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):
I have a short story appearing in the fairly new magazine, Moonday Mag. I’m in Issue No. #2, Spring 2024. It is available on Magcloud as a beautifully put together print format or read it free digitally. Edited by Caridad Cole, Moonday Mag could best be described as a magazine of experimental fiction: experimental forms and prose, speculative fiction, some magic realism and literary too. There’s gorgeous artwork and poetry within its pages, and creative nonfiction to boot. The best way to describe this very colorful 64-page production is ecclectic. I’ll leave links below and file this under magazines. And I’ll be seeing you on the next one.
Moonday Mag: Untouchable – Spring 2024
BUY THE PRINT OR READ THE DIGITAL FREE (on MagCloud):
I have an obscure science fiction story (entitled, My Own Private Earth) in the latest edition of David Oliver Kling’s speculative fiction journal, The Triumvirate. Volume Four. The Triumvirate features tales of science ficiton, fantasy, horror, even a little bit of poetry. It is available for your Amazon Kindle (digitally), or as a very affordable paperback in the $7.00 range. It is one part anthology-magazine, one part journal. This is Mr. Kling’s labor of love, which I highly recommend if you are enthusiastic about old school genre. Kling started the magazine back in 1985 at the tender age of fifteen, a teenage lover of spec-fic like myself, and he has revived it in the 21st century. Links and cover pic below (and off to the side). We seriously need more journals like this!
THE TRIUMVIRATE Volume #4 – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror
Edited and compiled by David Oliver Kling
AUTHOR LINE-UP for VOLUME #4: David O’Mahony, Lawrence Dagstine, Nicholas Hurst, Mark Mackey, Robert Henry, Ann Ross, David Oliver Kling. Poetry by Joy Yin. 127 pages.
NOTE:This anthology was late to press because of the holidays. The book will most likely have debuted January 2024. Hence the tardiness of this website post plugging it.
It’s most likely safe to say this is my last story appearance of 2023. And what a year it has been. A small press book deal, two professional-identifying markets, and a TON of print and ebook anthologies. 2023 marked my return to science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It was also the year I wrote the most fiction in a very long time. What better way, I say, than to end the year with a disaster of epic proportions. I’m talking stories of doomsday, the near future, and what fictitious calamaties just might await us. I have a story in the latest illustrated anthology from Wicked Shadow Press, called: “Apocalyptales – Judgment Day!”
Apocalyptales is a book of stories featuring nothing but post-apocalyptic fiction, and my story is about a peculiar weather phenomenon that threatens to bury all of mankind. I originally wrote The Big Dirt Nap (the name of my tale contained within) in early 2010. It took me almost fourteen years to find a home for it. Here we are, late 2023, and it finally has a home. I like to call tales like The Big Dirt Nap “Attic Stories.” Attic stories are hard to place, you sit on them for more than a decade, dust it off when the correct themed market comes along, send it on in. Any way, Happy New Year.
APOCALYPTALES – JUDGMENT DAY Anthology
In Epub or Illustrated Paperback – published by Wicked Shadow Press
Featuring post-apocalyptic Dagstine tale:“The Big Dirt Nap.”
Pleased to announce I have a new short story of high seas thrills, chills, and undulating terror. A story about a gloomy and ominous siren entitled, “The Songstress.” It’s just one of the tales gracing the pages of Culture Cult (Pulp Cult’s) new horror-themed anthology, MEMENTO MORI: REMEMBER THE DEAD. I’d say the story fits the theme quite well too. I’ve been published with Culture Cult about eight or nine times now, and I find their books get fantastic sales and exposure in India of all places. Since I’ve been with Pulp Cult/Culture Cult, I’ve had a few Hindi or Desi readers/fiction enthusiasts reach out, and appreciate the kind words. I know there are a lot of descriptions for those races in India, so I will just use Hindi and Desi here. The book is edited by Jay Chakravarti. I’ll put pictures, wraparounds, ordering links, all that necessary stuff off to the side or way down below. And I will see you on the next one.
MEMENTO MORI: REMEMBER THE DEAD Anthology
Published by Culture Cult/Pulp Cult Press – Edited by Jay Chakravarti
ORDER DIGITAL OR PRINT VERSIONS (US or INDIA) DIRECTLY BELOW:
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
Wicked Shadow Press really outdid themselves this time in a two volume series of science fiction and miscellaneous speculative tales surrounding dark technology, deadly machines, artificial intelligence, and science that can enslave us or kill us. Easily one of my ten favorite anthology covers of all time. Both books in the series are edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty, and some of the proceeds from the sales of these books goes to help animals in Kolkata, India, where it is already getting a warm reception. My story is not about AI (which has been a heated and dystopic subject of late), but more or less a science fantasy which involves the dark tech surrounding “buildings” and “skyscrapers.” This is a tale about architecture of the future, of other worlds, buildings that graze the clouds, and the “dark architects” who control utopias and dystopias behind the scenes. Not everything is always rosy and picturesque, even in large metropolises filled with tall buildings. Read my tale, “Architects of Change” in Volume Two of Invasion. I’m in Volume Two, so don’t forget that; but I recommend both. It’s available on Amazon Kindle for only $2.99, or as a paperback on places like Lulu. All links will be below the cover pics, as usual. Cheers.
INVASION Volume 2 – THE DARK SIDE OF TECHNOLOGY
From Wicked Shadow Press
Now Available on Amazon Kindle for only $2.99
Also available in STUNNING Amazon paperback (for the shelf collector)
Featuring Dagstine story:“Architects of Change”
ALSO AVAILABLE ON LULU (and as a print paperback there as well):
Buy a Paperback copy of INVASION Vol. 01 from Lulu.com:
It is with great pleasure to announce I have a themed story in the fantasy anthology, Witch Wizard Warlock. This one is put out by Robert Lupton and the gang at Three Cousins Publishing (I believe in conjunction with West Mesa Press, but don’t quote me on that last part). Links and cover pics will be down below as usual, or off to the side (just scroll down to “Purchase Now” to be redirected to anything of mine still in print). My tale is on witches and wizardry. So you could say I have that ground covered. It is a tale of family bonding, being taught magic, growing up around relatives who are gifted in the arcane arts, and just have a little something to share with someone younger than themselves, but told from the perspective of a child. Read my short story, “Family Ties.” In Witch Wizard Warlock. Page-wise it comes in at around 530 pages and is available in Kindle format, paperback, and a gorgeous hardcover for the shelf collector. I would easily say the word count is in the 160K range.
WITCH WIZARD WARLOCK
A Fantastical Anthology about the three classes above.
Available on Amazon from Three Cousins Publishing/Robert Lupton
I was supposed to put this book post up a few weeks ago, but I have been busy with diet, fitness, and some much-unneeded (for lack of a better term) surgeries. But The Nightmare Cycle has been out for three-plus months, and it’s doing pretty well on the convention circuit and in digital format (Kindle Unlimited subscribers get to read the collection absolutely free). My editor Andrea is doing a fantastic job at Dark Owl with the public event marketing on her side, and I couldn’t be happier.
But now The Nightmare Cycle is available for purchase either online OR in store at places other than Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. Other large literary retailers. I’m pleased to announce if you live in the UK, you can now get The Nightmare Cycle at Waterstones bookstores. Waterstones is basically England and Scotland’s equivalent to B&N. Here in America, we have Barnes&Nobles super stores. In the United Kingdom, however, they have Waterstones super stores. So if you live in the UK, and you prefer print over digital, why not hop over to the horror section and pick up a copy. Link below the picture.
Do be aware it’s 2023, the Age of Online Shopping and Kickstarter and Reading Apps, the age of online pretty much everything in some shape or form. Not every bookstore these days has a horror section let alone a genre section. Unless you’re signed with William Morrow or St. Martin’s Press or TOR. At the end of the day, it’s about the vendor tables; I learned that the hard way hustling in the trenches. So if your Waterstones branch does not have a copy on hand. You should be able to order a physical print edition within 72 hours from them. You can pick it up at the store or, if you are a resident of the United Kingdom, have it delivered via post.
And after the release of my new book, The Nightmare Cycle, comes a short story of oceanic terror that will leave you at the edge of your seat. I have a story in the latest Skywatcher Press anthology on Amazon, THE DEPTHS UNLEASHED BOOK #2. I know there is a Kindle version, not sure if a print version is in the works. All links will be down below, and book pics off to the side as usual. Skywatcher Press is well known for their bestselling undead anthologies, and similar fare, such as Pandemic Unleashed and The Dead Unleashed. I’m sharing a TOC with some familiar names too, like Jeff Parsons and Gregory Norris, who you might recognize from short story magazines of the 2000s era. The name of my story is: “The Underwater Menace.”
Remember, I’m in BOOK 2. The one with the horrific fishy and diver staring it down.
THE DEPTHS UNLEASHED VOLUME 2
Anthology of Underwater Horror – Featuring my story:“The Underwater Menace”
ORDER ON AMAZON KINDLE (preview below, be redirected):
Just here today real quick to announce that my latest horror collection, The Nightmare Cycle, from Dark Owl Publishing, is available in Barnes & Nobles. Not just Amazon or horror specialty stores and conventions. You can obtain it online or through “select physical stores.” Probably the ones that have a horror section. If they don’t have it in stock, it can usually be obtained within two business hours (this can also mean one day). I’ll leave ISBN info down below, in case you want your local B&N brick and mortar to get it in for you. While I love the ease of Amazon and ereaders, personally, I prefer going and sitting with a cup of coffee or tea in a physical bookstore. Call me old-fashioned, but I will never tire of it. I’ll throw up the Amazon link as well. Cheers.
My latest appearance comes to a new anthology by Culture Cult Press, who I have been published with around three times before. They have very good distribution in India, and some of the proceeds from their books goes to help animals. So if you are an animal lover like myself (I have a pet turtle), and love to read, it is for a worthy cause. It is a themed anthology, and available in TWO volumes. Not just one book, but two. I have a story in the first one. I’ll put links all the way down below, like usual, and book pics off to the side.
The name of the anthology, LOST: A book of missing people and things. My story fits the theme perfectly. It is about a missing alien. It is speculative fiction. And the owner of this alien has to go looking for his adopted creature from another world. It is both heartwarming and satirical. Be sure to check out my story, “I Want My Alien Back.” Only in Volume One. Cheers.
LOST: An Anthology by Culture Cult Press
Volumes One & Two – Edited by Jay Chakravarti
Volume One featuring Dagstine story: “I Want My Alien Back.”
Just a quick reminder, that a portion of the anthology proceeds (as well as many other Culture Cult book projects) does go to help animals in India (charity). My story,about a lost alien, is in Volume One. The first book. I’m not sure if it’s coming to Amazon or not, because Amazon has become very expensive (they went up again) due to the state of the economy. But if it does appear on Amazon, I’ll drop a link down here.
Oh, the turtle in the picture is “Bowser” by the way.
I’ve currently got a work of futurist fiction (spec-fic with a steampunk aesthetic tossed in for good measure), appearing in the current edition of DASH Literary Journal. No. #16, 2023. This is the official literary magazine of California State University. Out of Fullerton’s Comparative English Studies Department for Language and Linguistics. I actually studied linguistics back in the 1990s but ended up graduating in journalism and the science of publishing. I used to submit to a handful of literary magazines when I was first starting out in the fiction field. DASH No. #16 features poetry AND fiction, and the short stories in Volume #16 come from the likes of: J.M. Williams, Daniel Webre, Robert S. Gordon, Myself, Mark Silcox, Jared Livingston, James Fowler, and there is a TON of non-fiction. It’s very well put together. I will say that. Links, pics below with website info.
So today is here. Today is the day of my third official story collection: THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE, from Dark Owl Publishing. It is available in print and digital formats (Paperback and on Amazon Kindle). And as the year goes on, straight thru 2024, will be available at book fairs, from various literary vendors, horror and comic-themed conventions, the odd novelty or specialty store, or wherever other fine horror books or goods are sold. I will keep you updated on this website. The spooky fun starts in Arizona first and New York second.
A short story collection is a book of tales by one single author, where an anthology is a book of stories usually centered around a theme from not one but many authors, from many different states or countries or diverse backgrounds. The Nightmare Cycle was an idea for a book that came to me one day in a dream (go figure), but is not about being in a dream. It gets its title from every single story being “A Nightmarish Scenario,” one warped tale leading into the next (the theme of cycling and unending), and then the one thereafter. There is no finality. Just horrific circumstance after circumstance. Undulated terror. Beginning, middle, end. Think Rod Serling’s The Night Gallery, but modern day, my take.
THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE by Lawrence Dagstine
From Dark Owl Publishing – NOW AVAILABLE worldwide
You have mostly new stories between the pages, but you have some obscure offerings as well. Tales from my humble beginnings as a horror author. The 2000s era. There are stories like Thursday’s Children. Imagine pitting zombie youth against each other the same way people hold backroom cockfights for money. The Adopted, where werewolf adoption in Southeast Asia is more complex than you think. Human Transfer, a very dark and dystopic tale of population control, and betrayal by the people you thought you knew and trusted most.
There are Dark Owl exclusives, tales which are theirs and theirs only, such as The Thing about Eden. Imagine Mars in the future where life under one dark leadership only becomes concerning, overbearing, and darker with the next. The Acrylic Man, about a painter of spectral portraits who captures his love interests with not just grace but permanence. The Show Must Go On, a story about a sharpshooting djinn and her western travels, but also her wretched past.
You have new offerings such as Princely Homecoming, a unique take on Snow White, who longs for her long dead prince. There is Pet, a tale set during the backdrop of the Nixon era, which puts a twist on just “who” or “what” constitutes man’s best friend. Genetically speaking, of course. There is Our Family Awaits, a witch’s tale unlike any other, about foster care and deep dark secrets. This is one which will have you clutching the blankets. And there is so much more; there’s even a novelette within The Nightmare Cycle’s pages.
AMAZON KINDLE “EBOOK” VERSION:
(Sample a few pages below, or shoot for the paperback version)
Here’s the horror convention calendar for Dark Owl Publishing and The Nightmare Cycle. This calendar will obviously grow. I will be away in July (after the 4th), but I will have my netbook with me, keep in touch via social media. Dark Owl will also have some of their horror wares and anthologies available from a talented stable of other authors as well, so be sure to keep tuning in to this link below:
Oh, by the way, the fabulous cover art was done by Fernando JFL (Giotefeli), who is a professional horror illustrator and death metal artist from South America. He takes a rather retro, vintage approach to his work. If you are looking for an artist, might I recommend him: https://www.instagram.com/giotefeli, and https://giotefeli.tumblr.com/
The book is available first on Amazon, then Terror Trader second (Arizona’s Number One Horror Marketplace). Then it will go to the usual vendors and themed cons, and through the usual distribution channels/networks.
I am pleased to announce that I have a Brand New Crime Story, one of vengeance, from the point of view of the disturbed killer. This story features a female too, and is pretty much the theme of Wicked Shadow Press’s new offering: “Murder on her Mind Vol 1& 2.” Yes, it is a TWO-BOOK Series. I am in Volume 1 (just below). Remember, I am one of the headliners in the first book only. But I recommend both. The name of my story is: “Victimizer.” I started writing Victimizer in 2008. No publisher would even look at this tale, that’s how extreme it was. I’m talking higher than an R rating. So I shelved it, thinking it would never find a home. Fifteen years later, in 2023, Victimizer finally finds a home between the pages of Murder on her Mind. It may be a short story, but trust me, it is not for the faint of heart. Because characters like the one in my tale really do exist in American Society. Promo pics and ordering links, as always, down below.
MURDER ON HER MIND – Volumes 1 & 2
Available Worldwide (US, UK, and through Pothi in India too)
Be aware that prices vary on different platforms and storefronts (such as Amazon) due to inflation and the current state of the economy. So if you just have a general ereader, you may actually save more on Lulu.com than Amazon. It’s a matter of preference, really. Pothi is India only.
For late January-Early February 2023 I have yet another science fiction tale, this time a brand new short about alien parenting, entitled: Forgotten Species. It comes to you within the very well laid out, well designed pages of COSMIC CONTACT. This is a science fiction & fantasy anthology on the subject of aliens making “first contact” with humans and other species. It is a rather big beefy book put out by the folks at Pulp Cult/Culture Cult Press. They’re the same people who did the exorcism anthology I CAST YOU OUT and the haunted house anthology HAUS in 2022.
Cosmic Contact has some interesting interior design, fonts, layouts, and even features a lot of familiar short story authors from out of the 2000s era, names such as Ken Goldman, Elana Gomel, Matt Shaw, Thomas Stewart, and DJ Camden. I’ll leave ordering info down below, links and pics, and also to the right-hand side.
It is with great pleasure to announce that yet another anthology featuring one of my tales has been released this month, this time a science fiction adventure story featuring a team of old school astronauts (think the days of Apollo & Sputnik, that style). So it has a pulp bent to it, but with an unexpected finish. Red Penguin Books presents, SHOOT FOR THE MOON. I’m not sure if it is available on Amazon, but it IS available in select Barnes&Nobles locations (check the scifi section), and as an Ebook (probably Nook). I’ll leave any links and pictures down below, as well as to the right-hand side. And I’ll be seeing you on the next one.
Buy it now from B&N. In Print or for your NOOK eReader (click below):
I am pleased to announce that I’ll have an astronaut story coming to one of Red Penguin Books’ upcoming anthologies, entitled: “Shoot for the Moon – A Space Adventure Anthology.” And that’s pretty much the theme, these are tales from many different authors writing spacefaring adventures where an astronaut or cosmonaut or space force is traveling through the cosmos toward some kind of interplanetary satellite or lunar surface. The book is part of a whole series called: The Red Penguin Collection. Interestingly enough, Red Penguin is from my hometown (New York City), and they are heavy in the marketing department. There will obviously be a print verison and a digital version. Be on the lookout for it. I’ll leave banners and links below. Check Amazon or Barnes&Nobles.com “here” and “there.”
I am quite pleased to announce that I’ve got a new, exclusive story appearing in the recently-released paperback anthology, “I CAST YOU OUT: Stories of Possession.” Featuring 27 different authors from around the globe (including India), touching down on the psychological and horrifying effects of demonic possession. At this time it is only available on Amazon. I am not sure whether it will see a digital release. So this might be print only. I’ll put all the usual links to the right hand side or pictures in this post, should you be interested. Edited by Jay Chakravarti. 336 Pages.
My tale, which comes in around 5100 words, is called “Trevor’s Nagging.” Location-wise it takes place in a mental hospital with a psychiatrist figure, and a young lad named Trevor…but just what is nagging at him? If you are a fan of movies such as The Exorcist or The Exorcism of Emily Rose, this story and many of the others contained within may be up your alley. Just make sure to read with the lights on.
You can order the anthology DIRECT from Amazon below:
Also, if you would like to follow me on a modern day reader, tablet, or android device, or keep up-to-date whenever a new anthology featuring my works of speculative fiction and horror come out, I have an author page here:
You can also find me on Twitter (my social media of choice the past 13 years), where I not only talk about fiction literature, but talk shop on video games, toys, comic books, pop culture, Doctor Who, and art: http://www.twitter.com/ldagstine
I am very pleased to announce I have my first book contract of 2022. This is a gigantic anthology of alternate history stories (and yes, some steampunk/dieselpunk too, stuff that doesn’t necessarily fit the bill). It is called, “UCHRONIA: An Anthology of Alternate Histories and Alternate Worlds.” Lots of great authors, tons of juicy content. It is a reprint antho, mostly. My story is called, “A Better Life.” It’s a domestic violence story set in a far distant steampunk realm. A woman is trying to escape her abusive husband, and the only way to do so is by airship. Soar to the heavens.
Uchronia will be available WORLDWIDE as an Ebook (at first), on all the usual digital channels. A paperback release with a wraparound cover, to my knowledge, is to follow no later than 2023. When it comes out, just pay attention to Amazon, B&N.com, and the book covers on the right-hand side column of this very website. All you have to do is click on the book cover to be redirected to the ordering page. Hope you are all having a wonderful year so far.
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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