I have a themed flash fiction piece in the latest horror anthology from Wicked Shadow Press. This time it’s geographical. Flash about horrors set in and around Egypt, and only Egypt. It could be a short about Mummies, the Pyramids of Giza, Undiscovered Tombs, the Pharaohs, Ancient Gods or Curses, and the like. My story is about two tourists (a couple), who find themselves caught in a storm that terrorizes Cairo once every hundred years. A sandstorm like no other. And with it, come mysterious flying monkeys. Hungry monkeys! The name of my tale is: “Sandstorm of the Han-Saba.” Lot of authors here. Available in the United States and India. I’ll leave clickable links below, so be sure and scroll down. Oh yeah, and there’s a color and B&W version.
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
Flash of the Dead Egypt – Egyptian Horror Flash Anthology
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring Dagstine short:“Sandstorm of the Han-Saba”
LINKS BELOW FOR ORDERING THE BOOK – (click, be redirected):
I have a reprint (from 2008, polished) in the latest multi-volume anthology series from Wicked Shadow Press, entitled: Dark Vigil Annihilate. This is a big series (five, six hefty tomes total). I see that a lot of authors submitted to these, and each book focuses around dark vigilante fiction. Horror, speculative whodunits, and crime meets Charles Bronson (ala Death Wish), people bringing their own justice, and scary serial killers in-between. I’m in the volume Annihilate, so remember that. Not only that, there are two variant covers available, like you see in comic books. The first cover below, with the “masked woman” is the primary cover. The other with the “full-bleed” Akira effect (reds) is the variant edition. My story is called: ‘The Old Boy’s Club.’ It’s a classic tale about a 1920s-era Gentleman’s Society of paranormal purveyors and supernatural enthusiasts. But in order to get in to this society of ghost fans you will need to first become an initiate, and then use “female bait” to hunt down a restless spirit. That’s how you get in to this society. But what happens when that restless spirit is none other than Jack the Ripper himself? I’ll leave all links, covers, variants, stuff like that below. Scroll to the bottom, be redirected to any ordering pages, and enjoy my updated story: “The Old Boy’s Club”
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
DARK VIGIL: ANNIHILATE – two variant covers available
Edited by Rasiika Sen & Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring 2008 Dagstine reprint:“The Old Boy’s Club”
DARK VIGIL VARIANT COVER AVAILABLE BELOW (primary is above):
WHERE TO ORDER EITHER EDITION – (click links, be redirected):
Official Substack Newsletter updated: I’ve added to the Substack Newsletter for Feb-Mar 2026, “Carving a Niche for Yourself.” On creating a side hustle, creating a stream of income from your writing, creating a routine that works over time, building publishing clips and passive income. How I do it the past 30 years. It’s very informative. Consider subscribing. In the future I plan to post paying anthology calls there.
I have a new novella out this month from Nomadic Delirium Press, and edited by J. Alan Erwine. I’ll put links below, as there are a handful of places you can purchase this from. I’m also featured in the chapbook alongside fellow spec-fic author, Damir Salkovic. I’ve shared TOCs with Damir in the past, but this time we are both sharing what’s called a “Delirious Double.” So what exactly is a Delirious Double? Well, how many of you sci-fi readers out there are old enough to remember the Ace Double Paperbacks of the 1960s? Those old pulps were the bomb! You can actually still find them in used bookstores. But back in those days, you would get a small paperback featuring not one but two science fiction writers. A novelette or novella would be on each side of the book; turn it over, and another novelette or novella would be on the other side. Two lengthy tales for the price of one! That’s what Nomadic Delirium Press is doing here, they are emulating the Ace Doubles of yesteryear. And this time around the theme is dystopias/dystopian fiction. My novella is called “GeneApart,” and runs close to 22,000 words in length; Damir has his own novelette on the other side. What happens when you take interplanetary apartheid, cloning as slavery, genetic engineering gone terribly wrong, and throw human meddling and corporate influence into the mix? You get my dystopia, Gene Apart. If you’re into movies like District 9 or Gattaca (and yes, television shows like Orphan Black), this one may be up your alley. And remember, not just me. Damir too! Two stories for the price of one!
Nomadic Delirium Press presents…
Delirious Doubles (theme: dystopias) – Edited by J. Alan Erwine
Featuring brand new Dagstine novella:“Gene Apart”
Also featuring Damir Salkovic’s tale:“Seniority”
Get it now in EBOOK format for a variety of ereaders/various platforms
Including: Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, Vivlio, and Fable
ORDER AND DOWNLOAD HERE – (click preferred ereader, be redirected):
SYNOPSIS of Lawrence Dagstine & Damir Salkovic’s tales:
Everyone should fear civilization slipping into a dystopia, but this has always been a very real possibility, and over the decades, science fiction has examined a number of possible dystopias. Now, Nomadic Delirium Press has put out a call for stories about dystopias, and we now present you with the two best stories that we received.
In Lawrence Dagstine’s “Gene Apart,” Danjarr is a buster, a clone, but most importantly, he is seen as inferior to the Authentics. Danjarr does everything he can to get ahead in his world, but he is always faced with the so-called inferiority of the busters, and the prejudice that accompanies that inferiority. Desperate to prove himself equal to the Authentics, Danjarr knows that he will do anything he has to to get ahead, but what happens when those choices have consequences…possibly devastating consequences.
In Damir Salkovic’s “Seniority,” Brian is desperate to get ahead in his company. Every day, Brian sees society decaying and falling apart around him, but he knows that all he needs to do is get ahead in his company, and he can save himself and his family from the deteriorating world around him. But what happens when the fall of society catches up with you, and even your position in a powerful company might not be enough to save you.
Other New Entries:“Digital Credits” and “Books & Anthos”
I’m pleased to announce I’m back at Hobb’s End Press for March 2026, and in Mobius Blvd Pulp Genre Magazine for a third time. This next story is one I wrote a couple of years back, almost borders on novelette length, and it’s a time-traveling western. Been a while since I’ve penned something set in the Wild Wild West (I think the last piece I wrote was The Show Must Go On). However, I am working on a new one as we speak, this one set on an Indian reservation. This particular tale, entitled The Missouri Man, is about a lawyer who finds a hole in back of his Westinghouse refrigerator. And that hole is a time tunnel. It leads back to the 1880s where this lawyer (a D. A., no less) must rescue a certain damsel in distress otherwise risk implications in the future. The magazine cover art and editorial was done by Wayne Kyle Spitzer. And it’s only $9.99 for the print, $3.99 for the Kindle version. The best of both worlds. Check out The Missouri Man in the latest issue of Mobius Blvd. I’ll leave a whole bunch of info down below; it also shot to Number One in the Amazon Sales Rankings overnight (scroll to the bottom).
Hobb’s End Press Magazines presents…
Mobius Blvd, Issue #29, March 2026 – Edited by Wayne Kyle Spitzer
Featuring New Dagstine Story:“The Missouri Man”
AUTHOR LINEUP FOR MARCH 2026/ALSO SAMPLE ON AMAZON:
In this issue:
GHOST INQUISITOR Bill Walthall
CHILD OF CENTAURUS R.A. Daunton
DRAINS David Castlewitz
ALUKA Wayne Kyle Spitzer
FIVE SOFT FINGERS Sophia Krich-Brinton
LISL Lisa Marie Miller
NEURAL CRUCIBLE Ernesto Sanchez
THE GROMSKIN Mark Nuzzi
THE MISSOURI MAN Lawrence Dagstine
A TASTE OF TRUTH Bill Diamond
Would you like some past issues of Mobius Blvd? See some sci-fi and pulp from previous editions I wrote? Then I recommend heading on over to Amazon, and checking out issues #19 and #27. Because I have tales in those as well.
PAST ISSUES OF MOBIUS BLVD FEATURING LAWRENCE DAGSTINE
DARK HORSES MAGAZINE / HOBB’S END PRESS PERIODICALS:
Edited to Add: I’m pleased to announce that, right after its debut, the March 2026 issue of Mobius Blvd is Number One in science fiction & fantasy writing. Thank you to all who purchased an issue.
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”
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 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”
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”
I have a professional credit (8 to 10 cents per word) in the Substack publication, The Orange & Bee. It’s a flash fiction piece, and this would be my third pro credit the past three years. The Orange & Bee is a venue with thousands of subscribers. They seem to update their newsletter-like publication on a weekly basis, and their mission is to publish stories aimed at enchanting readers. They offer critiquing services, and have something called writing and reading “roundtables.” They also seek contemporary short stories inspired by a long tradition of fairy tales. But they celebrate all styles and genres, as they aim to explore, expand on, and subvert the rich traditions of international folklore. They publish poetry and non-fiction, too. According to them, they look at stories that stretch between the shadows. Which is good, because my story this time around falls into this category (along with the theme of loss and grief). Read my flash fiction story, “Shadow Play.” In the Oct. 24th 2025 edition of The Orange & Bee…
The Orange & Bee – Professional Substack Publication
I have a Halloween-themed story about mummies (and housing discrimination related to them) in the latest paperback entry in the Wicked Shadow Press seasonal anthology series, HALLOWEENTHOLOGY 2025 – Bad Pumpkin! Every year Wicked Shadow puts out three beautiful looking tomes in the Halloweenthology franchise, all on the same horrific theme: Halloween. It’s become a tradition. They sell quite well here in the United States and India. This year it’s another three books. I’m in Bad Pumpkin, so remember that. The other books in the series are called “Blood Moon” and “Autumn Falls.” For my story, imagine being a mummy owner, trying to find your own apartment for you and your bandaged-up entourage to live. Imagine getting turned away wherever you tried, housing complex after housing complex, good credit and all. But finally you stumble upon a creepy mortician who rents out one of his apartments. Sometimes, on Halloween, your new landlord may not be who he seems to be. I’ll leave all pics and links below. Be sure to check out my 3800-word tale, “Living Arrangements.”
Halloweenthology 2025 – Bad Pumpkin!
Published by Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring Dagstine story:“Living Arrangements”
WHERE TO PICK UP “BAD PUMKPIN” – Click Links, Be Redirected:
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: Caras Jr. on Unsplash, 2025.
The September Edition Opening Page – (click link, be redirected):
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…
Pleased to announce I have a new novelette of gothic horror (a period piece) in the latest Wicked Shadow Press anthology, Pocket Full of Posies – Shadow Children! This is children’s horror, so it is themed. Think adolescent monsters. Think kid vampires. Think werewolf cubs. Think zombie teenagers. This anthology is all about horrific minors, and they’re not to be trifled with. There are actually three books in the Pocket Full of Posies series. The other anthologies are “Paper Tombs” and “Silent Cradle.” I’m in Shadow Children, so remember that. My story takes place in a monster hospital with nuns (and there’s more to this hospital than meets the eye). Read my lengthy tale, “The Nursery Floor.” Pictures and links to everything will be down below, as always.
Pocket Full of Posies – Shadow Children Anthology
Published by Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring Dagstine story:“The Nursery Floor”
Featuring work by Armand Rosamilia, Chad Anctil, Donovan Douglas Thiesson, MORE!
Where to order Pocket Full of Posies Shadow Children
Available in USA and India – Click links, be redirected:
Pleased to announce I have a brand new speculative fiction story about afterlife science and “where do we go from here” when, as senior citizens, our time is up. And you can find this exclusive tale in David Oliver Kling’s The Triumvirate Volume #6. This would be my third outing with Mr. Kling’s fiction digest, which he started in the name of fandom as a teenager back in the 1980s. I’m also appearing beside Joshua Vise, who I’ve shared a handful of TOCs with these past two years. It’s available in a paperback format, just like the pulp journals of yesteryear. Or for convenience, you can get it on Kindle for the low price of $2.99. The name of my story is: “Where All Souls Eventually Go.”
The Triumvirate: A Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror Vol. 6
Edited and compiled by David Oliver Kling
Featuring Dagstine story:“Where All Souls Eventually Go”
Sample or buy on Amazon below (Kindle or print):
Details about The Triumvirate:
Four stories. Three genres. One unforgettable journey into the strange, the haunted, and the transcendent. In this sixth volume of The Triumvirate, the boundaries of imagination stretch and shatter. Step into a near-future where souls are collected like family heirlooms. Descend into a haunted mansion that opens its doors straight into Hell. Witness the slow unraveling of civilization through the eyes of a historian in a broken world. And follow a grieving girl’s perilous quest to a cursed temple where legends are born and blood remembers.
Featuring:
Where All Souls Eventually Go by Lawrence Dagstine. A daughter keeps vigil in a hospice that preserves the essence of the dying, contemplating what we carry beyond the veil.
House Sitting in the Satan House by Mark Mackey. When two sisters take a last-minute job in the wrong house, a night of glamor turns into a descent through damnation.
The End of a Lineage by Joshua Vise. A chilling chronicle of humanity’s fall, told from the ruins of reason, where an everyday miracle becomes the seed of apocalypse.
The Dagger and The Wish by David Oliver Kling. A sorrowful girl. A sacred blade. A temple steeped in ancient power. Witness the origin of the legendary warrior known only as the Blue Devil.
The Triumvirate: Volume 6 is your portal to the darkly beautiful, the eerily prophetic, and the mythically charged. Open its pages, if you dare.
I have a new World War 2 story in the latest Wicked Shadow Press anthology, called: DeadMan’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):
For my next new short story, I’m appearing once again in Stygian Lepus. What started out as a subscriber-based webzine two-three years ago is now a beautifully illustrated (big-and-tall!) print magazine with a Kindle version next to it. But I recommend the print. This would be the second time I’ve appeared in Stygian Lepus. I come this time with a horror tale of unspeakable cannibalism and ritual. The hungry sort of rituals that only happens in small towns with the creepiest characters, and only on one day of the week when the sun goes down. Tuesdays. But what kind of feeding takes place in the town of Canaan Hollow? Why Tuesdays, and what does it mean for the residents there? Find out in my new, extreme horror story: “The Hungriest Tuesday.” Now. In Stygian Lepus #26. All links below.
Stygian Lepus Magazine, Edition #26 – Summer 2025
Available in Big-and-Tall Print, Kindle (ebook), or in a Webzine format.
Featuring new Dagstine story:“The Hungriest Tuesday”
Stygian Lepus Main Homepage/Back Issues (click link, be redirected):
For my next anthology appearance it’s a flash fiction piece. A cyberpunk vampire tale. Something I’ve never done before, melding the two tropes. And it comes to Wicked Shadow Press’s latest offering, which has become somewhat of an annual thing (perhaps even celebratory): ‘Flash of the Dead – Reloaded!‘ I’ve been in about three or four of these Flash of the Dead-themed horror books the past four years. The tales are not half that bad. Wicked Shadow Press produces very beautiful books, books that have actually assisted me in nabbing other writing-related opportunities I wouldn’t normally get at my age (freelance stuff, non-genre related). People in India read them. Yes, India loves their horror just like we do here in the States. Flash fiction are bite-sized stories. They usually run between 500 to 1500 words in length, and they are considered quick reads. You can digest them in the time it takes you to get from one location to the next, say, on your daily commute to work. Anyway, without further ado, my 1400-word cyberpunk vampire tale: “The Lurker Code.”
Flash of the Dead RELOADED! – published by Wicked Shadow Press
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty
Featuring Dagstine flash piece:“The Lurker Code”
Where to order Flash of the Dead Reloaded (click links, be redirected):
For my next horror anthology it’s another new one, this time guest edited by Chad Anctil (who I’ve shared TOCs with in the past, such as the popular animal fiction book To The Dogs). Wicked Shadow Press is the indie publisher putting it out. And it’s themed around “circuses” and “carnivals.” Circus of the Dead! The book features a plethora of great names: from Bram Stoker nominee James Dorr to Jacek Wilkos, Andrew Kurtz, Joshua Vise, Lawrence Miles, Lynn White. If you’re in the short story field, you’ll obviously recognize some of these names from other literary productions. My story is a western featuring undead horses, and every tale ties in with the Big Top in some shape or form. Read Circus of the Dead now, and read my brand new story: “Dead Pegasuses.” Pics and ordering links will be down below.
Circus of the Dead – published by Wicked Shadow Press
Guest edited by fiction writer Chad Anctil
Featuring new Dagstine story:“Dead Pegasuses”
Where to order the book (click links, be redirected):
I have a novelette out in the recently released anthology from Critical Blast Publishing, Gods and Services NewLocation. I’m appearing beside 9 or 10 other authors, with stories on the subject of objects related to mythological gods or deities that you might acquire from a curiosity shop. They could be a good deity, or a bad deity. The presence of these gods could be related to statues, chandeliers, ancient artifacts, books. Hence the title and theme. Imagine walking into an antique dealer and finding an object for your home that once belonged to a god. The book is edited by R.J. Carter, and Critical Blast Publishing does a lot of these themed anthologies. They also do a lot of comics, graphic novels, and some illustrated genre fare and their products can be found at vendor tables at various conventions around the country. The name of my story is The Barn Cupid, and it’s about a possessed Cupid statue. It’s a horror-love story, obviously. It is available in paperback, on Amazon or Barnes & Nobles. I will provide all links and pics below.
GODS AND SERVICES NEW LOCATION
Published by Critical Blast Publishing – Edited by R.J. Carter
Featuring Dagstine story:“The Barn Cupid”
On Amazon (sample it, buy in print paperback):
Or buy it at Barnes & Nobles (click link, be redirected):
For my next speculative piece it’s another new one, and we’re going into an anthology themed around a very controversial subject. And that’s genocide and The Holocaust. I was inspired to write this story after reading Elie Wiesel’s epic biography, Night. My story is dark science fiction meets horror meets alternate history. It features Adolf Hitler. And robots. These robots are known as The War Machines. Hitler and the robots are main characters in this dramatic tale. Because of the subject matter, a lot of editors didn’t want to read or take a chance on this piece (probably one of my most powerful in a long time; I have another powerful story written in the second person slated for later this year). The name of my story is: “Christmas along the Danube.” It is indeed a holiday story, it is a trigger warning story, there is death, and you can find it right now in the Culture Cult Press anthology, Genocidal. Every piece in Genocidal features some form of subject matter on genocide or the Holocaust. It might be poems, it might be essays or non-fiction, firsthand accounts, or in my case, dark science fiction. Though I suspect any firsthand stuff would have been passed down through the ages. Still, go check out my story, along with the other authors’ contributions. Ordering links will be further down below.
#GENOCIDAL – Published by Culture Cult Press
Featuring Dagstine story:“Christmas along the Danube”
Where to order your copy (click links, be redirected):
Also check out my latest chapbook from Farthest Star Publishing,
SMALL FAVORS by Lawrence Dagstine
I would say if you want to get introduced to my more extreme forms of horror writing in 2025, and you’ve never read a Lawrence Dagstine piece before, then you want to start here: Small Favors, then follow up with Christmas along the Danube in Genocidal, and later this year (say, October) Inherited in the book, No Exit. Those three pieces. Trigger warning for each one.
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