It’s October (aka spooky season), so that means I’m back in Wicked Shadow Press’s Flash of the Dead Halloween Anthology. This time for 2026, and they really went with a nice cover this year. As always, they’ve got a tremendous lineup. Most of the stories are what’s called “flash fiction,” and these are tales which usually run between 500 and 1,500 words in length. What I like to call small bites. While most of the stories are themed around All Hallows’ Eve, my tale is about the horrors of time travel. You know, like being stuck in a time period you can’t adapt to or like very much? Or being in quarantine. Or, even worse, the horrors of being forced to reside with somebody you don’t like… and ingest castor oil. Read my story in Flash of the Dead Halloween 26: “Nothing but Time and Oil.” Pictures and links will be below as usual.
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
Flash of the Dead Halloween 2026 – Flash Fiction Anthology
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring new Dagstine story: “Nothing but Time and Oil”
BUY THE BOOK IN USA (also available in India/Asia):
Been a few months but I’m back at Wicked Shadow Press with a 2000-word short story, and sharing a table of contents with an all-too-familiar lineup. This time in Act of God. This is an anthology of “natural disaster”-themed horror stories. Whether it’s a plague of locusts, a flash flood that drowns millions, a hurricane that wreaks havoc, a tsunami that leaves devastation in its wake, or an earthquake or volcanic eruption that leaves millions dead, there is sure to be thrills and chills nearby. It’s a regular Irwin Allen movie this time around. My story is told from the perspective of a young child during the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. But is this kid telling his tale while he’s alive, dying, or already dead? Find out in my earthquake story: “Beneath the Rubble.”
Wicked Shadow Press presents… ACT OF GOD Anthology
Edited by Rasiika Sen & Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring new Dagstine story: “Beneath the Rubble”
Available in USA and INDIA/ASIA
WHERE TO ORDER THIS DISASTROUS AND SCARY BOOK (links below):
Hello. I am back in a three-volume anthology series, from the wonderful book producers of spine-tingling terror themselves, Wicked Shadow Press. This time with a reprint from 2006 (yes, twenty years ago!). And it’s a zombie story. A kid’s zombie story. Something I am known the past two decades for writing. The name of the anthology is, ‘Small Town Shadows.’ The theme this time is horror set in small locales, densely populated cities, or areas. There are two other books in this series, entitled: ‘Small Town Secrets’ and ‘Small Town Silhouettes.’ A lot of authors contributed to these. I’m in Shadows, remember that. Book covers and clickable links will be below, as always. Just scroll down. A lot of times these books are illustrated throughout. So sit back, relax, and read my tale: “Thursday’sChildren.” The theme is something that, twenty years ago, for the time period, nobody had ever touched upon too much in mainstream literature.
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
SMALL TOWN SHADOWS Horror Anthology
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty& Rasiika Sen
Featuring old school Dagstine reprint:“Thursday’s Children”
I must confess, it’s weird seeing one of your very first zombie stories from twenty years ago fully illustrated. A lot of love went into the making of this book. It looks really good. I have PDFs on hand if anybody wants a review copy. All the authors’ tales are illustrated.
Other New Entries:“Books & Anthos”
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I’m back again at Wicked Shadow Press in one of their themed flash fiction anthologies. They release a couple of these volumes per year, and the theme is usually different each time, so long as it has its fair share of horror and speculative fiction. Not only that, they sell well in India. So if you’re looking to get read abroad, you might want to look them up. They also produce nice looking books (layout and design). And this in turn has led to me nabbing a few commercial writing gigs (print publishing clips). This time they’ve come out with Flash of the Flesh. This is all extreme horror. As in Rated R scares and up to 1500 words in length. My piece is about a serial killer in my hometown (Brooklyn), who collects the faces of his victims. And sometimes, these visages speak back to him. Introducing my latest flash fiction story: “Whispers from the Mantle.” Pictures and clickable links down below.
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
FLASH OF THE FLESH Extreme Horror Flash Anthology
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring new Dagstine piece:“Whispers from the Mantle”
There’s a LOT of great interior art this time around. Check out some of the illos.
WHERE TO ORDER THE BOOK – (click links, be redirected):
Happy New Year. I’m back with horror stories in some new anthologies. This time with a novelette, and published by the fine folks at Campfire Publishing. The name of the book is: After Dark, Volume #2. This is the second book in a series, and much of it is filled with novelettes and short novellas. There is quite the stable of literary talent here. My tale falls under the “historical vampire” category. It takes place in a POW camp in 1960s Vietnam. I’d been sitting on it for a while, but thanks to the editorial filter of publisher Aaron Crocker, it’s ready to see the light of day. It’s a big book, with stories running the gamut of 7500 to 20,000 words in length. Read Campfire Publishing’s latest anthology, After Dark, Volume #2. And my new story for 2026: “The Code of Conduct.” I’ll provide book pics and clickable links below. There’s also a Hugo/Nebula nominee in here, and a Star Trek writer.
Campfire Publishing presents…
AFTER DARK, Volume. #2 – Edited by Aaron Crocker
Featuring new Dagstine novelette:“The Code of Conduct”
Sample it out on Amazon – Available in Kindle AND print formats
Edited to Add: I am pleased to announce that, pre-order wise, After Dark Volume #2 is breaking Amazon Sales numbers. It’s moving up the algorithm in sales. The release date is January 27th for the ebook, February for big-and-thick print if physical media is your thing.
Other New Entries:“Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”
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I’m pleased to announce I have a short story of generational horror (along with parenting gone mad!), in the latest anthology from Farthest Star Publishing. This would be my third time published by Farthest Star (they’re the publisher of my novella, The Paraplegic). The name of the book is Acid and Ultra Violence. Fourteen authors are featured. The theme of the book is “violent objects” and “violent people” in science fiction and horror. Those two genres. Hence the title, Ultra Violence. It is edited by D. A. D’Amico. And it is available in paperback and Amazon Kindle formats. I’ll copy and paste all the usual pictures and links down below, any necessary details. The name of my story is, “The One to Keep.” And it’s a new tale.
Acid and Ultra Violence Anthology – Edited by D. A. D’Amico
Published by Farthest Star Publishing
Featuring Dagstine story:“The One to Keep”
***Sample it out now on Amazon Kindle***
DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:Welcome to fourteen stories where nothing is what it seems, and every answer unlocks darker questions. Step through shattered futures, cursed realms, and surreal battlegrounds crafted by both seasoned and emerging writers. These tales don’t just shock—they invite you to cry, scream, and bleed with the characters. And to enjoy a good helping of… Acid and Ultra Violence.
These stories don’t comfort. They hurl you into worlds where rage sparks revolutions, grief becomes a weapon, and nothing—whether futuristic, arcane, or infernal—survives untouched. Heroes are forged from trauma, villains born from love, and survival demands a brutal price. Every tale hits hard, burns deep, and leaves its mark—and nothing returns unchanged.
Some highlights…
In a brutal future where body parts are currency, arrogance and desperation clash in a high stakes game of chance. Tech-enhanced Polimi triumphs over the desperate Carmuia, winning a horrific payment of flesh. But Polimi’s victory is cut short… leaving her with only the cruel, ironic sting of absolute loss.
In a world ruled by monsters, a desperate hunter carries a horrific secret bargain. Driven by this desperate promise, she is compelled to lure others into an alien trap. But when her own family becomes part of the creatures’ cruel game, Jill must make an agonizing final choice that will determine the fate of them all.
In a kingdom of chains, a captive witch is forced on a quest for the mythical Pin of Light. Surrounded by deceit and ancient wards, Ja’ala must navigate a spoiled Prince’s arrogance, unforgiving terrain, and dark, evil magic as she prepares to pay the ultimate price of the artifact—a price that may be higher than she could ever imagine.
A scavenging crew risks everything to breach a colossal, ancient starship trapped near a black hole. But the ancient vessel’s opulent halls quickly become a prison of cold terror. Isolated and surrounded by betrayal, the crew begins to turn on itself, unaware of the ship’s deepest secret—a terrifying reality that warps the very nature of time.
Stories:
“Gray Rock Method” by Lauren C. Teffeau “Crossing the Line” by Andrew Akers “Mr. Mongo’s Fanciful Elixir” by Glenn Dungan “The Curator” by Elese Mathis “The Widow and the Rain” by Paul Martz “Just 35 Percent” by Adam Stone “The Pin of Light” by Dean N. D’Amico “Skin in the Game” by C. J. Erick “The One to Keep” by Lawrence Dagstine “Obliterating The Olive” by Shane Porteous “When the Music Stops” by C.J. Taylor “Black Segments” by John Leahy “The Fold” by Jeremy Zentner “Vector Victoria” by D. A. D’Amico
Edited by: D. A. D’Amico
Other New Entries:“Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”
I’m in yet another horror anthology. They just keep flooding in. It’s available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats. The best of all worlds. This time from the fine folks at Savage Realms Press. They are known for their dark fiction anthologies that go all the way up to 500 pages in length. But that’s not all. They produce captivating gamebooks too. How awesome is that! Small press is hot right now, and you should check out Savage Realms’ latest production: Necro-Sapiens. It’s the third book in a series. I’m in it, along with some familiar names in horror: Bram Stoker nominee James Dorr, Troy Anthony Schermer, Matthew Hollis Damon, Angelique Fawns. The list goes on. My story this time around could best be described as one part cosmic horror, the other part dark fantasy. What happens when you take a highway accident, a creepy little girl with a balloon, and throw a distraught clown into the mix? You get my story, “Whatever Your Heart Desires.” I’ll leave all pictures and links down below.
Savage Realms Press presents: NECRO-SAPIENS (Anthologies of Horror Series)
Featuring new Dagstine story:“Whatever Your Heart Desires”
SAVAGE REALMS PRESS MAIN WEBSITE – (click link, be redirected):
**Necro-Sapiens is on Amazon Kindle, in paperback, and audiobook**
I’m thrilled to share that, as of this post, Necro-Sapiens has officially broken into the TOP 100 on Amazon Kindle! This marks the third anthology featuring one of my stories in just the past few weeks to hit the TOP 100 in its category.
DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:From Savage Realms Press comes a truly unsettling assortment of tales about the undead guaranteed to haunt your dreams and stalk your waking hours!
A detective investigates the mysterious disappearance of a university professor
A sheriff and a pie-loving redneck must team up to end a string of gruesome murders
A professional thief is hired to recover the stolen urn of a dead rock star
Love is in the air with a modern day mummy romance
and many more
Necro-Sapiens features 23 delightfully dreadful stories of the macabre from authors Amanda M. Blake, Mark Silcox, K.M. Parker, Marie Lanza, Matthew Hollis Damon, M. Legree, Kevin Beckett, Angelique Fawns, Harding McFadden, Lawrence Dagstine, Arindam Kalita, Gordon Grice, TroyAnthony Schermer, Paul O’Neill, Rich Restucci, R.L. Blackburne, Jordan King-Lacroix, James Dorr, Shane Simmons, Jake McCormac, LJ Jacobs, and John A. DeLaughter.
Other New Entries:“Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”
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