Flame Tree Fiction

Due for release next March, Endless Apocalypse and Alien Invasion are the newest additions to our series of short story anthologies, and we’re excited to already share the list of authors chosen for inclusion in each book. In keeping with the format of the rest of the series, the two new anthologies consist of a selection of contemporary tales as well as classic authors, and the last few weeks have been busy with the careful process of selecting this new fiction, reading through the 800 stories received in response to our call for submissions. Endless Apocalypse is shaping up to be a thrilling exploration of the struggle for survival in the aftermath of destruction, presenting imaginative visions of the end of life as we know it. Alien Invasion, too, brings to the mix otherworldly horrors and the threat of the unknown, and introduces our first translated story from China as part of a long-term co-operation with Science Fiction World: a magazine dedicated to the genre with around 100,000 monthly readers. 

The final instalment of this year’s Author Q&As sees the Pirates & Ghosts authors sharing the tales they like best from the genre, and shedding some light on how their own stories come together in the writing process. As ever, this latest anthology in the Gothic Fantasy collection features a selection of classic tales from the genre – from the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, William Hope Hodgson, W.W. Jacobs and Joseph Conrad – complementing the work of the contemporary authors in their exploration of treacherous waters and the horrors that lurk beneath…

The eerie depths of the sea form the theme of our latest short story anthology: Pirates & Ghosts. With the publication date sailing into view, we turned to the authors to hear what inspired their stories in the collection, in the same way that the Agents & Spies discussed their story inspirations here. Completing this year’s set of short story anthologies, Pirates & Ghosts promises a haunting mix of adventure, monsters and mystery – and the responses below help give a glimpse of what’s in store!

The authors from our upcoming Agents & Spies short story anthology are back this week, answering questions this time on the tales of deadly espionage they love best, and the ways in which they set pen to paper for their own work. With the anthology’s release date nearly upon us, it’s been fascinating to find out more about the authors behind the stories that we chose!

October brings the release of two fresh books in our Gothic Fantasy anthology series: Agents & Spies, and Pirates & Ghosts. Following the tradition of the last 4 books in the series, we decided to ask the authors about the inspiration behind their story, as well as quizzing them about their own writing methods, and their favourite tales from the genre. The Agents & Spies anthology promises a stealthy mix of espionage, duplicitous dealings and secret liaisons: below, the authors divulge details about their contributions.

UPDATE: SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THESE ANTHOLOGIES

Continuing the success of our previous call for submissions, we’re looking for around twenty to thirty short stories by contemporary writers to complement a selection of classic tales in two new anthologies. We are keen to encourage new writers, without prejudice to age, background or previous publication history. It’s the story that matters, and the quality of writing.

Submit by email to 2017@flametreepublishing.com 

 Our 2 newest short story anthologies, Agents & Spies and Pirates & Ghosts, are due for release in October, and we’re delighted to now announce the list of names that will be featured in each book. As with the previous titles in the series, contemporary short stories sit alongside a selection of classic tales from the genre, and once again, the good response to our submissions call ensured we were kept busy with the careful process of reading and selecting the new fiction. With its variety of intriguing cases and daring assignments, the Agents & Spies tome promises a feast of thrilling tales, and, not for the faint-hearted, our nautical themed anthology Pirates & Ghosts drags deep sea horrors out into the open with a smattering of singing mermaids and sinister apparitions to boot.

This final instalment in our current Author Q&A series offers a selection of further responses from the Time Travel anthology authors (see their Part 1 answers here). Just as time travel takes many diverse forms in fiction, so too do the answers below, as they tell us their preferred time travelling tales and we find out the various ways that they approach the task of writing. With these authors at the helm, the anthology looks set to be an exciting voyage of the science fiction kind, encompassing modern takes on the genre alongside the political reflection and atmospheric eras afforded by classic time travel narratives by the likes of H.G. Wells, Edward Bellamy, Mark Twain, Edward Page Mitchell and other greats. 

Past, present and future merge into a glorious blend of adventure, aspiration, and paradox in our new Time Travel short story anthology, available to order here. To celebrate its release, we asked the contemporary authors about their work: below, we discover what led to the creation of some of the stories included, while Part 2 of the Q&A covers the authors’ preferred writing methods, and their thoughts on the genre. This is the last collection of tales formed from our early 2017 call for submissions, and as with the previous Q&As for Supernatural Horror, Lost Worlds, and Heroic Fantasy, we’re delighted to have this deeper insight into the stories that we chose.

Swift on the heels of Part 1 of the Heroic Fantasy Author Q&A, the anthology's authors this time reveal the methods behind their writing, as well as their favourite influential tales. Their writing will feature alongside that of the genre's original greats – Robert E. Howard, A. Merritt, Howard Pyle, Clark Ashton Smith, Geoffrey Chaucer and more – in a collection of stories where the intrepid perform daring feats, majestic mythical beings roam wild and free, and imaginative lands bewitch the reader. The selection of responses below suggests this volume is well on track to be yet another compelling addition to our ever-growing Gothic Fantasy anthology series.