Category Archives: Speculative Fiction Journals

Tales from the Crosstimbers, Fall 2026 – Magazine Appearances!

I have a brand new horror and dark romance story (usually referred to as ‘Horror-Mance’ these days) in the Fall 2026 issue of the semi-professional speculative fiction magazine, Tales from the Crosstimbers. Edited by Max Griffin on a quarterly basis, it is available online in print and ebook formats. You can get it on Amazon Kindle. Every issue features ten authors. Just like in my last website entry (Frost Zone Stories, Book #4), we’re visiting NYC again for horror depicted in the 1970s. A little bit of the historical, a little bit of the weird, and a whole lot of the nostalgic. What happens when a middle-aged man meets a woman with a mysterious past in a renowned bookstore? What happens when they begin to date seriously, engage in a love affair where immortality is offered openhandedly? Will this man accept her gift? Or will he turn it down at a cost without realizing it? Find out in my story: “The Woman Who Offered Immortality.” As always, any pictures and links we’ll be below. In the coming year you will see a lot more ‘Horror-Mance’ coming from me, as dark romance (or other romantasy) seem to be selling quite well these days in the world of literature.

Tales from the Crosstimbers – Fall 2026 Issue

Featuring new Dagstine story: “The Woman Who Offered Immortality”

BACK COVER w. TABLE OF CONTENTS (in order):

SAMPLE OR BUY THE ISSUE ON AMAZON:

MAIN WEBSITE – SUBMISSION GUIDELINES – MASTHEAD:

https://www.thecrosstimbers.net

Other New Entries: “Magazines” and “Digital Credits”

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “Book”, “name”: “Tales from the Crosstimbers: Fall 2026”, “editor”: { “@type”: “Person”, “name”: “Max Griffin”, “url”: “https://thecrosstimbers.net” }, “publisher”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “Tales From The Crosstimbers”, “url”: “https://thecrosstimbers.net” }, “datePublished”: “2026”, “bookFormat”: [ “https://schema.org” ], “genre”: [ “Horror”, “Science Fiction”, “Speculative Fiction”, “Anthology” ], “description”: “The Fall 2026 edition of Tales from the Crosstimbers, a quarterly showcase of dark twisty speculative fiction, horror, and science fiction.”, “hasPart”: { “@type”: “ShortStory”, “name”: “The Woman Who Offered Immortality”, “author”: { “@type”: “Person”, “name”: “Lawrence Dagstine”, “url”: “https://lawrencedagstine.com” }, “description”: “A dark speculative short story featured in the Fall 2026 edition of Tales from the Crosstimbers.”, “genre”: “Speculative Fiction / Dark Fiction” } }

Frost Zone Stories, Book #4. AUTUMN 2026 – New Story by Lawrence Dagstine

I’m pleased to announce that I have a brand new paranormal story set in my hometown in BOOK 4 of Frost Zone Stories. I don’t know whether to describe this as a book or a journal. It’s really nice. Contents put together professionally. Quality. So I’ll throw it up in both Books-Anthos & Magazines. Frost Zone Stories describe themselves as a publisher of ghostly/supernatural fiction they like to call “Quiet Horror.” And boy oh boy, do I have a haunting, atmospheric tale for you. It takes place in the heart of Times Square soon after the Nixon/Watergate scandal. High crime levels. The Son of Sam. The NYC Blackout. Yes, the 1970s! And everything in this tale, the businesses and places mentioned… These are real establishments. I grew up not too far from here. The age of Triple X movie theaters and drug-dealing pubs and arcades, long before it became the Disneyland that it is today. This is all real history here (well, minus the ghosts). I’ll leave all pics and essential links below, like I usually do. Read my “New York Horror” story: “The Bar that Remembered.”

FROST ZONE STORIES, BOOK #4 – Autumn 2026 Edition

Featuring New Dagstine Tale: “The Bar that Remembered.”

Set in 1970s New York City

SAMPLE ON AMAZON – BUY IT FOR KINDLE:

BUY IT AT BARNES & NOBLE (click link, be redirected):

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frost-zone-stories-book-4-m-m-macleod/1150817750?ean=9781069454867

BUY IT ON KOBO – For Kobo eReaders:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/frost-zone-stories-book-4

FOR PRINT COPIES – FROST ZONE WEBSITE – MASTHEAD:

https://www.frostzonestories.com

FOR TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” and “Magazines”

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “Book”, “name”: “Frost Zone Stories book 4”, “editor”: { “@type”: “Person”, “name”: “M.M. MacLeod” }, “publisher”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “Frost Zone Press”, “url”: “https://www.frostzonestories.com/” }, “datePublished”: “2026-08-28”, “bookFormat”: [ “https://schema.org”, “https://schema.org” ], “genre”: [ “Horror”, “Dark Fiction”, “Quiet Horror”, “Literary Horror”, “Speculative Fiction” ], “description”: “The Autumn 2026 Edition of Frost Zone Stories, an anthology dedicated to dark literary fiction, quiet horror, and strange tales.”, “hasPart”: { “@type”: “ShortStory”, “name”: “The Bar that Remembered”, “author”: { “@type”: “Person”, “name”: “Lawrence Dagstine”, “url”: “https://lawrencedagstine.com/” }, “description”: “A dark, atmospheric literary horror story set in 1970s New York City.”, “genre”: “Historical Dark Fiction / Quiet Horror”, “contentLocation”: { “@type”: “Place”, “name”: “New York City, New York” }, “temporalCoverage”: “1970s” } }

Alien Buddha Press: “The Alien Buddha’s Got Beef…” – new Lawrence Dagstine story!

Hello, fellow readers. I’ve got a brand new “pulp sci-fi” story to greet you with this month. And it’s being showcased at the long-running Alien Buddha Press. They publish a lot of short story collections and poetry chapbooks, along with a monthly zine. This particular acceptance comes to a themed edition: The Alien Buddha’s Got Beef. What this means is all stories or poems contained within the book has some sort of character or scenario where a BEEF is involved. I’m appearing beside some familiar small press names, like Christopher Dabrowksi, J. Rocky Colavito, and Jacek Wilkos. And Bram Stoker nominee, James Dorr. I’ve appeared with these guys about a dozen times, shared tables of contents before. My story takes place in an interplanetary bar with some interesting regulars, and the beef is in regards to a very important “space race.” A competitive beef. The name of my story is: “The Drinking Man’s Race.” I’ll leave all the necessary photos and clickable links below, along with a pic of the lineup. If you’re into leisurely reading and pulp sf or horror, the Alien Buddha’s got some enjoyable stuff. Great poetry too! 231 beefy pages!

Alien Buddha Press presents…

THE ALIEN BUDDHA’S GOT BEEF!

Featuring pulp Dagstine story: “The Drinking Man’s Race”

Check out the book here on Amazon – (click, sample below):

Alien Buddha Press Main Website/Blog:

https://alienbuddhapress.wordpress.com/blog/

Alien Buddha Press on Facebook:

https://facebook.com/alienbuddhapress

I was also in a special themed “New Year’s Edition” a few years back. You can find that on Amazon too.

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Stygian Lepus Magazine: Spring 2026, Issue #33 – new story by Lawrence Dagstine

I have a new story in Issue #33 (April/Early Spring) of Stygian Lepus Magazine. This would be my third credit with them, third time gracing the journal’s pages these last few years. They are a monthly primarily focused on speculative fiction that is “beyond dark.” Even somewhat cosmic. This time around I have a tale which is one part religious horror, the other part medical horror. Think Robin Cook meets Ira Levin meets T.M. Wright (I used to know him 20+ years ago on a place called Shocklines). What happens when a doctor takes up residency in a rural hospital mysteriously funded by the local church? Who are these cardinals coming in the middle of the night with garbage bags, donning gold crosses? Why are there hundreds of pregnant women lined up outside the hospital’s emergency room all hours of the day? What’s going on in this medical facility? And what exactly is being born in the basement, which requires a special keycard to access? Check out my story in the latest issue of Stygian Lepus: “The Jesus Engine.”

Stygian Lepus Magazine – Issue #33

Available for Amazon Kindle (300+ page ebook) – and a MASSIVE paperback!

STYGIAN LEPUS ON AMAZON – Sample Now, Click Below

STYGIAN LEPUS MAGAZINE HOMEPAGE

(subscriptions, submissions, where to buy, etc)

CLICK LINK, BE REDIRECTED: https://www.stygianlepus.com/

Edited to Add: I’m pleased to announce that, as of this website post, the print version of Stygian Lepus No. #33 has cracked the TOP 100 spot (in preorders, for April 8th 2026). At Number 29 in Psychological Horror. It’s a biggie. I do recommend checking it out.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “Book”, “name”: “Edition 33 (The Stygian Lepus Magazine)”, “publisher”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “The Stygian Lepus Magazine”, “url”: “https://www.stygianlepus.com/” }, “datePublished”: “2026-04-08”, “bookFormat”: [ “https://schema.org”, “https://schema.org” ], “genre”: [ “Horror”, “Speculative Fiction”, “Cosmic Horror”, “Medical Horror”, “Magazine” ], “description”: “The Spring 2026 issue of Stygian Lepus Magazine, a monthly showcase focusing on dark speculative fiction that pushes the boundaries of reality.”, “hasPart”: { “@type”: “ShortStory”, “name”: “The Jesus Engine”, “author”: { “@type”: “Person”, “name”: “Lawrence Dagstine”, “url”: “https://lawrencedagstine.com/” }, “description”: “A dark piece blending medical and religious horror, following a doctor who takes up residency in a rural hospital mysteriously funded by a local church.”, “genre”: “Medical / Religious Horror” } }

The Orange & Bee | Substack Publication – Professional Venue for Magical Stories and Fairy Tales…

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

Featuring Dagstine flash fiction piece: “Shadow Play”

The Orange & Bee MAIN PAGE – (click link, be redirected):

https://theorangebee.substack.com/

Lawrence Dagstine piece, Shadow Play – (click link, be redirected):

https://theorangebee.substack.com/p/shadow-play

And be sure to subscribe to them for weekly content! As in upgraded subscription!

I’ll put the banner above in magazines, since that’s where I put webzine-related stuff for close to twenty years.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

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

The Triumvirate: A Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror Vol. 6…

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.

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

ORION’S BEAU, FALL 2024: “How To Embrace Your Inner Weirdo” – by Lawrence Dagstine

Pleased to announce I have a brand new LGBTQIA+ humor story, with science fiction and drag queen elements to it, in the Fall 2024 edition of Orion’s Beau. Orion’s Beau is an online Web Journal dedicated to speculative fiction and fantastical pieces set in and around LGBTQIA+ culture and themes, and by authors who identify as members of the community themselves. From time to time, I do write satirical or slice of life vignettes involving gay protagonists (and antagonists). Other authors this edition include: M. Lopes da Silva, Emmie Christie, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Angela Acosta, Rachel Unger, and Reggie Kwok.

Read “How To Embrace Your Inner Weirdo: A Drag Queen’s Guide to Universal Eccentricity” by Lawrence Dagstine, in the Fall 2024 issue of Orion’s Beau. I’ll put all links below.

Orion’s Beau – Fall 2024

ORION’S BEAU – MAIN WEBSITE:

https://www.orionsbeau.com/

Fall 2024 Lineup (direct link):

https://www.orionsbeau.com/fantasy-quarterly/fall-2024

Read How to Embrace Your Inner Weirdo (direct link):

https://www.orionsbeau.com/fantasy-quarterly/fall-2024/how-to-embrace-your-inner-weirdo%3A-a-drag-queen’s-guide-to-universal-eccentricity

I’ll file this under Magazines.

Other New Entries: “Magazines/Webzines”

SCIENCE FICTION DIGESTS: “The Triumvirate, Vol. #5” – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

Fellow genre readers. I have a brand new story of despair and hardship set after the troubling events of the War in Iraq in the latest, book-sized edition of David Oliver Kling’s speculative fiction journal, The Triumvirate. Volume Five. The Triumvirate features tales of science fiction, fantasy, horror, even the occasional essay. It is available for your Amazon Kindle (digitally), or as a paperback in the $10.00 range. It is one part anthology-magazine, one part journal (but I consider it more a beefy digest). 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. Links and cover picture below (and in side column). This is my second appearance with The Triumvirate, and the name of my story this time around is: “After the Soldiers go Home.”

THE TRIUMVIRATE Volume #5 – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

Edited and compiled by David Oliver Kling

Featuring Lawrence Dagstine story: “After the Soldiers go Home”

TABLE OF CONTENTS/STORIES & AUTHORS FEATURED:


In “Earth-697,” Mark Mackey introduces us once again to Ambrosial Decarva, the dragon slayer of Dystonia.

Lawrence Dagstine’s “After the Soldiers go Home” takes us to a post-war Iraq plagued by both disease and despair.

Nicholas Hurst’s “You Can Almost See The Shininess” provides a lighter, yet equally enticing, exploration of military life.

In “Back From the War: A 1920’s Vampire Tale,” Mark Mackey transports us to a post-Great War America where Bram Collinwood faces supernatural horrors upon returning home.

Paul O’Neill’s “Mister Sleep” brings terror to the quiet town of Balekerin, where a sleepover turns into a nightmare.

Robert Henry’s “Fall into the Sky” takes us on a mythic journey with Ragnar, a father desperate to save his son.

Larry Johnson’s “The Under People” follows Lew Brown’s unsettling encounters with mysterious workers.

In “Amen” by Ed Perratore, high school senior Walter’s Halloween prank leads to a grim fate.

Finally, in David Oliver Kling’s essay, “What Dreams May Come: A Pastoral Care Perspective,” he provides a thoughtful analysis of the 1998 film “What Dreams May Come.”

Amazon Purchase Link (or sample below):


Also be sure to check out Volume #4. I’m in that edition too!

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES: “The Triumvirate, Vol. #4” – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

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.

New Entries: “Magazines”