In our latest issue, Teresa Milbrodt delivers a story of house elves, where the real message is how caregivers must deal with the trials and trauma of care giving itself. "A Guide to Helping Your House Elf: Etiquette, Cooperation, Commiseration" go.dfstory.com/guideto

Today's word: Yūgen (pronounced "you-gen"). A Japanese aesthetic concept of the universe's subtle grace and hidden but profound beauty. Sounds like an anti-Cthulhu Mythos to me. Instead of the abyss staring back with madness, it’s abiding with infinite understanding.

In medias res does not mean “start with an explosion.” It means starting inside the motion of the story — without confusing your reader. In this article, Scot Noel breaks down why so many openings fail — and how to get yours right. go.dfstory.com/inmediares

Today's Word: Filipendulous Suspended by a thread; hanging delicately by the thinnest of connections. A rare adjective with Latin roots (filum “thread” + pendulus “hanging”). Used poetically for anything fragile yet still held in place. Perfect for describing hopes, relationships, or our future...

Tangent Online Reviews DF #23. Another winning issue, with stories that range from the poetic and bittersweet to the lighthearted. Whether you’re looking for a fable-like journey or a fresh take on modern folklore, you’ll find something to enjoy. tangentonline.com/e-market-qua...

Every writer eventually hits the sign: Road Closed. The mistake? Staring at the barricade. In this practical, energizing article, Wulf Moon shares real detours around writer’s block — so you can get back to the open road. go.dfstory.com/writersblock

The ABCs of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Each week, I’ll follow down the alphabet with a new movie, show, book, or story. This week is Labyrinth. Jim Henson’s 1986 fantasy film from a screenplay my Monty Python's Terry Jones and inspired by artwork from Brian Froud. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrin...

Issue #23 Online Now! In 23, we drill to the core of what makes us human, wager a life on the power of story, journey with a pampered cat prince as he learns about connection, and so much more! go.dfstory.com/anvil23

Today's Word is: Casuistry Resolving moral or ethical issues by applying general principles to specific cases of conscience, often with clever hairsplitting. From Latin "casus." Oft misused as a rhetorical shield for bad behavior. Sometimes it depends on what the definition of "is" is.

A good article encouraging authors to do readings of their work. www.sfwa.org/2026/02/24/c...

The dishes are undone. The grant report is due. Your elderly mother is worried about your headaches. And there’s a house elf scrubbing your cereal bowl. Teresa Milbrodt’s A Guide to Helping Your House Elf is a story about the quiet work of surviving. go.dfstory.com/guideto

When a ghost mariachi band shows up to play at Darren’s transition to the afterlife, he fails to die on schedule. Now he’s stuck with them, and they with him, and nobody knows quite what will happen next. go.dfstory.com/ides

Today's word: Accismus. The pretense of refusing something one secretly desires. From Latin "accismus," borrowed from Ancient Greek "ἀκκισμός" (akkismós, "prudery"). If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve. If by popular acclimation you make me your emperor... well, maybe.

Looking for speculative fiction that blends heart, intelligence, and imagination? Get Anvil Issue 23 and all our previous issues online - at DreamForge or at Amazon. Read Free online : go.dfstory.com/anvil23 or BUY on Amazon: go.dfstory.com/Anvil23Amazon

It isn’t the season for turtles. It isn’t the season for staying small either. Leo Rose Rodriguez’s modern fairytale explores the terrifying, necessary step from shelter into the loud, pebble-filled world beyond. go.dfstory.com/turtle

Crows ask questions. Elephants remember their dead. Dolphins share maps of the sea. But the animals we raise for food...do they have something to say too? Hap Aziz’s First Words tells us of a possible future. go.dfstory.com/firstwords

We just made our 66th Kiva Loan. Janet, a married mother of two children from Honiara in the Solomon Islands, wants to keep her kinds in school. So do we. $25 can make a difference in lives around the world. Learn how to loan - www.kiva.org

The ABCs of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Each week, I’ll follow down the alphabet with a new movie, show, book, or story. This week is K-PAX. Released in 2001 and based on the novel by Gene Brewer. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-PAX

The Indoor Prince, by Brandon Case Prince Geodendry, swatter of sunbeams, abhors the outside world. He has kibble, a windowsill, and a loyal attendant. But when one careless click of a lock leaves him stranded outside, Geo discovers a different way of life. go.dfstory.com/indoorprince

Today's Word: Agathokakological Composed of good and evil, virtue and vice. First used in 1834 by English Poet Laureate Robert Southey, it combines Greek “agathos” (good) and “kakos” (bad), describing contradictory fiber of human nature. Remember, the Agathokakological Adventure is Just Beginning.

A bard in chains. A captor who won’t meet her eyes. A kingdom where stories can get you killed. In Fifteen Silver, Alexandra Wingo reminds us that the most dangerous weapon is sometimes a voice — and the most dangerous act is listening. go.dfstory.com/15silver

In the morning, the boy woke to find a small, green turtle sitting on their chest. This was very strange, because it wasn’t the season for baby turtles, but they knew well that sometimes strange things happened. go.dfstory.com/turtle

Today's Word: empleomania Definition: A mania for being elected and holding the power of public office. A rare 19th-century term derived from Spanish. I propose it should be added to the DSM as a diagnosable condition disqualifying suffers from being on the ballot.

Speculative fiction isn’t about escape. It’s about perspective. This issue of DreamForge explores identity, courage, technology, humor, craft, and hope — through stories that linger long after the last page. Read Free online : go.dfstory.com/anvil23 BUY on Amazon: go.dfstory.com/Anvil23Amazon

What if you could drill down through every layer of humanity — past memory, past fear, past the stories we tell — and see what lies at the core? Marie Brennan’s poem Core Sample asks a question that feels geological and deeply human at the same time. go.dfstory.com/coresample

Every writer eventually hits the sign that says "Road Closed." Facing writer's block? Enjoy this extensive article by Wulf Moon in the latest issue of DreamForge. "Finding Your Path Around Writers Block." go.dfstory.com/writersblock

Today's Word: Peristeronic Suggestive of pigeons; evoking the cooing, fluttering, and chaotic pooing of same. From Greek “peristera” (pigeon/dove). Rebranded rodents with a flight upgrade? Or feathered aids who carried the weight of history before the air itself was alive with signals.

Fifteen Silver, by Alexandra Wingo The heart-wrenching story of a bard in chains, with only one hope of escape. In a kingdom where stories are punishable by death, the most dangerous thing you can do is listen. go.dfstory.com/15silver

Today's Word: Jentacular Related to breakfast or any early morning sustenance. From Webster’s New International Dictionary (1934), with Latin roots tied to the dawn hour. This morning I am having my jentacular tea and crusty bread with butter, coconut water, some vitamins...

For 142 years, we've been boiling water to make electricity. A steel plant in southwest China ended that tradition in December of 2025. What comes next could be amazing. Scot Noel discussses "The End of Steam" in his Hope Notes. go.dfstory.com/steam

What is the hardest part of having a house elf? In Teresa Milbrodt's warmly inventive story, a daughter, her aging mother, and a very tired elf navigate the treacherous territory between independence and acceptance, one soapy dish at a time. go.dfstory.com/guideto

Today's Word: Acersecomicke A person whose hair has never been cut, ever! From Henry Cockeram’s English Dictionarie (1623), a delightful, totally obscure 17th-century word that I've never heard before. Samson? Tarzan? (They seem to know some great styling salons though)

In every submission period, DreamForge sees tales from writers who think in medias res means opening with an explosion. Please don't. Learn the challenges and subtleties of "starting in the middle of things." go.dfstory.com/inmediares

Today's Word: Iktsuarpok The restless anticipation felt while waiting for someone to arrive. From Inuktitut (Inuit language), meaning “goes outside often to check if someone is coming.” I love this word. Maybe we can contemporize it to every day English with "you're being pretty 'iktsy' today."

What if we could drill past every layer of who we are — what would we find at the core? Read Marie Brennan's latest poem "Core Sample," in DreamForge Anvil online: dreamforgemagazine.com/story/core-s...

Today's Word: Sonder The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Another way of saying "We're not your NPCs!" Coined by John Koenig in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. And yes, they think they're "right" about everything too.

When a ghost mariachi band shows up to play at Darren’s transition to the afterlife, he fails to die on schedule. Now he’s stuck with them, and they with him, and nobody knows quite what will happen next. go.dfstory.com/ides

Today's Word: Uitwaaien The Dutch practice of walking into the wind for refreshment and clarity of mind. From uit (out) and waaien (to blow). The Dutch don't hide from bad weather—they walk straight into it and call it therapy. There is a caution. Don't spit into the Uitwaaien.

Every writer eventually hits the sign that says "Road Closed." The trick isn't staring at the barricade, it's finding the detour. In this article, Wulf Moon gives you some practical routes around the block, so you can get back on the open road. go.dfstory.com/writersblock

Today's Word: Mudita (pronounced moo-DEE-tah) The experience of joy in another person's happiness or good fortune. The opposite of envy. From Pali and Sanskrit, one of the four "immeasurables" in Buddhist philosophy. It makes me very happy to publish first time authors.

Speculative fiction isn’t about escape. It’s about perspective. This issue of DreamForge explores identity, courage, technology, humor, craft, and hope — through stories that linger long after the last page Read Free online: go.dfstory.com/anvil23 or BUY on Amazon: go.dfstory.com/Anvil23Amazon

The dishes have gone undone for three days, your mother is worried about your headaches, and the grant report is due in the morning. That’s when you find the house elf sitting on the edge of the counter scrubbing out a cereal bowl in this story by Teresa Milbrodt. go.dfstory.com/guideto

Issue #23 Online Now! In 23, we drill to the core of what makes us human, wager a life on the power of story, journey with a pampered cat prince as he learns about connection, and so much more! go.dfstory.com/anvil23

Today's Word: Eleutheromania An intense, overwhelming desire for freedom. From Greek eleutheros (free) and mania (madness). A bone-deep refusal to be confined—by walls, by social rules, by expectations. Did you just hear the Chicago lyrics "I just wanna be free."

In the morning, the boy woke to find a small, green turtle sitting on their chest. This was very strange, because it wasn’t the season for baby turtles, but they knew well that sometimes strange things happened. go.dfstory.com/turtle

Today's Word: Gobemouche A gullible person who believes anything they're told. From French gober (to swallow) and mouche (fly); literally, a "fly-swallower." Popular in the 19th century. Today, we make ourselves gobemouche for politicians, corporations, social media, AI, etc.

In First Words by Hap Aziz, a new translation technology decodes the unexpected. Crows ask questions, elephants remember their dead, and dolphins share acoustic maps of reefs and currents. But the animals humans raise for food also have something to say. go.dfstory.com/firstwords

The pig was speaking. Crows had asked questions, and dolphins shared acoustic maps of reefs and currents. The new translation technology was having unexpected results. Suddenly dinner had a voice—and it wasn't quiet.https://go.dfstory.com/firstwords

Today's Word: Omphaloskepsis Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation. From Greek omphalos (navel) and skepsis (examination). It's a joke, right? Not to the Hesychast monks, 14th-century Eastern Orthodox mystics who practiced literal navel-gazing as a path to divine light.

A bard in chains. A captor who won't meet her eyes. Before Gwen is delivered to her fate, she has only one weapon to wield: her voice. In a kingdom where stories are punishable by death, the most dangerous thing you can do is listen. Read 15 Silver by Alexandra Wingo go.dfstory.com/15silver