Black Mirror’s Eulogy: How To Regret Every Bad Thing You’ve Ever Done Charlie Brooker’s writing process is interesting in this episode as it feels like Eulogy and Hotel Reverie might have initially been one episode which was later split.

Watch Maria and Regina tell you about today's top FREE sci-fi and fantasy bestsellers on the MetaStellar YouTube channel! There are dragons, magic, a dystopian future -- and a New York Times bestselling author! www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xe0...

Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 2, 2026 Today, we've got magic-wielding martial arts warriors, a climate dystopia, dragons, secret societies, and plenty of romance.

Spell Check Episode 24: Soup Have a hearty potion to ring in the New Year!

The Cup and the Lip The horror story concerns the unintended effects of wartime pych experiments on a doomed family.

Feathers of Eternity Amidst a fiery and tragic backdrop, Akihiko's undying love for Aeliana unfolds through a cycle of fate and sacrifice, that transcends lifetimes.

Teaching An Old Dolphin New Tricks Sure, the Galloping Dolphin is on fire, the ship's AI is dead, and no one has seen that kid Billsie, but no worries: Rosetta is here to save the day.

Back First published in The Daphne Review, this soft science fiction story unfolds through three interwoven perspectives—Emma in third person, Nova in first person, and Emma again in first person—exploring memory, quiet presence, and the enduring tenderness of companionship beyond error.

Pet Sitting Lily, a snow witch, is faced with an unexpected visit from her neighbor's latest creations, a group of animate heat cubes that have taken a liking to her.

Worldbuilding: Your Fictional Culture Worldbuilding isn’t just about building a physical world that your characters live in. A working world also needs a working culture or society. You need to create a fictional culture for a functioning, layered world.

Exploring Fairytale Retellings: Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast is rooted in transformation, as are many folktales, but specifically retransformation, or restoration.

Let the MetaStellar team tell you about today's bestselling FREE sci-fi and fantasy books on our YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Wu...

New fiction on MetaStellar! The Twelfth Pilgrim A jaded priest on a reluctant pilgrimage escapes his corrupted fellow pilgrims and discovers transcendent joy dancing with fairy folk, www.metastellar.com/fiction/the-...

Spell Check Episode 23: Holiday Happy Holidays from Spell Check and MetaStellar!

Stealing Time Fifteen-year-old Bobby has no clue what to do about the strange girl in his apartment who knows way too much about his family–because, she explains, she’s his daughter. From the future.

Writing advice of the week.... sorry, YEAR! ... from our managing editor, Fallon Clark! Top Developmental Editing Recommendations of 2025 www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP04...

Marked Unread A prison sentence in space. A heartbreaking message from the planet. And it only gets worse from there.

Top Two Developmental Editing Recommendations of 2025 Two major developmental editing recommendations were shared with every single author on almost every manuscript in 2025. Use these recommendations to shape and refine your fiction.

10 Best Christmas Short Stories from MetaStellar authors Here you can find all kinds of speculative fiction stories, not just horror, to read after dinner and share with your loved ones after opening gifts.

And we also posted an interview with sci-fi author Ike Lang this week, in case you missed that video! www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAM6...

Watch Maria and Regina tell you about today's top FREE sci-fi and fantasy bestsellers on Amazon on the MetaStellar YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcM7...

Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Dec. 19, 2025 We read the first few chapters of each of the top five free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes two apocalypses, a hotel for the undead, and a fun space opera.

Positive Energy The lead-leader has just died, and mourning is mandatory. A friend group tries to hide their delight at the news, but can they fake cry enough to escape the sentiment detectors and "reeducation"? Join them as they go to desperate lengths to hide their true feelings!

Moist The peace lily is flourishing. Who the hell is watering it?

Author Perspectives: Ike Lang on the Values and Misuses of Science Fiction MetaStellar's Grace Kielstra interviews author Ike Lang. Lang’s first experience with science fiction was Isaac Asimov, whom he incountered in middle school. He’s drawn to Asimov’s writing for its intelligence, while…

Spell Check Episode 22: Self Date Frog Prince is getting ready for a night out of town.

Daisy’s Duty All Daisy wants is to be a good pet for Lucy, the little girl she's sworn to protect. When Lucy falls seriously ill, Daisy must fulfill her duty.

Coffeeshop Wishes A desperate women enters a coffee shop seeking the fae, determined to make a wish. She gets what she asked for.

Results From Written Word Media’s 2025 Author Survey Written Word Media's 2025 author survey results are in and show a bright future for speculative fiction authors.

4 Ways to Fix a Plot Hole in Your Story We all encounter plot holes in our stories, but fear not, there are ways to fix them. Get into the heart of your story and take a step back at the same time to fix the problem.

Black Mirror’s Plaything: A Brutally Cute Episode This episode is by no means the most expansive, philosophical, or deep, in terms of its message and story, but it invites the viewer to have fun and be dragged along for the ride.

Today's top FREE sci-fi and fantasy bestsellers on Amazon! Reviewed by the MetaStellar team and discussed on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=egbT...

Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Dec. 12, 2025 We read the first few chapters of each of the top five free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes an old school private eye with a talking dog and a vampire client, conspiracies, disasters, and a…

Wonder A strange girl, lost in the woods, finds an unexpected treat.

Spell Check Episode 21 Portrait This week, Greg unveils his masterpiece.

The Trickster at the Gate An bored alien standing watch on an ancient wormhole gate located deep in the Solar System decides to collect a toll from Earth to access the stars. The payment: unique human stories. But the gatekeeper has another agenda.

Widdershins: A Story of New England Magic A young woman is told the New England hills around her hide ancient barrows that hold the bones of her ancestors, and it is they who have come to restore magic to its rightful place in the earth world.

Grabbing the Proverbial Space-Time Tiger by the Tail Most people consider time myopically, a narrow view which translates to linear thinking when time is far more dynamic than we realize.

The Carousel On the night before it's demolition, Matthew revisits the amusement park and carousel that hold a special memory for him.

Plotting vs. Pantsing: Pros and Cons Plotting vs. Pantsing: the age-old debate. Which one works best for you?

Revisiting the Classics: “Repent Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison In this story, Harlan Ellison asks what would happen if society controlled the time we spent. The concept of someone controlling every minute of your life is terrifying, to say the least.

Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Dec. 5, 2025 We read the first few chapters of each of the top five free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes...

Peacock Man A man makes connection with an alternate world through his peacocks...

Spell Check Vol 2 Episode 6: Fairy Circle Greg the Skeleton faces an offer he can't refuse in this week's Spell Check.

Spell Check Vol 2 Episode 7: Good Book Adventure awaits in the pages of a book.

As always, all money raised from sales at our Cafepress shop goes towards paying human writers for original science fiction, fantasy, and horror! www.cafepress.com/profile/Meta...

The large, 15 oz mug are also on sale -- currently more than half off, at $10.99 each ($8.99 if you buy 3)! www.cafepress.com/+metastellar...

Support human writers! MetaStellar mugs are now $9 off at Cafepress -- just $5.99 each! (And only $4.99 if you buy three!) www.cafepress.com/+metastellar...

The Diabolical Plot of Count Dracula Inspired by Hammer horror films, the story follows the half Dutch-English, half African American Doran Van Helsing, who uncovers a diabolical plot being hatched by the fiendish Dracula and his reptilian allies, the fate of the world at stake. And this time the…

New writing advice video from MetaStellar editor E.S. Foster! How to Add More Imagery to Your Novel www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb_a...