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Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Theme: humorous science-fiction stories Laughs in Space – an anthology of humorous science-fiction stories. August 2024. Science fiction is often a very serious genre, but it shares something with comedy in that it can reflect the world back to us, inspire us, evoke our curiosity, and help us to appreciate human creativity and wit. Many of us find our route to a love of science fiction via comedy, too, be it through the books or radio plays of Douglas Adams, watching Red Dwarf or Doctor Who(or reading the books), or getting into the MCU. As an editor, I’ve been championing science fiction for many years. As a stand-up comedian, much the same! So naturally I wanted to bring out an anthology of humorous science fiction. What I’m looking for: Short fiction stories from 2000 words to 9000 words. I’m looking for great stories first and foremost, with relatable characters. They do not need to be riddled with dad jokes or puns. They do not need to be set in space! They do need to fit the broad remit of science fiction, but any kind of science fiction or humour is welcome, be it silly, generic parody*, grotesque, or black humour. No punching down in your humour though, please. * Generic parody is fine, but please, no utilising other people’s content for the sake of parody, regardless of whether that content has entered public domain due to age. No AI-generated content. If you are unsure whether a story will fit, you are welcome to send a query email. Submissions: please send stories between 1st March 2024 and 7th April 2024 only. Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Via: The Slab Press.

Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales about the sun Note: Reprints Welcome We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully as we’ve changed some of our guidelines and it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Folklore and Myth This will be a feast of modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales of the looming, life-giving, eye-burning solar entity that dominates our sky. The sun has inspired many stories – tales of its origins, in the myths and traditions of the ancient world, to modern storytellers who employ technology and deep space exploration to discover the many suns of the universe. For ancient Egyptians, the sun deity Ra was the first Pharaoh; in the ancient Vedic culture the sun, Surya, was guarded against the darkness by Usha and Pratyusha; for the Norse, the beautiful siblings Sol and Mani drove the sun ahead of the snarling wolf Sköll; for the ancient Chinese, it was a demon or dragon who threatened the sun and an eclipse was a sign of near success; for the Cherokee, the Sun was jealous of the moon because the people could only squint during the day, but looked adoringly at the pale moon light of the night. The Maori of New Zealand tell of the sun being ambushed by Maui, and for the Romans, Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, brought renewal and relief across the lands. Such stories reveal the foundations of humanity, with modern writers who explore the other worlds and many stars that dispense both life and fear to civilizations on our...

Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Theme: New interpretations and visions of moon-based fantasy, folklore or supernatural settings. Note: Reprints Welcome We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully as we’ve changed some of our guidelines and it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them. Supernatural, Fantasy, Folklore and Myth This collection will bring a potent mix of superstition and belief that reaches back to the gods of Babylon, Ancient Egypt and Greece. Khonsu, Innana, Artemis and Thoth are just a few of the deities who brought a mix of love, sensuality and war to the ancient perceptions of the world. In one tradition regarding the Ancient Japanese Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the moon, he was the estranged husband of the sun goddess Amaterasu, ever to chase her across the sky. From the Cherokee there are tales of the Moon being held captive, with Coyote hurling the moon each night out of reach of rescue, and for the Celts of Ireland the Moon Goddess Rhiannon was a symbol of rest and wisdom, the Queen of the Fairies. And of course the moon brings to mind curses, howling wolves, the wolf moon and the harvest moon, while offering a guiding light at night for the weary traveller. There are so many inspirations for the modern storyteller, whether ancient, gothic, fantastical or futuristic, to contribute to this intimate portrait of the seductive, powerful moon. Submissions can explore new interpretations and visions of moon-based fantasy, folklore or supernatural settings.  Submissions to: [email protected] Terms: Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails. Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology. For accepted stories...

Submission Window: April 1st - 7th, 2024 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Solidarity Forever – fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. (See below for specifics) The Solidarity Forever zine will be included with all preorders of The Nightmare Box and Other Stories by Cynthia Gómez placed through the Cursed Morsels store. Cynthia Gómez and Eric Raglin will be coediting this zine. See submission details below. Theme: Solidarity Forever – fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Word Count: up to 500 words Pay: 10¢ per word Dates: April 1st through 7th Send to: cursedmorsels@ericraglin1992 Simultaneous submissions are fine. No multiple submissions. Absolutely no AI submissions. FAQ Does my story/poem/nonfiction have to be horror? No. We welcome varied creative approaches to the theme. What does “solidarity forever” mean? It refers to the old union song of the same name. This song explores the workers’ struggles, triumphs, and collective power against oppressive capitalism when organized as a union. However, your submission does not have to be specifically about unions. It could be about all sorts of problems solved through collective resistance and people standing together. Cursed Morsels Press specializes in Weird, queer, often splattery horror with an anti-capitalist and anti-fascist spirit. Releases include No Trouble at All, Bitter Apples, Shredded: A Sports and Fitness Body Horror Anthology and Antifa Splatterpunk. Follow the press on Twitter or BlueSky @CursedMorsels and on Facebook or Instagram @cursedmorsels. For general inquiries, contact cursedmorsels gmail com. About The Nightmare Box: A young queer man finds love at a magical clothing shop—and the courage to stand up to the homophobic cops. A witch who makes custom nightmares wonders why all her victims are connected to the Black Panthers—and who she's really working for. A soon-to-be father encounters a mysterious hitchhiker who tries pulling him back to the days of his violent past. A brand-new vampire, freshly hired at the blood bank, delights in her heightened sexual desire and...