Fantasy & Gothic Blog

Bodies in the Library is available to buy now, and consists of a healthy mix of classic authors and new tales of atmospheric mansions, mysterious deaths and suspicious characters! Among all the intrigue you’ll find amateur detectives, experienced PIs, ghosts, straight-up horror and even a dash of science fiction. The anthology’s modern authors shed light on the inspirations behind their tales in last week’s blog; this week they offer reading recommendations and insight into their own writing processes:

Topics: gothic and fantasy, Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, gothic horror, short fiction, detective fiction, Detective Mysteries, mystery

We are delighted to announce a new call for submissions which is now open! We are looking for twelve to twenty short stories by black contemporary writers to complement a selection of core classic tales by early black writers of speculative fiction.

*THE SUBMISSION WINDOW FOR THIS ANTHOLOGY IS NOW CLOSED*

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, Science Fiction, Call For Submissions, anthologies, scifi

We’re delighted to present the contents list for our upcoming FLAME TREE PRESS Horror anthology, After Sundown, in collaboration with the editor Mark Morris. Available from October 2020 (in time for Halloween!), this new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become an annual, non-themed horror anthology of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer.

Topics: Short Stories, short fiction, horror, Horror Fiction, anthologies

Published alongside our latest anthology A Dying Planet, Detective Thrillers similarly offers an exciting mix of new and classic short stories. Rife with enigmatic detectives, dark alley chases, and secret operations, this collection promises an edge-of-your-seat journey from a host of modern authors to greats such as Arthur Conan Doyle and writers from the Black Mask magazine era. See below for a taste of its contents, as contemporary authors tell us the stories behind their contributions to the book…

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, detective fiction, Detective Mysteries

If you’re searching for reading and writing inspiration during these strange times, then look no further. Authors from our new anthology, A Dying Planet, took part in a Q&A which last week revealed some of the inspirations behind their stories in the book. In this second part of the Q&A you’ll now find some fantastic reading recommendations, as well as an insight into the writing process for any budding authors out there. A Dying Planet – out now in the UK and released this month in the US – contains an exciting mix of modern and classic fiction on a thought-provoking and relevant theme.

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, epic fantasy, Science Fiction, scifi

What better way to process these uncertain times than with an escape into science fiction? Out now in the UK, and available later this month in the US, A Dying Planet gathers the very best of apocalyptic – and post-apocalyptic – fiction. Tales from classic authors are complemented by fascinating new and recent stories, probing the concerns and problems of a modern world at risk. With themes like climate change, pandemics, extensive wastelands, alien destruction, overpopulation and dwindling resources, these stories explore, not always without optimism, how these issues could affect worlds and their inhabitants, and what might happen when it’s too late. A fitting anthology for a time of global crisis, authors from the book offer insight below about the inspiration behind their stories:

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, Science Fiction, anthologies

We’re very excited to announce the author lists for two new anthologies in our Gothic Fantasy series: Footsteps in the Dark, and Bodies in the Library. Combining contemporary takes on the theme with a range of compelling tales from classic authors, these books are due for publication in June 2020. Yet again, our call for submissions was met with a great response, so we have been kept very busy forming a final selection of excellent stories that best suit these intriguing themes: many thanks to all who submitted and congratulations to the below!

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, detective fiction

Our new anthology, Epic Fantasy Short Stories, is due out in this week! Paired with Detective Mysteries, the two collections gather together the work of modern authors with classic fiction from the genres. Epic Fantasy promises to be a bewitching mix of adventure, fearsome beasts, and enchantment, and you can read more about the featured tales in Part 1 of this Author Q&A. Now, the book's contemporary authors tell us a bit more about their favourite fantasy stories, as well as the different ways they bring their own stories to life:

Topics: gothic and fantasy, Gothic Fantasy, short fiction

We are now open for submissions for two exciting new anthologies: Detective Thrillers and A Dying Planet. Due to be published in early 2020, these add to our Gothic Fantasy series, which includes existing titles like Supernatural Horror, Robots & Artificial Intelligence, Dystopia Utopia, American Gothic and more. Again, we are looking for around twenty to thirty short stories by contemporary writers to complement a selection of classic tales in these 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.

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, submissions

Alien Invasion, the next book in our Gothic Fantasy anthology series, brings together a mix of adventure, horror, humour and sadness in short stories that explore what we imagine outside of ourselves and our world. Whether it’s an attempt to colonise new territory, an impulse to reach out and welcome, or a response to perceived threat, the complex dynamics at play are brought to the fore in these striking tales. Below, contemporary authors featured in the anthology shed light on the inspirations behind their story…  

Topics: Gothic Fantasy, Short Stories, short fiction, submissions, alien, Q&A