Charm City Spec alumna (and friend) Fran Wilde putting an early flag down with her new fantasy heist—Go Fran Go!

Edited by CCS alumna Ann Leblanc!

The first episode of the new podcast miniseries I'm hosting at @issuesinst.bsky.social comes out on Tuesday! I'll be talking with @boriscrito.bsky.social about the anthropology of cloud storage, his Caribbean-influenced speculative fiction genre, Taínofuturismo, and more!

TOMORROW!

Just a heads up that if you're coming to Charm City Spec tomorrow night--and you should! Look at that lineup!-- the bike race has falls road closed from Hampden to northern parkway and Northern parkway closed falls to Roland Ave. You can still get to the ivy if you come from the north.

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!! Don't forget to join us on the patio of the inimitable Ivy Bookshop, for an evening of drama and intrigue, as author Jeff Reynolds takes the mic to read, alongside a stellar lineup at the next CHARM CITY SPEC!! This Spec is going to be truly special. You won't want to miss it!

New story day! "The Truth About Crows" is a sweet fun story about what happens when a dragon finds a crow trespassing in her lair. I think my fondness for both crows and dragons is well documented by now! It's the perfect length for a Friday afternoon break, too: factorfourmag.com/the-truth-ab...

Friends, please join us this Saturday, September 6th, when Mary G. Thompson takes the mic to read from her provocative story of simulation, ONE LEVEL DOWN, at the next Charm City Spec! She joins a thrilling group of authors for what's sure to be a classic night!

Charm City Spec alum Andrew Hiller, kickstarting the audio book for his new novella—>

Charm City Spec alumna Allison Pottern's story, up and free to read in the new Trollbreath! 👣

Hey, this Saturday night, come to Charm City Spec at Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore for a reading with a bunch of great writers, and also me. 😜 Note: I am not one of the amazing writers in the anthology, but I HAVE been reading it, and it IS really excellent! www.theivybookshop.com/event/charm-...

Come join us this Saturday, September 6th, as Mike Allen augments a star-studded lineup for the next Charm City Spec! It's going to be a massive night!

I got swag just in time for @charmcityspec.bsky.social on Sept. 6. Now, all I need is a book. Wait! That's tomorrow!

REMINDER! This Saturday I'll be part of the @charmcityspec.bsky.social reading in Baltimore, alongside @csecooney.bsky.social, @andyduncansf.bsky.social & Alaya Dawn Johnson, reading from @thisjulieday.bsky.social’s STORYTELLER: A TANITH LEE TRIBUTE ANTHOLOGY! descentintolight.com/2025/09/02/s...

Come join us this Saturday night when Alaya Dawn Johnson steps up to the mic! We have a killer lineup, and it's going to be a great night out on the patio at The Ivy Bookshop! 6:30 pm September 6th—free to all, and everyone is welcome!

Charm City Spec alumnus Andy Duncan returns to take the mic as part of a jaw-dropping lineup, Sepember 6th 2025 in what will surely be a historic night! Come join us, 6:30 pm on the patio behind the Ivy Bookshop. Everyone is welcome! @andyduncansf.bsky.social

Thrilled to be part of the 9/6 @charmcityspec.bsky.social reading in Baltimore, sharing from my story in @thisjulieday.bsky.social’s STORYTELLER: A TANITH LEE TRIBUTE ANTHOLOGY along w/ @csecooney.bsky.social, @andyduncansf.bsky.social & Alaya Dawn Johnson—what a lineup! bit.ly/CharmCityTan...

Updated link to the upcoming Charm City Spec event! (There was a recent email that had a stale link.) Please make a plan to come! www.theivybookshop.com/event/charm-...

Between them, @vajra.me 's superb THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS & RAKESFALL have: 🏆Won Ignyte, Otherwise, Crawford, Nebula, and Locus Awards. 🌟Been nominated for BFA, Locus, Nebula, Hugo, Dragon, and Lammy awards and TWO Ursula K. Le Guin Prizes. If THAT doesn't convince you to try them, we give up!

My mom and I have been working on a paranormal romance series for the past few years. This past week, we put the final touches on the first book and hit publish. If you enjoy romance, I'd love if you'd give it a try. a.co/d/h1ci6hv

Putting your work out there is a little scary. You don't know how or if it will resonate. I got my first long form #Bookreview from L. Gilmour today. It was pure lemonade. This was the first of nine quoted posts. 😊😊😊

"Hornytown Chutzpah by Andrew Hiller is a razor-sharp, darkly hilarious blend of speculative fiction and hard-boiled noir that grabs you from page one and refuses to let go."

Not quite as hot today but it's still summer and my books are still about the magic that can happen in unexpected places in Baltimore.

Glad to see you made it through unscathed! Hope to see you @charmcityspec.bsky.social on September 6

Our little-anthology-that-could is still randomly on super-sale from Am*zon. Less than $5 for this beautiful paperback: a.co/d/0NE0fgO It's the perfect time to get your hands on these tremendous SFF stories from Elizabeth Bear, Daryl Gregory, F.E. Choe, Shen Tao and more. #speclit #booksky

This week at Zona Motel, I wrote about how John Pistelli and Alan Moore turned comic book history into fiction. zonamotel.substack.com/p/essay-majo...

There have been rumors. There have been leaked images of the cover. But now there is a pubdate for THE UNIVERSE BOX, my newest and possibly best Tachyon Publications collection ever. Let the angels rejoice. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/08/habe...

I'd love if you came out to the Book Fair at Bel Air on August 23rd! It's happening at the Bel Air Armory in Maryland & it features more than 40 authors in different genres as well as book-related vendors. And it's FREE! You can find out more at bookfairatbelair.org - I hope to see you there!

No idea why, but Am*zon put our book on deep discount! Get our kickass anthology IN PAPERBACK feat. stories by @matociquala.bsky.social @darylwriterguy.bsky.social and up-and-comers from @viableparadise.bsky.social FOR LESS THAN $5! Go, now, before the algorithm changes its mind! a.co/d/0NE0fgO 📚🚀

Look what's coming!

Come hear C.S.E. Cooney read, along with a stellar program, at the next Charm City Spec!

Even the grittiest blue collar city has a spark of magic under the surface. In Baltimore, you might find that magic around any street corner or darkened alley - if you know how to look. Learn more at www.christianeknight.com Or buy directly from the author at ko-fi.com/threeravensp...

Yes, that's right, I'mma gonna be doing a reading with some other very awesome folks. Stop by and hear me pretend to be a troll and a female detective as I read from chapter 1 of "Shadow of a Doubt," the first Mirabel Sinclair mystery.

Corrected post for our upcoming September 6th show—going to be a blockbuster! Come early to assure a seat for the hottest show of the year! #BaltimoreReads

I'd really appreciate it if you gave my books a moment of your time. Or put them on your bookshelf, or e-reader, or.. They've got serious stakes but also music and some fun banter, and are built on a strong backbone of folklore augmented by my own weirdo additions. And you'll love the characters.

Mark your calendars now—September 6th is going to be a new height for Charm City Spec, when our program includes: Andy Duncan C.S.E. Cooney Alaya Dawn Johnson Jeff Reynolds Mary G. Thompson Mike Allen (!!)

If you're still considering your Hugo votes, I'd be honored if you'd consider my 'Three Faces of a Beheading' for short story!

ONE WEEK ONE WEEK!!!!! Last chance to preorder and get goodies! moonpalacebooks.com/item/3Czr8Ta...

CCS alumnus @tobiascarroll.bsky.social has new work out today—please give it a read!

My story "The Hard Way" appears in the new issue of Tractor Beam! I'm very proud of this story, and it's set in Baltimore. Please give it a read! #amreading #BaltimoreStories www.tractorbeam.earth/story/the-ha...

Picked this up at @charmcityspec.bsky.social last week and I can't wait to read it.

congrats to all the contributors of this awesome anthology. this is so hopeful and revolutionary and good 🖤🖤

I mean, I'm sure it's not related to the fact that a bunch of authors from AMPLITUDES all read at the Charm City Spec last week... but it couldn't hurt, right? Congratulations to everyone involved!

Some photos of CCS alumni Sunny Moraine reading her thought-provoking work from the AMPLITUDES anthology, June 7th 2025 at the Ivy Bookshop (actually the patio behind) in Baltimore.

Some snaps of Venessa Vida Kelley holding the audience rapt with her tail of merman romance, WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON, at the June 7th event.

Tonight's the night! Come out to hear the astonishing M. M. Olivas read, in a rare east-coast appearance! Along with a raft of other talent, appearing at the next Charm City Spec!

Sunny Moraine’s short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Nightmare, and Uncanny, among other places, and they are the author of the novella Your Shadow Half Remains, published by Tor Nightfire. Sunny currently resides in Baltimore with two cats and one spouse.

The Last of Us meets Bird Box in Sunny Moraine's Your Shadow Half Remains, a post-apocalyptic tale where eye contact causes people to spiral into a deadly, violent rage. ONE LOOK CAN KILL. "Engrossing and paranoid" "Engaging and visceral"

Come thrill with us as Sunny Moraine reads, live, on the patio of the Ivy Bookshop, June 7th (Saturday) at 6:30 pm!

Sorry, wrong account, but what Chris said is correct—it's gonna be a great night!