My recommendation for end of the week read! I was lucky enough to see an early draft, and it remain a poignant, philosophically-informed piece of science fiction.

More SFF short story recommendations! Amazing stories by @ellisnyeland.bsky.social @nadiaradovich.bsky.social @thomasha.bsky.social @sharangbiswas.bsky.social @bethgoder.bsky.social @cjtavares.bsky.social medium.com/@katefrancia...

Today we launch our Feb ‘26 issue w/ new stories from @christinehanolsy.com @elijah.mea.rs @thomasprice.bsky.social Christopher Blake & Christopher Degni & a reprint from @samanthamurray.bsky.social Cover art by @owengent.bsky.social Get your copy here! www.flashfictiononline.com/product/flas...

Feeling like a miserable bastard this evening. I hate winter. I hate the cold, the damp, and the fire in the fireplace, spewing particulates. I hate candles. Actually, I generally hate naked flames around the home. Work provides enough burning smells. But it brings my friends joy, so I grump here.

This morning was beautiful. So I sat inside and looked at a screen and read. Now I want to go for a run, and of course, I've left it until it's raining.

We can't review what we don't receive! Check out our submission guidelines to consider sending us your work! We love small press authors and are always on the lookout for New & Notable work.

Crawling back from a very nasty bout of flu by posting some of my favorite stories I read last year. Is it a perfect list? No, there's a ton of amazing stuff out there. But I am happy with it and I hope you can find something in here for you <3

Have you read my 2025 short story, "Dare Seize the Fire"? Awards-eligible! Contains sirens! and smoke jumping! I read a lot about sheep behavior for the sake of a couple of paragraphs! futurefire.net/2025.73/fict...

My colleague's hair is turning purple. He claims his housemate, another colleague, has sabotaged his product, though he also said his barber suggested something odd is going on in town, because he's the second bloke whose hair has a purple tint. I'm not convinced he didn't try to dye it Arsenal red.

Just finished rewatching The Return of the King. It's been fun revisiting these with friends, and it's particularly funny to hear my most hippy friend complain about a "soppy ending" and say she'd rather have more battles.

I have a story about not having kids at the end of the world. I'm proud of it.

I have a story about not having kids at the end of the world. I'm proud of it.

Spent today revision. Usually I don't think I'm too bad at cutting, but this story has actually grown.

First two reads of the year (both half finished): The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older on audiobook. This series has been such a nice easy, comforting one for me and is perfect in the little mental health blip I'm having and has been getting me through the last week.

I just spent an hour on a call with my little brother while we both did some drawing practice. It was awesome. I should call him more. My drawings were all shit, but I laughed loads. This axe dude is the best of the bunch, despite his duff proportions.

Watching the Two Towers with some friends recently, joking that the slope the Rohirrim charge down has a steeper gradient than the cheese-rolling hill. I can't unsee it. Cartwheeling down, armour and horses and all.

Oh look, a bunch of lovely stories! People should go poke these for sure!

It’s another Onomastics Corner for “Songbook for the Jovian Resistance,” out today in @smallwondersmag.com ☄️ smallwondersmag.com/piece/songbo...

I rarely weigh in on things outside of my writing bubble, but Jay's a great short spec fic reviewer w/high volume, consistent coverage that isn't in a mag/column. Extremely hard to find blogs like it. Def check out his work if you're curious about the latest in short SFF. www.tarvolon.com

I got to read an early iteration of this story and immediately knew it was something special. Another one by my powerhouse of a friend Anna Clark. Go read it you won't regret it. #newstory #shortstory #sff

This is one of my favorite pieces as well! Such a raw, beautiful, truthful story. Frankly, I consider it required reading, especially now. Take some time today and read it. You won't regret it.

Eligibility post: I’m Hugo-eligible for Best Fan Writer for my blogging at Tar Vol On and work facilitating discussion for the Hugo Readalong and Short Fiction Book Club 🧵

There's nothing quite like the experience of having a writer friend whose writing you love say nice things about your own writing.

Things are shit, but I painted a seal in a shell for a friend's birthday.

Times like this make me feel very small, even from my currently safe distance. This is wrong.

This is my favourite story I've written.

I'm on a reading spree. This is the first time in forever that I've been on holiday with nothing else to do while recovering from a virus. Recommendations! I've read half of the current issue of @kaleidotrope.bsky.social, and it's a really strong collection.

This is my favourite story I've written.

A beautiful story of a well-worn relationship finding new rhythms!

I am emerging from my cold, I worked on a few revisions, and I have a story out that I'm proud of. And it's sunny!

🎊 Happy New Year! 🎊 Phano has three brand new short stories, free to read here: www.phano.co - “The End of the Line” by Anna Clark - “The End of Everything, the Beginning of Something” by Peter Barretta - “Symbiosis” by Catherine Tavares Also... 🎂 Happy Birthday Phano - Proud of you! 🎂

Happy New Year! Come check out my latest sci-fi short "Symbiosis"

New story day!!! I can’t even tell you how much this one means to me. It’s the first short story I wrote, the story of my heart. I’ll find better words later, but… for now I will just say thank you to GNS for giving this one a home, and thank you to anyone who takes the time to read it, too. 🖤

I just read "Full Five Fathoms" by @prioryruins.bsky.social I can't recommend it enough. I has grief and friendship, descriptions of fish I know and a place I've been, and oh-so-gorgeous writing.

Strange Horizons will be open to general fiction submissions for 48 hours beginning January 19th, 2026 at 3 p.m. UTC and ending January 21st, 2026 at 3 p.m. UTC. There will be no cap. See our fiction submission guidelines for more information on how to submit: strangehorizons.com/submit/ficti...

A poignant start to the year, well worth the read.

Congratulations, everyone. You made it.

December Speculative Flash Roundup! Some truly phenomenal stories this month, and a bonus craft article!

TELL ME YOUR 🏳️‍🌈QUEER SHORT SFF🏳️‍🌈 OUT IN NOVEMBER 2025!!! Originals only pls, up to novella in length, indie okay. Just reply with the author, title, and a link to read and/or buy and I'll get them on the list. Here's October's list for context & more info: www.patreon.com/posts/some-q...

"Tuesday", my most recent short story, is available for free, and I'd be eternally grateful if you read it and considered it for any awards you're able to nominate stories for: smallwondersmag.com/piece/tuesday/

Considering this is the year I got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and broke my ankle, I guess it's appropriate I'm finishing it up as personified snot. (I am feeling overly sorry for myself.)

While I'm on the topic of AI, I hate how I now hesitate when I revise a clunky sentence in my work, wondering if I'm erasing a signature of my humanity. Right, now I'm done with the topic.

If you're a new writer feeling demoralised by the encroachment of AI into an art form you haven't had the chance to get good at, please keep writing. Push through the ugly part of making and learning (it is necessary). Share your authentic voice so someone can know you and not the machine.

This is great, "Why one small American town won’t stop stoning its residents to death," a story where Isaac Chotiner interviews the guy who administers the lottery from "The Lottery" archiveofourown.org/works/733964...

Holiday week done. I saw my parents and caught the plague from my parents. I participated in the kayak club Christmas relay, which is absolute bloodsport, and survived mostly dry. I did no writing but read a fair bit - a few shorts and Diana Wynne Jones.

Holiday watching with family has consisted of the new Knives Out and Wallace and Gromit. These were selected to fit everyone's tolerances, but they're also genuinely good fun.

Well, speaking of the Nebulas, I can assure you no part of this story was created using AI. In fact, it’s inspired by my utter disgust of AI-generated art. I wrote is as an F-you to this whole shoehorning of AI in art. Give it a read if any of that speaks to you. #fuckai

I'm so disappointed in @sfwa.org for this. I understand that by requiring disclosure of partial LLM-created works, as their announcement states, means SFWA's letting "nominators and the voters" make the final decision. BUT YOU'RE STILL ALLOWING SUCH WORKS ON THE NEBULA AWARDS FINAL BALLOT! 1/