Category Archives: Historical Speculative Fiction

Eldritch Cat Press: “Cemetery Songs Vol. 1” – NEW PRESSES, NEW ANTHOLOGIES!

Busy season for horror and dark fantasy. Pooped. Back again with yet another anthology appearance. This time for a new genre publisher, called: Eldritch Cat Press. The editor there is the talented Alanna Robertson-Webb. And for this press’s debut anthology they decided to go with something themed. Stories centered around three things: cemeteries, songs, and cats. The anthology includes all those things. That’s the recipe here. It got such an amazing turnout, it spawned TWO volumes. I was one of the lucky authors to make it into the first volume. Volume one. My story takes place in ancient times, Greater Assyria. It’s called: “Songs for the Unburied.” I’ll leave pictures and essential info below. Check it out on Amazon, in print or ebook formats.

Cemetery Songs Anthology – Volume #1

Published by Eldritch Cat Press – Edited by Alanna Robertson-Webb

Featuring Dagstine story: “Songs for the Unburied”

***Available on Amazon Kindle or in print paperback formats***

Company Logo Copyright Alanna Robertson-Webb, Eldritch Cat Press

DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON: ‘Cemetery Songs Volume 1 is the first of two books featuring 20 fictional, short horror stories from a unique blend of authors. While each story is vastly different in tone, style and content they all have three elements in common: a cat, a song and a cemetery. Some stories will send chills down your spine, others will leave you with a quiet, unsettled feeling in the pit of your stomach and a few may even bring a tear to your eye. Come, pull up a seat with us as we dive into this incredible blend of entertaining tales fit for the living…and the dead.‘

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”

Altitude Press: “WHATEVER!” – A Generation X Flash Fiction Anthology

I’m pleased to announce I have a 2000-word piece set during the time of the original Star Wars trilogy in the latest release from Altitude Press: “Whatever – A Generation X Flash Anthology” Most of the stories in the book run the gamut of 1000 to 1500 words in length, with mine probably being the longest of them all. Edited by Nicole McInnes, this would be my second time published by Altitude Press (I was in a themed anthology of theirs a year ago, centered around dogs). There are 22 authors in all, many nationalities, from all over the world. And each of them have experienced Gen-X in some way that is nostalgic (those, at least, born between 1965 to 1980). Whether it’s staying out all night till the break of dawn. Maybe watching MTV. Being alive when Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were president. Or realizing the very real threat of a Third World War. For me, it was going to the cinema at a young age and watching Luke Skywalker fight Darth Vader. Check out my story, “Movie Night.”

Whatever: A Generation X Flash Fiction Anthology

Published by Altitude Press – Edited by Nicole McInnes

Featuring Dagstine story: “Movie Night”

***Available on Amazon Kindle and SOON in print paperback format***

I’m also pleased to announce that, as of the writing of this post, WHATEVER! has broken the TOP 100 for fiction anthologies on Amazon Kindle…

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”

Androids and Dragons: A Journal of and about Speculative Fiction – SUBSTACK ZINE

Happy September to you all. Autumn is just around the corner, and this is where I start getting a lot of short fiction acceptances and stuff published. Always September through December. And for this website post, I am currently appearing with a reprint in the Substack publication: “Androids and Dragons: A Journal of and about Speculative Fiction.” It has hundreds of followers, hundred of readers. It’s a token-paying market. There’s a lot of these Substack newsletter publications (in the form of modern webzines), popping up these days. In the old days, when I first started getting published, a lot of webzines were hosted by Lycos or Geocities. Or they depended on programs like Dreamweaver and Flash, to look stylish for the time period. It seems Substack is becoming a major platform to build your fiction-reading audience. Stories can be emailed to subscribers, direct to their inbox. You can read a short story anywhere, not just home computer but on your phone on the go. And it pops up really quick on search engines, because the one thing Substack has going for it is many a search engine algorithm. The editor is Jenna Hanan Moore. I’ll leave any links down below, direct or otherwise. And the name of my reprint is: “Past and Present Company Excepted.”

Androids and Dragons: A Journal of and about Speculative Fiction

Substack Publication – Edited by Jenna Hanan Moore

Featuring Dagstine reprint: “Past and Present Company Excepted.”

Photo credit: Androids and Dragons/Jenna Hanan Moore
Photo credit: Caras Jr. on Unsplash, 2025.

The September Edition Opening Page – (click link, be redirected):

https://androidsanddragons.substack.com/p/issue-12-september-2025

My short story – (click link, be redirected):

https://androidsanddragons.substack.com/p/past-and-present-company-excepted

Other New Entries:

And speaking of Substack publications or newsletters, I’ve updated my own personal one recently. But only with a quickie. You can find a link to that right below…

https://lawrencedagstinewrites.substack.com/p/lawrence-dagstine-even-prolific-writers

MILITARY ANTHOLOGIES: “Dead Man’s Land” – SHELL SHOCK!

I have a new World War 2 story in the latest Wicked Shadow Press anthology, called: Dead Man’s Land – Shell Shock! There are actually two books in this series. One is called Trench Rot, and I’m in Shell Shock. So remember that, Shell Shock (cover below). And while each of the stories in this book focus on military horror, my tale could best be described as “speculative.” The name of my story is The Day of the Dragon. It’s about a unique soldier who finds himself in a fictitious village in Southern Italy. Why are the Nazis after this soldier? Are the rumors true? Is he really unnatural, like a dragon? Well, there’s a whole Panzer division on its way to take him out along with members of La Resistenza (the Italian Resistance/Italian Underground). How will this battle pan out? Find out in The Day of the Dragon.

Dead Man’s Land: Shell Shock – Military/War Anthology

Published by Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring Dagstine story: “The Day of the Dragon”

Available in India and the United States

Where to purchase the print or ebook versions (click links, be redirected):

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/dead-mans-land-shell-shock/paperback/product-rm6yw86.html

ePub: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/dead-mans-land-shell-shock/ebook/product-zmygzr8.html

Wicked Shadow Press on Socials:

Like WSP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Follow WSP on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

NEW YEARS ANTHOLOGIES: “The Alien Buddha’s Chaos Countdowns” – Alien Buddha Press

I have a reprint (appeared in DASH Literary Journal about two years ago), that matches the theme of the following anthology. Chaotic or haphazard stories about New Years, and similar celebratory fiction fare to go along with the once-a-year holiday. And what better way to ring in 2025 than with Alien Buddha Press (the publisher), and sharing a table of contents with the likes of NJ Gallegos, Dawn DeBraal, April Ridge, and Bram Stoker-nominee James Dorr. My New Years-themed story has elements of speculative fiction, steampunk, and magic realism in it. Oh, and angel doctors! It’s called Before Measured Time. It takes place right before midnight on December 31st 1899, and the 20th century and universe is at stake! Check out Alien Buddha’s Chaos Countdowns Anthology now on Amazon. Pictures and info down below. Most of all, Happy New Years!

Alien Buddha’s New Years Chaos Countdowns Anthology

Published by Alien Buddha Press

Featuring Lawrence Dagstine reprint: “Before Measured Time”

Available in paperback on Amazon (click preview box below):

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

STYGIAN LEPUS Online Magazine – Fall 2023, Edition No. #6 – 2024 UPDATE!

I have a 4,000-word historical story of psychological horror and romance (emphasis on the psychological, and this one is set against the backdrop of the Second World War, called: “Competing for Roses.” And you can read that story in the latest issue of a fairly new online magazine called Stygian Lepus. Fall 2023, Edition No. #6. The author line-up is on the webzine cover below. So those are who I share the Table of Contents with. If you enjoy online reading, why not give it a go. I’ll post this one in Magazines. I’ll also provide a link to the webzine’s site just below the cover. And I’ll be seeing you on the next one. Cheers.

Stygian Lepus – Edition No. #6

Online Magazine/Webzine of Dark Speculative Fiction and Horror

READ HERE: https://stygianlepus.com/

Edited to Add (2024): Stygian Lepus #6, featuring my story Competing for Roses is now available as a very pretty illustrated magazine exclusive to Kindle and Amazon print format. Get it below.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”