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Taking Submissions: Strange Wars

May 31, 2021

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 (Original call had windows that has been modified to this date)
Payment:CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints
Theme: Speculative Fiction of Coalitions in Conflict
Note: Reprints welcome

As a special way to accommodate people developing stories for Strange Wars or Strange Religion, authors have the option of requesting to make late submissions. This is intended for authors who expect not to be able to finish writing and polishing their submission before the close of our submission window. If you think you will need any additional time, you can request to make a late submission here.

Strange Wars: Speculative Fiction of Coalitions in Conflict

Strange Wars explores military conflict through speculative fiction. These are stories with an original take on organized aggression.

For science fiction stories about war: What will warfare look like in a hundred years? How will technology reshape war? Will they still be fought on traditional battlefields, or will completely new frontiers open? Will the major parties to conflict change? Will wars between nation states be replaced by corporate wars, proxy wars, and insurgent conflicts? We are interested in stories that explore military implications of: drones, Lunar and Martian colonies (or expansion into space generally), cryptocurrency, privatized military forces, non-state actors in military conflict, 3D-printing, hacking, environmental catastrophe, renewable energy sources, artificial intelligence, and other themes.

For fantasy war stories about war: How can magic, gods, parallel worlds, or otherworldly societies reshape our conception of war? Are other forms of organized conflict possible? Can such fantastic visions serve as thought experiments and expand our understanding of conflict? What kind of magic could make a world without war possible? If it’s not possible, why not? If it is, at what cost? These fantasy stories explore war through speculative world-building, inventing fantastic premises and revealing their consequences through exciting and entertaining narratives.

Details:

Pay: CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints
Rights sought: worldwide print and digital rights, exclusive for a period of 3 months for originals, and non-exclusive for reprints
Reprints allowed: yes, reprints are allowed, and paid at half the rate of originals
Multiple submissions allowed: no, only one submission is allowed
Simultaneous submissions allowed: yes, just please let us know promptly if it is accepted elsewhere
Length: up to 7500 words
first submission window: March 21st to March 28th
second submission window: May 15th to May 22nd