This story is the first of our stories sought specifically from writers of Palestinian descent. Elise Stephens is smart, and articulate, and brave. She is talented, witty, and a spectacular writer. Check out "Suspension" by Elise Stephens @elisestephens.bsky.social

Hi! Have you ever wanted to chat with David Steffen, (aka the weird gremlin known dor Diabolical Plots, Submission Grinder, and Long List Anthology)? there is a lottery signup to do just that online with Flights of Foundry, session on September 26th! flights-of-foundry.org/lottery/

are you ready for some big news? WE ARE OPEN for BIPOC subs for issue 100! and we are celebrating with a special theme: Transition, Migration, and Borders: Movement in, and of the Body 💖for those of us who find home in liminal spaces💖 find out more here: psychopomp.com/fantasy-maga...

YOU are the gem💎

Aww shucks. What he said 😭

Hellllooooo from the static! It is fundraising season for many spec mags out there. We are doing things a little differently with a small gofundme to help us into 2026. We are already at $2 and just need a little boost to help us to our goal of $2400 👻 www.gofundme.com/f/support-th...

STORYTIME! Yes, we are a little behind on uplifting the latest stories we've published but that just means we can REMIND YOU THEY ARE AWESOME! Check out "Burn it Down" by Beth Dawkins @bethwrites.bsky.social : www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/beth...

Check out our review of Anya F. Bloom's short story in @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social! I enjoyed it! Also, if you're not familiar with The Cosmic Background, their site design and overall vibe are really unique. (McKenzie) cthulhuville.com/2025/05/06/t...

Reminder to everyone that if you email submissions to @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social instead of using our Moksha, ain't nobody reading those.

Locus is a vital part of our industry. If you enjoy @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social then know that they're a vital resource to us, and basically every other pro and semi-pro paying magazine. Support them if you can!

Okay, I'm no longer hospitalized, and @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social is open. Hurrah.

Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay in opening submissions. Our editor is in the hospital. We need a few to get him healthy and settled. We will announce our new opening date very soon. Thanks for your patience.

Hey folks, Unfortunately @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social won't open today because editor @samasherwriter.bsky.social is in the hospital with pharyngitis, disallowing from eating and drinking for 48 hours so malnutrition and dehydration. For sure updating the sub window when crisis averts. Love on him pls

We are closed for the moment! But hold tight to those hats and glasses and short stories! We will see you May 1!

Hell yes!

Spread the word👇🏽

At some point probably in early Feb, @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social will close for a couple weeks to get everything caught up and ready to go for our post-Kickstarter existence. Submissions have been slowing down a little (only 5 today so far, is everyone okay?), but heads up just in case.

3 hours left for @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social Kickstarter. We've already funded but barely. It would be great to get a few more backers and there are some great rewards available for those that support us. kck.st/3VMaSEy

Hell yes 🙌🏽

We did it! We still have 11 hours to go, so grab those fortune teller cards and books and swag while you can!

For folks looking to nominate for awards, @swantower.bsky.social's 'Ten Minutes' in @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social is the best piece of speculative flash fiction published anywhere in 2024. It's a pitch-perfect example of writing speculative flash. www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/mari...

Friendly reminder @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social is closing out the last two days of its kickstarter campaign for year 2 of the magazine. And we need your help. For those who don't know, The Cosmic Background is a magazine born of @samasherwriter.bsky.social grief at the closure of Daily Science Fiction.

@thecosmicbgr.bsky.social just squeezed over our Kickstarter goal with 60 or so hours left. Since Masters of the Universe has always been my favorite movie, I'd like to take this moment to announce:

Only 3 days to go and we are $100 from our goal! If I had to predict the future…I’d say we’re going to make it! If you’re not so sure, maybe you’d be interested in The Cosmic Background Fortune Teller Cards! If we get just 10 folks to pledge $10 for these cards, year two is officially underway!

Thank you!

I’m so excited to see another year of killer stories from @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social. They’re so close!!! Let’s make it happen!

If anyone's planning on backing @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social's Kickstarter who hasn't already done so, we're still $900 away with 3 days left. Now is the time! Help us bring you more amazing fiction throughout 2025. www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

When I'm reading for @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social I don't read cover letters at all until I've read the story. Seriously. My ideal cover letter as an editor is: 'Dear Sam, Please find enclosed my submission, 'Blah Blah', which is 'X' words. Best, *Your Name*. That's it. Promise.

@thecosmicbgr.bsky.social has such a fun fucking story for you today by @bethwrites.bsky.social. www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/beth... If you want more like this, back our Kickstarter! 20% to go with 4 days left. www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

Hey all! We had some delays in energy pushing our kickstarter since one of our team is out in Los Angeles (sending love to our LA fam!) BUT reality is we got 5 MORE DAYS TO GO WITH OUR KICKSTARTER and only $1200 away from our goal. So a highlight for you...Signed, Really, Shockingly Bad Things!

For all our friends and community in Los Angeles impacted by the fires. 👇 mutual aid and resources. We ❤️ you LA.

Reward highlight! For $500 you get a Yearlong Mentorship with Editor-in-Chief Sam Asher🔥Clarion Graduate, published in a whole bunch of magazines you really, really love, AND a new collection, Sam Asher knows the business of short fiction as well as anyone in the world.

We have 10 days to go for our kickstarter and we are 60% there! Let’s do this!🐙🚀💀🔮👻 🔗👇🏽 www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

And another great flash piece published by @thecosmicbgr.bsky.social last year. "Your Body as a Haunted House, or When the Ghost Moves In" by @lynnesargent.bsky.social. Give it a read, why don't ya? 😉 www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/lynn...

We have 11 days to go for our kickstarter! Here’s another reward for you… At $20 you get a signed personalized copy of ONLY ANIMALS by @crsutton.bsky.social - a speculative flash fiction chapbook from @wrongpublishing.bsky.social www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

Story time! Check out “The Stolen Sabbath” by @jenniferhudak.bsky.social Illustration by @nivtales.bsky.social Read here 🕯️ www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/jenn... #newfiction #flashfiction #fiction

Today's story, from @p-h-lee.bsky.social, from last year, still a favorite. If you want more like this, back our Kickstarter! Only 12 days left, a little over 50% to go. www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/ph-l... www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

Kickstarter reward highlight! 🔥Adopt a Creature of the Background🔥👉🏼 $50💀 Back at this level and you’ll receive one of the eldritch horrors of the Cosmic Background in the mail. www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

@swantower.bsky.social 's 'Ten minutes' is the best speculative flash fiction that was released anywhere in 2024. If you want more like it, help us survive for another year! Kickstarter below. www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/mari... www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

Story time! Gather round for a great one by Emmie Christie @emmiechristie33.bsky.social Check out "MY SQUEALING FAN IS SOMEONE ELSE'S TERRIBLE WEEK www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/emmi...

Kickstarter highlight time! For the low low price of $50 toward our future in the great Static, you get a signed copy of @olivasthewriter.bsky.social debut novel, Sundown in San Ojuela. It is KILLER.

The Static may be hard to satisfy but we have loved at least 0.4% of the beautiful stuff thrown into the great maw of our Moksha.

Hey yo - last year we made these Cosmic Background fortune teller cards for the kickstarter. If we added them as a reward this year - what would you like the Cosmic Background to give you advice or predictions on?

We have added a starter pack of our published writers as we find them on this app. Follow them! They are amazing and have pleased the creatures living in the cosmic background! go.bsky.app/CA2Rgzx

The Cosmic Background is here! Give them a follow and check out their Kickstarter! They’re publishing brilliant stuff.

The Cosmic Background is one of the few flash fic specific markers in spec rn that pays pro rate, and that will fore sure champion and support their writers. :3 Please consider supporting to keep this magazine going: www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...

For those of you who don’t know us, hello! We are a new flash fiction and poetry magazine publishing all that is weird and slipstream. Always free to read ans we pay our writers pro-rates. Start the year off with some reading: www.thecosmicbackground.com

Happy 2025 to all those who celebrate the passage of time. We are fresh from the bowels of the other place and happy to be here. Also our second year Kickstarter is up and running! 15 more days to get to $5K! www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...