Tag Archives: scifi

Liars’ League: INFINITY & BEYOND short stories, Tuesday 11th June

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Infinity symbol or sign. Abstract night sky background

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF! Liars’ League‘s sci-fi-flavoured special to commemorate 50 years since the moon landings features five forward-looking stories exploring the ultimate theme. Teleport into The Phoenix, Cavendish Square on Tuesday 11th June to experience deep space, time-travel tourism, cryogenics gone wrong, vanishing clones, astronautical ambitions and a terrifying game of Murder in the Dark …

INFINITY & BEYOND WINNING STORIES
London 2025 by Wan Shinfah NEW AUTHOR, read by Cliff Chapman
Proxima Centauri by Oliver Parkes NEW AUTHOR, read by Greg Page
How to be an Astronaut by Alice Franklin, read by Gloria Sanders
The Martlet by Abigail Lee, read by Lois Tucker
Frozen Futures by Rhys Timson, read by Tony Bell

Usual NASA rules apply: doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start and tickets are £5 on the door (currently cash only, sorry, but there’s a cashpoint 2 minutes away). Entry includes a programme, participation in our infamous book quiz where fantastic science fiction can be won, and of course all the Flying Saucers you can eat. Drinks and food are available at the bar throughout. There’s no pre-booking, but tables for four or more can be reserved by calling 07808 939535.

The venue is the downstairs bar at: The Phoenix Pub, 37 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PP

Accessibility note: Access to the basement is via stairs: there’s no lift, sadly. The Phoenix is 5 minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus tube station, which is on the Victoria, Bakerloo and Central lines

Call for submissions for The Corona Book of Science Fiction

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Corona Books UK (www.coronabooks.com) invites submissions of science fiction short stories for its forthcoming The Corona Book of Science Fiction. 

Other than not wanting fan fiction submissions, we’re not imposing any restrictions in terms of SF sub-genres. We want The Corona Book of Science Fiction to embody variety and be a ‘selection box’ of the best in new science fiction writing. We’re simply looking for the best and most original stories, regardless of SF sub-genre and from talented writers no matter how unsung.

Our submission guidelines can be found here http://www.coronabooks.com/sf-book-call/4594156175

The deadline is 12th March 2018. We will acknowledge all submissions on receipt, and will write to all authors, successful and unsuccessful, after the deadline and after our panel has decided which stories to select.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Normal Deviation: Seeking Short Stories Based on One Weird Pic

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It all started with a weird pic and a throwaway tweet:

I want to do a fiction anthology where everyone writes a story just based on a weird ass picture. And then use that pic as the cover.

And then enough people cheered the idea that we decided to make it our first major project at Wonderbox Publishing.

Normal Deviation is seeking “Third Option” short stories based on the following image, up to 6000 words (deadline: 31 Aug 2017). “Third Option” is our shorthand for digging a little deeper into that writerly creativity bucket: we’d like everyone to cast aside (at least) the first two ideas that come to you, and instead focus on the third (or fourth or fifth…) idea to develop. The goal here is to avoid the obvious, to generate fresh ideas, to get at deviation.

We want stories in any genre, from any perspective, any time period and setting. As long as the story is good, and based somehow on this image, we want to read it!

image for inspiration

We’ve launched a Kickstarter to fund the anthology, as we think all authors deserve professional rates (starting at least at a penny per word). Support us, support authors, and please submit and become one of our authors!

Full details and author guidelines are on our website. Subscribe to updates from our weekly blog, get a feel for what we’re like and what we like, and join us in this bizarre story adventure!

Lyle Skains & DeAnn Bell, Editors
Normal Deviation anthology
Wonderbox Publishing

Afterlives, when death is just the beginning… Read Paper Republic new series of shorts

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zhang_xinxin-dragonworld

Following the first year of Read Paper Republic weekly stories, we present a new mini-series of six stories, “Afterlives”, in which death is merely the beginning of the story.

On 27.10.16, we posted Dragon Boat, about ghost sex! The protagonist, Yuye, wanders around coastal areas of Hong Kong at Dragon Boat Festival, encounters a ghostly girl, and meets an unfortunate end when he sleeps with her.

On 3.11.16, the story was Dragonworld, in which video games addict Zhaishao finds his town has been infested with concrete-guzzling dragons – but is unsure whether they actually exist, or are figments of digitally-stimulated imagination.

Next Thursday, 10.11.16, our story will be Where Did I Lose You? Wang You reflects on how that ubiquitous item of social intercourse, the name card, can take on a weird life of its own. He is contacted by an old lady who says that her deceased husband often talked about him. Wang has no memory of him whatsoever, but he invents some stories to satisfy her….Go online to read what happens next.

We at Paper Republic are a collective of literary translators, promoting new Chinese fiction in translation. Read Paper Republic is a free online publication initiative for readers who wonder what new Chinese fiction in English translation has to offer and would like to dip a toe in the water. The first run of 53 stories, posted June 2015 to June 2016, are still available to read. You can download a full table of contents as a PDF here.

We’re looking for your finest short science fiction story

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Shoreline of Infinity, the newest British science fiction magazine,  is currently open for submissions until 3oth November 2016. We’re looking for stories up to 5,000 words.

We’re a quarterly magazine, and is available in print and digital formats – and we pay for stories.

We’re  looking for a good science fiction story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose. An idea that makes us stop and think. But don’t forget your characters: all the best stories are seen through the eyes of characters your readers believe in.

The best advice is to read a Shoreline of Infinity for yourself to see the kind of stories we like.

Full details and submissions instructions are available on our submissions page.

PS We’re a little bit short of science fiction stories with steampunkian tendencies, and we’re becoming more open to the fantasy end of science fiction, if you follow me.

PPS We re-open for submission in the New Year.

Writers paint bleak future for England

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Brexit blues and post Euro 2016 have created a bleak mood in England – and it’s not going to get much better if the country’s creative are anything to go by.

We can expect food shortages, rising house prices, and possibly even the death of God. But it’s not all bad – we’ll soon be able to remove bad memories, chose out after life and even get a new pair of wings attached in the time it takes to ink a tattoo.

These are just some of the predictions found in the short stories on the England’s Future History website.

Our future timeline

The project was launched by former magazine editor Jonathan Brown to create a future timeline for the country.

Every three months, submissions are invited from short stories writers. The rules are simple – each tale should be set at some point in England’s future.

The catch is the events of each published entry become part of a timeline. Other writers then need to make sure their entries take these events into account.

Jonathan Brown, who now works with the Press Association as a digital content editor, said: “I wanted to create a joined up vision of our future.

“We’re at a tipping point in our country – we could head in a number of directions. I was just interested to see what other people thought would happen.”

The story so far…

The winning writers range from absolute beginners to experienced journalists and authors.

Jonathan Brown added: “The range of topics covered is amazing. But they’re definitely a few areas that are coming up time and again, with genetics and future healthcare one of the big issues.”

So far, seven stories have been published. They can be read here…

While there’s no set end date of the project, Jonathan says he’ll review the timeline after a year and see whether there’s still room to expand it or whether it’ll be time to reset and start again.

“The stories, I hope, reflect 2016. It’d be interesting to do it every year and see how the future changes.”

More information…

Entries are accepted all year round but new stories are only published once a quarter. It’s free to enter.

Ideas should be emailed to englandsfuturehistory@gmail.com . Visit the Submissions page for more details.

England’s Future History wants your short stories…

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A new short story competition has launched giving writers the chance to map out what happens to England in the future.

England’s Future History is seeking stories or poems between 500 and 3,000 words set in the future and based in England. Simple, right?

The twist is that once a story has been accepted and published, the events in that story become canon – they are officially part of England’s Future History. Other stories that follow have to take these historic events into account.

Some tips:

  • Don’t write us into a corner: The selection of stories will be curated so any that write us into a corner (apocalypse scenarios etc) will be rejected no matter how good they are
  • Think small: Not every story has to have a major event. We’re looking for more personal views of the future. Characters are just as important as the events. But the story should reflect the changing times
  • Follow the timeline: As new stories are published the events of these tales will be added to our timeline. Before you submit, read the timeline to make sure you’re not contradicting someone else.
  • Get connected: One of the aims of this project is to create a connected vision of England’s future. So, you’ll get extra brownie points if you make reference to events in other stories. Think of it as the EFHLU – the English Future History’s Literary University.

What do predict for the future?

Will your story be about the day Wales gains independence? Will your character be the last red head in the UK? Or the first Brit to reach 120 years old?

Will it be about a new technological advance that changes everything or a political movement that threatens to send the country into meltdown?

Or maybe you just imagine a future in which Newcastle finally win the Premier League – stranger things have happened.

The rules…

1. All stories should be under 3,000 words, but can be as little as 500 words.

2. All stories should be set in England at some point in the future.

3. New entries must not contradict anything that has gone before. Check the timeline post for key dates and events.

4. I will have final say on what goes in.

5. All submissions should include a future date at the start so I can easily place it on the timeline.

6. We don’t mind if you have published your stories elsewhere previously.

7. We’d prefer not to remove stories once published – so be certain you want your piece online.

8. We’ll edit your piece for typos  and grammar mistakes, so let me know beforehand if there are any intentional mistakes, grammar styles etc that I should know about.

9. We’ll aim to let you know within 3 weeks.

10. Oh, and it’s free to enter.

11. Deadlines are at the end of March, June, September and December. The next one is Thursday, March 31, 2016.

If you want your story to be included, simply email us with your story as an attachment, a bit about yourself and brief intro to your piece.

The Queen’s Head Issue 8 Submission Window is Open!

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The Queen’s Head is now open for submissions of fiction, poetry and non-fiction for Issue #8!

We’re a Glasgow-based online illustrated zine looking to champion writers and artists with a love for the weird, unusual and unpredictable.

Speculative, magical realism, slipstream; call it what you will. If it blurs the boundaries between sci-fi, fantasy, horror and literary fiction, if it laughs in the face of convention, if it can teach reality to roll over and beg: we’re into it. We also love poetry that’s lyrical, sharp and experimental, and left-field non-fiction and culture commentary.

We also run black and white illustrations throughout each publication, and try to hand each issue over to one individual illustrator so they can have their merry way with it. Illustrations can be bespoke if you like, but don’t be shy about sending us pre-existing artwork, either. We consider the zine a showcase, and will run any series of illustrations that fit the weird, irreverent and experimental tone.

Interested? Full details are on our website: www.thequeenshead.wtf

www.twitter.com/queenszine

www.facebook.com/thequeenszine

Holdfast Print Anthology Call For Submissions

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We are excited to announce our call for submissions for our first ever print anthology!

Deadline 15th June 2014

Contact: submissions@holdfastmagazine.com

Holdfast is a free online speculative fiction magazine that explores all things fantastic.

Each issue of Holdfast is centred around a specific theme. For the anthology we are looking for fiction and non-fiction on all four themes from our first year:

Speculating on Speculative Women

Animals, Beasts and Creatures

Objects, Artefacts and Talismans

Diverse Reflections: Seeing Yourself in Speculative Fiction.

It has been an incredibly exciting six months for us at Holdfast. Issues 1&2 are out, and we have been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement that we have received from the speculative community, especially when it comes to our amazing contributors. One thing that has become increasingly clear is that if we want to offer even a small payment, (which, please believe me, is a major priority) we cannot rely on donations and advertising alone; we are going to have to rack our brains and actively make some money.

And so, we will be launching a Kickstarter over the summer, with the aim of producing an anthology compiling all the year’s themes. This will include some of the best fiction and non-fiction we have already published, but also a whole bunch of new stuff. And this is where you come in! We are now accepting submissions for short stories and articles from all four themes. These are listed above.

If you are submitting specifically for the anthology, please put ‘Anthology’ specifying the theme and submission type. For example: ‘Anthology, Animals Beasts and Creatures, Fiction.’ Send to submissions@holdfastmagazine.com

The deadline for submissions is June 15 2014.

The online issue deadlines still apply, so if you want to get your story into issue#3, Objects, Artefacts and Talismans, please still submit by the 31 May 2014 (all submissions will also be considered for the Anthology). However if you miss the issue#3 deadline, you will still have 15 days to submit to the Anthology deadline on the 15 June 2014. Additionally, if you miss the Anthology deadline, you will have until September 21 2014 to submit to Issue#4, Diverse Reflections: Seeing yourself in Speculative Fiction, for the online version.

And if we don’t make our Kickstarter target, we are determined to produce it as an ebook. So, either way, we will be showcasing your wonderful contributions.

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