I have a story in an anthology from a press I published with a few years back, called Red Polka Books. The name of the anthology is Sibling Syndrome. It’s different. The theme here are stories about brothers and sisters who care about each other, or have some kind of connection that goes beyond the norm. Hence, the title. And no, my story is not one of incest but one of speculative fiction. Imagine a sister and brother, who would go to the ends of the earth for each other, who would have each other’s back through thick and thin, could one day perceive the same imagery. My story is one about “identity distortion” and, eventually, “identity collapse.” It also has a Stranger Things vibe to it. Read my tale, “Mirror Child.” In the latest anthology from Red Polka Books. Pics and links will be below, so be sure to scroll all the way down.
Red Polka Books presents…
Sibling Syndrome Anthology – Edited by Rasiika Sen
Featuring new Dagstine story:“Mirror Child”
WHERE TO ORDER THE BOOK – (click links, be redirected):
Hello. I am back in a three-volume anthology series, from the wonderful book producers of spine-tingling terror themselves, Wicked Shadow Press. This time with a reprint from 2006 (yes, twenty years ago!). And it’s a zombie story. A kid’s zombie story. Something I am known the past two decades for writing. The name of the anthology is, ‘Small Town Shadows.’ The theme this time is horror set in small locales, densely populated cities, or areas. There are two other books in this series, entitled: ‘Small Town Secrets’ and ‘Small Town Silhouettes.’ A lot of authors contributed to these. I’m in Shadows, remember that. Book covers and clickable links will be below, as always. Just scroll down. A lot of times these books are illustrated throughout. So sit back, relax, and read my tale: “Thursday’sChildren.” The theme is something that, twenty years ago, for the time period, nobody had ever touched upon too much in mainstream literature.
Wicked Shadow Press presents…
SMALL TOWN SHADOWS Horror Anthology
Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty& Rasiika Sen
Featuring old school Dagstine reprint:“Thursday’s Children”
I must confess, it’s weird seeing one of your very first zombie stories from twenty years ago fully illustrated. A lot of love went into the making of this book. It looks really good. I have PDFs on hand if anybody wants a review copy. All the authors’ tales are illustrated.
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’m pleased to announce I have a short story of generational horror (along with parenting gone mad!), in the latest anthology from Farthest Star Publishing. This would be my third time published by Farthest Star (they’re the publisher of my novella, The Paraplegic). The name of the book is Acid and Ultra Violence. Fourteen authors are featured. The theme of the book is “violent objects” and “violent people” in science fiction and horror. Those two genres. Hence the title, Ultra Violence. It is edited by D. A. D’Amico. And it is available in paperback and Amazon Kindle formats. I’ll copy and paste all the usual pictures and links down below, any necessary details. The name of my story is, “The One to Keep.” And it’s a new tale.
Acid and Ultra Violence Anthology – Edited by D. A. D’Amico
Published by Farthest Star Publishing
Featuring Dagstine story:“The One to Keep”
***Sample it out now on Amazon Kindle***
DESCRIPTION FROM AMAZON:Welcome to fourteen stories where nothing is what it seems, and every answer unlocks darker questions. Step through shattered futures, cursed realms, and surreal battlegrounds crafted by both seasoned and emerging writers. These tales don’t just shock—they invite you to cry, scream, and bleed with the characters. And to enjoy a good helping of… Acid and Ultra Violence.
These stories don’t comfort. They hurl you into worlds where rage sparks revolutions, grief becomes a weapon, and nothing—whether futuristic, arcane, or infernal—survives untouched. Heroes are forged from trauma, villains born from love, and survival demands a brutal price. Every tale hits hard, burns deep, and leaves its mark—and nothing returns unchanged.
Some highlights…
In a brutal future where body parts are currency, arrogance and desperation clash in a high stakes game of chance. Tech-enhanced Polimi triumphs over the desperate Carmuia, winning a horrific payment of flesh. But Polimi’s victory is cut short… leaving her with only the cruel, ironic sting of absolute loss.
In a world ruled by monsters, a desperate hunter carries a horrific secret bargain. Driven by this desperate promise, she is compelled to lure others into an alien trap. But when her own family becomes part of the creatures’ cruel game, Jill must make an agonizing final choice that will determine the fate of them all.
In a kingdom of chains, a captive witch is forced on a quest for the mythical Pin of Light. Surrounded by deceit and ancient wards, Ja’ala must navigate a spoiled Prince’s arrogance, unforgiving terrain, and dark, evil magic as she prepares to pay the ultimate price of the artifact—a price that may be higher than she could ever imagine.
A scavenging crew risks everything to breach a colossal, ancient starship trapped near a black hole. But the ancient vessel’s opulent halls quickly become a prison of cold terror. Isolated and surrounded by betrayal, the crew begins to turn on itself, unaware of the ship’s deepest secret—a terrifying reality that warps the very nature of time.
Stories:
“Gray Rock Method” by Lauren C. Teffeau “Crossing the Line” by Andrew Akers “Mr. Mongo’s Fanciful Elixir” by Glenn Dungan “The Curator” by Elese Mathis “The Widow and the Rain” by Paul Martz “Just 35 Percent” by Adam Stone “The Pin of Light” by Dean N. D’Amico “Skin in the Game” by C. J. Erick “The One to Keep” by Lawrence Dagstine “Obliterating The Olive” by Shane Porteous “When the Music Stops” by C.J. Taylor “Black Segments” by John Leahy “The Fold” by Jeremy Zentner “Vector Victoria” by D. A. D’Amico
Edited by: D. A. D’Amico
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’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”
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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