Welcome to our weekly meet-up and open call for the best fiction of the week!
OPEN DECEMBER 6 - 7
Fiction Accepted:
Only fiction shared between November 30th - December 6th on Substack!
This open call will be available: NOW until 9pm EST on Saturday, December 7th.
Self-promotion of your fiction is welcome!
Leave a link of the story in the comments. Please say the GENRE as well (if applicable).
Submit as many as you want, so long as they were written and shared during the window mentioned above.
TEMPLATE FOR RECOMMENDATION
Copy/Paste in Comments Section. Anyone who does not use the template will be passed over for selection.
Story Title: Writer: [Substack Name] Genre: [See NOTE below] Type: [Choose 1: Comic/Cartoon, Poetry, Micro/Flash Fiction, Short Story, Short Serial, or Serial] URL: [Must be a Substack URL] Note: If you’d like to say a little something about your recommendation/self-promotion for anyone who happens upon this comments section in search of something new to read.
Genre can often be difficult to pin down or explain. And, if given the opportunity, we’d likely choose 3+ genres to try and explain our story but that can easily cause confusion for readers. So, I urge, nay INSIST, you only list ONE genre for your story. Using a “/” or “-” does not count as ONE genre and will be passed over for consideration. Some key exceptions are Sci-Fi, Cli-Fi, Spec-Fic, & Lit-Fic.
Feel free to include “extra genres” in the Note area where you can say whatever you want about your story.
Look for our email on Monday, December 9th where the Top In Fiction list will appear in your inbox! You never know what new gems you’ll discover. All we ask in return is that you share Top In Fiction to your email list and Restack the post on Monday in Substack Notes.
Note: Magic returns to a post-apocalyptic world through a young gunfighter, who reluctantly embraces her inner sorceress when she discovers she’s one of seven prophesied children who might bring salvation - or extinction - to the human race.
Note: This is a short story about a women who gets a tarot card reading and experiences a handful of surprises during her time at the magic shop. Thank you :)
Note: This is Chapter 16 of Book 2 “A River Trembles” in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. In this chapter, Llyr visits Maeve about his blockage (no, it’s not number 2), and plans begin for the summer solstice celebrations
Note: Brought low by his conversations with the head of literacy and fellow teacher Lauren West, William struggles to lead his classes. During a visit to the dentist, he learns he’s missed an invitation to an important Plains City social occasion.
Note: Victoria and Henry, caught in the restless pull of New York’s fleeting connections, share a night that lingers in their minds, haunted by jealousy, self-doubt, and the weight of what might have been.
Note: Boundaries blur. A hangover becomes a metaphor for the turbulent dissolving of apartheid. A night of unexpected intensity leaves one friend vulnerable, another vigilant, and secrets simmering just beneath the surface.
Story Title: The Founder's Chosen Sequence 1, Chapter 04
Writer: Ken W
Genre: Military Sci-Fi
Type: Serial
URL: https://kenwolfson.substack.com/p/the-founders-chosen-sequence-01-chapter-d74?r=2f2488
Story Title: The Worldshift Chronicles: Monday
Writer: Frank Bard
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Serial
URL: https://thelastdaysofgenerationx.substack.com/p/the-worldshift-chronicles-monday-86e
Note: Magic returns to a post-apocalyptic world through a young gunfighter, who reluctantly embraces her inner sorceress when she discovers she’s one of seven prophesied children who might bring salvation - or extinction - to the human race.
Story Title: The Breakfast Dance
Writer: Layne Mercer
Genre: Sci-fi
Type: Short story
URL: https://substack.com/@fineideas/p-152540221
Note: How would you spend what might be your last morning of existence? And isn't that every morning?
Story Title: Fifth Branch of the Old Root Tree
Writer: Keith Ling of Loser’s Fiction
Genre: Horror
Type: Serial
Earl: https://open.substack.com/pub/losersflashfiction/p/fifth-branch-of-the-old-root-tree?r=3517l8&utm_medium=ios
Notes: This is the final main entry to the series, next week will be a very short prelude and then it’s finished.
Title: Analgesia
Author: @jon t
Genre: speculative fiction
type: flash
https://open.substack.com/pub/jontoews/p/analgesia?r=1asdvc&utm_medium=ios
Story Title: Meat
Writer: Emma
Genre: Horror
Type: Short Story
URL: https://pearcee653.substack.com/p/meat
Note: A man’s fight to hold onto his humanity unravels as a primal hunger claws its way to the surface.
Story Title: Mulan Searches for the Medicine of Immortality
Writer: E. H. Lau
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Short Story
URL: https://ehlau.substack.com/p/mulan-searches-for-the-medicine-of
Thank you for your time and consideration! 🙂
Story Title: Mass Hysteria
Writer: Jim Minns
Genre: Thriller
Type: Short Story
URL: https://jimminns.substack.com/p/mass-hysteria-79f
Note: I publish short stories three times a week for those interested.
Story Title: The Silver Rose
Writer: Kathrine Elaine
Genre: fantasy
Type: Short story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/kathrineelaine/p/the-silver-rose?r=2rhgsy&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Story Title: ＃１０１
Writer: Jack Nagy
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Micro/Flash Fiction
URL: https://jacknagy.substack.com/p/101
Note: Harrow Sally pinches carburetors in the night and sells them to fund breast cancer research.
Writer: Precious Jane
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Short Story
URL: https://preciousjane.substack.com/p/the-major-arcana
Note: This is a short story about a women who gets a tarot card reading and experiences a handful of surprises during her time at the magic shop. Thank you :)
Oh they have changed the web layout for comments! Interesting! OK, onto the share for "Top in Fiction"
Story Title: 16: Prophet’s Block
Writer: The Môrdreigiau Chronicles
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Serial
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/projectstarfish/p/16-prophets-block?r=1mk6at&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Note: This is Chapter 16 of Book 2 “A River Trembles” in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. In this chapter, Llyr visits Maeve about his blockage (no, it’s not number 2), and plans begin for the summer solstice celebrations
It doesn't look different to me. Maybe it's a new slow rollout.
Story Title: Missing Pieces
Writer: Rostislava Pankova-Karadjova of Airings
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/rostislava/p/missing-pieces-4?r=zcxsb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Note: ⚠️Trigger warnings
Story Title: God’s Creation
Writer: Morgan Givens
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Type: Micro Fiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/optimusmo/p/entirely-inspired-no-2?r=2pzmej&utm_medium=ios
Note: I’ve been playing around with the question of new myths. I saw this photo by Nava Lundy called “Watch Over Me” and wrote “God’s Creation.”
Story Title: Normal, Illinois
Writer: Hannah S. (@howlingfantod)
Genre: Literary
Type: Short story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/howlingfantod/p/normal-illinois?r=64xrn&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Note: Comedy
Story Title: Uncrowned
Writer: A.P. Murphy
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://thestrangenesskit.substack.com/p/uncrowned
Note: This is a bonus entry in the Substack Zone fiction project, an extra story that I wrote with the project in mind and published a week later.
Story Title: Do You Hear the Ringing Bells?
Writer: Zachary Clark of Foolish Words
Genre: Lit-Fic
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/zacharyaclark/p/do-you-hear-ringing-bells?r=2stmma&utm_medium=ios
Note: A short story about a young man who fled to a monastery in the desert, who only recently finds he wants to flee again
Story Title: Albuquerque Crusade
Writer: Henry Allsebrook
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/henryallsebrook/p/albuquerque-crusade?r=37ux42&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Note: Set in a desert, 2000 words, that’s all I will say :)
Title ; ashes
Genre: long short story
Part one: https://open.substack.com/pub/bukus/p/ashes?r=9brcu&utm_medium=ios
Part two: https://bukus.substack.com/p/ashes-part-two?r=9brcu
Title; The patient
Genre: short short
https://open.substack.com/pub/bukus/p/the-patient-a-short-short?r=9brcu&utm_medium=ios
Short short fiction
Story Title: One Good Eye
Writer: Ryan Hight
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://ryanhight.substack.com/p/one-good-eye
Story Title: The Splitting
Writer: Gareth Marks (Pen Marks)
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL: https://garethmarks.substack.com/p/the-splitting?r=3qfg1d
Note: A short story about a modern-day theoretical physicist on a journey to visit the site of the Trinity nuclear test.
Thanks for putting these together!
Story Title: Why Teach? - chapter 6
Writer: Peter Shull
Genre: literary fiction
Type: serial fiction
URL: https://substack.com/home/post/p-152070206?source=queue&autoPlay=false
Note: Brought low by his conversations with the head of literacy and fellow teacher Lauren West, William struggles to lead his classes. During a visit to the dentist, he learns he’s missed an invitation to an important Plains City social occasion.
Story Title: When Devils Play in the Pale Moonlight
Writer: Bam Boncher
Genre: Weird West
Type: Short Story
URL: https://bamboncher.substack.com/p/when-devils-play-in-the-pale-moonlight
Note: A fiddlin' prairie gal takes on Old Scratch and his minions in this well spun yarn.
Story Title: ‘Crosstown
Writer: Michael Arturo
Genre: Lit-Fiction
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://michaelarturo.substack.com/p/crosstown
Note: Victoria and Henry, caught in the restless pull of New York’s fleeting connections, share a night that lingers in their minds, haunted by jealousy, self-doubt, and the weight of what might have been.
GATEWAYS
By Sharron Bassano
fiction
microfiction mix
https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/gateways
Title: Feigning Blissful Ignorance
Writer: Tommy Green
Genre: Free Verse
Type: Poetry
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/tommyjgreen2004/p/feigning-blissful-ignorance?r=4k4m5l&utm_medium=ios
Story Title: Steal Pulse
Writer: Scott MacLeod/Son of Ugly
Genre: Noir
Type: Flash Fiction
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/sonofugly/p/steal-pulse?r=2sz29p&utm_medium=ios
Note: Noir with a pulse, literally.
Story Title: What's a Dragon? - Chapter 22
Writer: Dragon Writer Luc
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Serial
URL: https://open.substack.com/pub/dragonwriterluc/p/whats-a-dragon-chapter-22
Note: Hey, it snowed! Let's celebrate a time-honored tradition.
Story Title: Census
Writer: Oscar Ruto
Genre: Literary Fiction
Type: Short Story
URL:https://substack.com/home/post/p-152495825
Note: Can you leave your home and not carry it with you?
Story Title: 18. Durban, 1992 - Packing
Writer: Sue Meredith Mann
Genre: Historical Fiction
Type: Serial
URL: https://ontheroadtojericho.substack.com/p/18-durban-1992-packing
Note: Boundaries blur. A hangover becomes a metaphor for the turbulent dissolving of apartheid. A night of unexpected intensity leaves one friend vulnerable, another vigilant, and secrets simmering just beneath the surface.
Story Title: Variable
Writer: Badger Scratch
Genre: Lit-lic
Type: Short Story
URL: https://lorenvictory.substack.com/p/variable
Note: I was staring at a plant that needed pruning and came up with this...
Story Title: We Lived Among the People
Writer: Elie Lichtschein of Dark Quarters
Genre: Horror
Type: Short story
URL: https://darkquarters.substack.com/p/we-lived-among-the-people
Note: Hello! I write weekly short horror stories on my newsletter. This one is an admission from a serial killer who was never caught.