful find. Beautiful prose featuring ingenuous protagonists and clever, unexpected forays into horror are the hallmarks of these mischievous stories.” —Publishers Weekly “Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud is 63 and has never published a book in English until now. A Life on Paper: Selected Stories, brilliantly translated by Edward Gauvin, opens the door at last. . . . Nothing matters in this book unless it has been told, everything is told. Open this book.” —John Clute, Strange Horizons “Châteaureynaud’s dance steps are so nimble that he seems, without effort, to show us what is best in others.” —Brooklyn Rail “Châteaureynaud has sometimes been called the Kurt Vonnegut of France. However, this collection of 22 of Châteaureynaud’s stories—which are often other-worldly and not infrequently unsettling—may speak to some readers more directly of Kafka.” —Christian Science Monitor “As weird as they are elegant, as delicious as they are unsettling, these fables place Châteaureynaud in the secret brotherhood that has only exemplars, no definition: Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Nathanael West, Aimee Bender. We are lucky indeed to have them, in a very skilled translation.” —John Crowley (Little, Big) Table of Contents Foreword by Brian Evenson