I’m back in the popular selling Flash of the Dead series from Wicked Shadow Press. This time in a themed anthology of horror and dark science fiction set in outer space. Pieces less than 2000 words in length. And this time with a reprint from a few years back. While my story is set in a low gravity atmosphere, I would call this next one “humorous space horror.” Ask yourself this question. What if after mankind died out, extinct, dogs were the next in line to rule the cosmos. And what if one dog’s biggest threat…biggest horror…was a smart-alecky cat? Read my tale in FLASH OF THE DEAD – SPACE:“Every Cosmos has a Ruling Class.” All links and pictures will be below, so just scroll down. It’s 280+ pages. I believe my story is the final one. I end the book in epic fashion.
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
Flash of the Dead: Space! – Anthology of Flash Horrors set in Space.
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty & Rasiika Sen
Featuring Dagstine reprint:“Every Cosmos has a Ruling Class.”
We’re heading into a new year. That means one more literary acceptance to celebrate 2026. And what better way than with a new magazine issue from Hobb’s End Press. A magazine available in print and Amazon Kindle formats. This time, with “science fiction.” Science fiction with a murder mystery plot attached to it. A story I wrote back in 2000. Yes, I wrote this next tale 25 years ago. I was young. Even a quarter-century later you can get short stories accepted and published. Never throw them away. It appears in the January 2026 issue of Mobius Blvd, and I decided to revisit it, flesh it out extensively, enhance it, and polish it. What I’m saying is what didn’t work for Boomer editors back at the turn of the century might work for a Gen-Z editor in this day and age. Just apply new technology, give it a fresh coat of paint to justify the plot in the “here and now,” and you’re good to go. My story is called, “Six Seconds to Starfire.” It’s set aboard a Victorian starliner within the confines of the Carina Nebula. Links and pics will be below. Enjoy.
Mobius Blvd. Magazine No. #27 – January 2026 Issue
Published by Hobb’s End Press – Edited by Wayne Kyle Spitzer
Featuring Dagstine story:“Six Seconds to Starfire”
***Sample Mobius Blvd #27 on Amazon Kindle now. Only $3.99***
DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON (and Author Lineup):There is a byway between reality and dream. A transit we call Möbius Blvd …
Inspired by the enigmatic Möbius strip, a mathematical construct that defies conventional notions of linearity and infinity, Möbius Blvd has no beginning or end but exists in a place where reality and dream have fused … coalesced … merged. With each turn of the page, you’ll encounter a unique blend of horror, fantasy, and science-fiction—fiction that will challenge your perceptions and leave you in awe of the infinite possibilities that exist within the written word.
Indeed, Möbius Blvd is far more than a magazine; it’s an experience. It’s an exploration of the infinite, a passage through dimensions where the only constant is storytelling at its most daring, a kaleidoscope of wonder and terror. Join us on this winding, never-ending journey of speculative fiction that will keep you entranced from the first twist to the last loop. Open your mind to the limitless worlds of Möbius Blvd … and discover that the boundary between fiction and reality is as thin as a strip of paper with a twist.
In this issue:
THE PENCILLER’S LAMENT George Larson
ONE MORE SMOKE Alex J. Barrio
ONION WITCH Rob Herzog
THE WINE-DARK PASSAGE Wayne Kyle Spitzer
RULE OF FIVE Amy Kitryn
SANDY BANE JS Apsley
SHADOW CAST BY EYE AND MAW Keith Buzzard
SIX SECONDS TO STARFIRE Lawrence Dagstine
SPEAK, THAT THE FLAME MAY SLEEP Zary Fekete
THE ENTANGLED Brian C. Mahon
Hobb’s End Books – Click Link Below, Be Redirected
I’m pleased to announce that I have a novelette in the final edition of the long-running anthology-magazine from Neil Hogan at Space Fiction Books, Alien Dimensions No. #27. This would be my fourth acceptance to the publication over the years, and this one is for the scifi fanatics out there. But this issue of Alien Dimensions has a theme to it: 100,000 Years of Intergalactic Peace. So the tales have to have some element of promoting or ensuring peace for a civilization. My story is about a solar engineer who attempts to save his own people and another race from across the stars. With permission, of course, from his council. There is world building and conflict. There is hard science and a great plot. What started out as a short story draft back in the 2000s with no direction, ended up close to 8500 words in length in 2025. I’m sharing a TOC with some familiar names, such as David Castlewitz and Mord McGhee (I must know Mord at least 20 years). I’ll leave pics and Amazon info below. Read my story about a solar engineer attempting the impossible, through hard science and cooperation: “The Fireball Effect”
Alien Dimensions #27 – 100,000 Years of Intergalactic Peace
The Final Edition – Edited by Neil Hogan, Space Fiction Books
Featuring new Dagstine novelette:“The Fireball Effect”
Sample or order your copy now on Amazon. In print paperback, or via Kindle.
TABLE OF CONTENTS, IN ORDER:
The Garden at the Edge of the Universe by E. S. Foster
The Vicarious by David Castlewitz
The Fireball Effect by Lawrence Dagstine
Rivers Run Deep by Margaret Karmazin
Exploring the Rogue Planet by Geoffrey Hugh Lindop
The Star Child by Hana Elizabeth Rose
Poltergeist 2.0 by Mord McGhee
Hyperspace by Kyle Walker
The Batties of Argamatis by Geoffrey Hugh Lindop
Stapledon by Humphrey Price
The Frozen Galaxy by Neil A. Hogan
EDITED TO ADD: It is with pleasure to announce that, within a few days after release, Alien Dimensions #27 jumped to NUMBER ONE on Amazon Kindle under Science Fiction Anthologies.
Other New Entries:“Books & Anthos, Digital Credits, and Magazines”
Are you a keeper of canines? Are you a poodle person or pitbull enthusiast? Do you carry your pooch around with you everywhere you go? Are you a dog lover at heart? Then you’re definitely going to want to check out the latest fiction anthology from Altitude Press, and Editor Nicole McInnes, entitled, To The Dogs: 31 Very Short Stories About Man’s Best Friend. Featuring thirty-one authors of flash fiction (and slightly longer) about canines. Most of the stories in this book fall in the 1000 to 2000-word range, and they are entirely devoted to everybody’s favorite pet. There’s fantasy, popular, literary, and a brand new scifi story by yours truly about dogs of the future and space travel (and one pesky cat!). Read my story set aboard a spaceship, “Every Cosmos Has A Ruling Class.” Links and details below.
TO THE DOGS: 31 VERY SHORT STORIES ABOUT MAN’S BEST FRIEND
Edited and Compiled by Nicole McInnes – Published by Altitude Press
Featuring Dagstine story:“Every Cosmos has a Ruling Class”
Author Lineup and Details (copy-pasted from Amazon)
Celebrate humanity’s canine companions with To the Dogs, a collection of 31 dog-themed stories written by authors from all over the world. Whether it’s literary fiction, speculative fiction, science fiction, mystery/suspense, spooky/paranormal, or myth/folklore/allegory you love most, you’re sure to find plenty of short tales (tails?) within this anthology to enjoy and share. Woof!
Stories by: Hidayat Adams, Chad Anctil, Marie Anderson, Dominic Andres, Diana Ashman, Phil Barnard, Juliette Beauchamp, Anthony Boulanger, R.C. Capasso, Gemma Church, Michael A. Clark, Lawrence Dagstine, Wendy Eiben, Zary Fekete, E. Florian Gludovacz, Jenna Hanan Moore, Laurie Herlich, Robert D. Hill, Valerie Hunter, Fiona M. Jones, Shashi Kadapa, Richard Lau, Angela M McCann, Harding McFadden, Bob Smith, Victor Sootho, Mariah Southworth, Jake Stein, Lisa Timpf, Sue Walsh, and John Weagly
AVAILABLE ON KINDLE OR PAPERBACK FORMAT
ALTITUDE PRESS SOCIALS/WEBSITE (for further info):
Pleased to announce I have a brand new science fiction short story in the latest anthology in the FarFutures Book Series from Blue Planet Press. Edited and compiled by Robert Mendenhall, Far Futures is an on-going series of “space stories” or “interplanetary tales” set on far off worlds, or in faraway universes. The kind of stuff that made science fiction great back in the 1960s and 70s. Only for a modern audience. I highly recommend this book, a lot of thought was put into my tale. It’s one of FOUR new tales within the science fiction genre I have coming out between Fall/Winter 2024-2025. As of October 8th it’ll be available in paperback and ebook formats on places such as Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, even Apple. I’ll put all links, pictures, details below (and off to the right-hand side). And check out my story, “Round Trip.”
FAR FUTURES BOOK THREE – Science Fiction Anthologies
Published by Blue Planet Press – Edited by Robert J. Mendenhall
Featuring brand new Dagstine story: “Round Trip”
Author Line-Up and Details (copy-pasted):
Tales of broken generation ships and malfunctioning holograms. AI enhanced humans fleeing the solar system. Alien abductees taken light-years away. A NASA spacecraft highjacked in a perilous first contact scenario. Pirates and scavengers and more. These stories are all different, yet all answer the same fundamental question “What… or who is out there?”
The latest edition in the Far Futures anthology series is now available for order. Far Futures Book Three is scheduled for an Oct. 8, 2024 release in both eBook and paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and more.
With stories from talented and rising authors in science fiction representing the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, including: Glynn Owen Barrass, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Lawrence Dagstine, Caroline Misner, Charles Nadolski, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Robin Pond, and James Pyles.
Pleased to announce that I have a Martian-themed short story in the current edition of Alien Dimensions, No. #26. “Mars Colonization, The Red Planet,“ and the 2030s and Beyond is the theme. It is all new, and it is available on Amazon Kindle and in a thick print paperback format (to my knowledge). This would be my third appearance with Alien Dimensions over the years. Last time I showed up was in the super successful No. #24. Alien Dimensions features interplanetary stories and space tales that harken back to an era when scifi was astounding and thought-provoking. My story could best be described as a 28-Days Later like tale about a contagion. But will the Martian doctors come to the rescue of the human race? Read my short story, ThePathogen in Alien Dimensions #26. Alien Dimensions could best be described as an Anthology-Magazine (the best of both worlds).
ALIEN DIMENSIONS No. #26 – Edited by Neil Hogan
Mars Colonization, Martian Theme – featuring Dagstine story The Pathogen
ALIEN DIMENSIONS HOMEPAGE (or click further below for Amazon):
Also check out Edition No. #24 (it’s big). I’ll put links and pictures off to the side, or the usual places.
Edited to add: I just wanted to give a big thank you to everybody who read and purchased the current edition of Alien Dimensions. We hit number one in New Releases for science fiction short stories.
New Entries:“Books & Anthos, Magazines, and Digital Credits.”
Pleased to announce that I have a brand new science fiction short story set in the cold dangerousness of space appearing later this month (comes out on Kindle March 28th to April 1st), in Neil Hogan’s Anthology-Magazine Series, Alien Dimensions. This is the SECOND time, second credit I have with Alien Dimensions. I first appeared many, many years ago in Issue #14. But that sold out quick and is long out-of-print. Not sure if there is going to be a print edition yet. I’ll post links and cover photos below, and as always, to the right-hand side of this website. You have a lot of familiar names from the science fiction scene, especially the 2000s era. Not just myself. You have Allen Ashley, Elana Gomel (and I just shared a TOC recently with Elana), Gustavo Bondoni, Mord McGhee, just to name a few. The name of my scifi tale is: “Close Proximity.”
ALIEN DIMENSIONS No. #24
Edited and produced by Neil A. Hogan
Anthology-Magazines are thick and glossy magazine-like books which feature many different authors with a variety of short stories, some from diverse backgrounds, centered around the same “theme” or “genre.” In this case, Space Stories. Science Fiction.
PRE-ORDER ALIEN DIMENSIONS #24 NOW FOR AMAZON KINDLE:
Previous issues I also appeared in (now out-of-print – check Ebay, I guess):
Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos, Digital Credits, Magazines”
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