Tag Archives: Dark Science Fiction

Wicked Shadow Press: “Flash of the Dead HALLOWEEN 2026…” – ANTHOLOGIES!

It’s October (aka spooky season), so that means I’m back in Wicked Shadow Press’s Flash of the Dead Halloween Anthology. This time for 2026, and they really went with a nice cover this year. As always, they’ve got a tremendous lineup. Most of the stories are what’s called “flash fiction,” and these are tales which usually run between 500 and 1,500 words in length. What I like to call small bites. While most of the stories are themed around All Hallows’ Eve, my tale is about the horrors of time travel. You know, like being stuck in a time period you can’t adapt to or like very much? Or being in quarantine. Or, even worse, the horrors of being forced to reside with somebody you don’t like… and ingest castor oil. Read my story in Flash of the Dead Halloween 26: “Nothing but Time and Oil.” Pictures and links will be below as usual.

Wicked Shadow Press presents…

Flash of the Dead Halloween 2026 – Flash Fiction Anthology

Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring new Dagstine story: “Nothing but Time and Oil”

BUY THE BOOK IN USA (also available in India/Asia):

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/flash-of-the-dead-halloween-26/paperback/product-84qd997.html

Wicked Shadow Press on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Wicked Shadow Press New Website:

https://wickedshadowpress.induswords.in

Oh yeah, and Happy Halloween! 🙂

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Books about Genocide: “Genocidal” – An Anthology, by Culture Cult Press

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):

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/j-chakravarti/genocidal/paperback/product-7k6dy4j.html

ePub: https://www.lulu.com/shop/j-chakravarti/genocidal/ebook/product-jewmeq7.html

According to publisher info received, the April 2025 discount code BCORPBOOKS15 may be used for a 15% discount on Lulu on all purchases. 

Culture Cult Press Socials:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress

Instagram: https://instagram.com/culturecultpress

Visit at: https://CultureCult.co.in

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.

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

NEW ANTHOLOGIES: “Who Let the Gods Out?!” – Wicked Shadow Press

My next story is yet another new one, and this time to a themed Wicked Shadow Press anthology again. The name of the anthology, part of a two-book series, is “Who Let the Gods Out?!” – Divine Wrath. I’m in Divine Wrath (that volume), keep that in mind. I’m sure there was no pun intended when naming these (**wink wink**), and while the books are primarily horror-focused, my story falls more under the umbrella of dark science fiction. The main protagonist is a Russian fisherman who has always had his eyes set on the stars, as far back as the fall of the Soviet Union and KGB. He’s in search of an alien probe with godly technology inside of it, but so is a very rich entrepreneur. This tycoon wants the quantum computing tech the aliens are traveling with, but at what price? What will he become once he gets his hands on it? Find out in: “Transcendence.”

WHO LET THE GODS OUT?! Anthology – Divine Wrath

Published by Wicked Shadow Press/Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring new Dagstine story: “Transcendence”

ORDERING INFO (click links below, be redirected):

Who Let the Gods Out paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-parth-sarathi-chakraborty/who-let-the-gods-out-divine-wrath/paperback/product-m2mzd9e.html

Who Let the Gods Out ePub: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-parth-sarathi-chakraborty/who-let-the-gods-out-divine-wrath/ebook/product-w4k74zj.html

Wicked Shadow Press on Social Media:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

CHRISTMAS HORROR: “Merry Creepsmas” – Wicked Shadow Press

My next story is also a newbie. And while the anthology it is being featured in is holiday oriented (one of Christmas-themed horror)… My short story could best be described as dark, dystopic science fiction. It is a tale of warning. With DeepSeek and humanoid robots a reality, the future if we are not careful. A tale of man versus machine. A tale of one prisoner explaining Christmas and yuletide blessings to his captor. A tale of human versus AI. Or, just perhaps, if we are not careful, what AGI might become. There are a lot of great holiday stories in this book. The layout and presentation from Wicked Shadow Press is nothing short of excellent, and these books are hot in India. Prepare yourself for my brand new story of what generative AI might evolve into in a few decades: “For my Enemy on Christmas.” Ordering details at the bottom.

Merry Creepsmas – The Green Book (Xmas themed Horror)

Published by Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring new Dagstine story: “For my Enemy on Christmas”

ORDER BOTH VOLUMES (I’m in the Green Book/Edition):

THE GREEN BOOK (availability in USA – click below):

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/merry-creepsmas-the-green-book/paperback/product-v8jvm8v.html

Ebook: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/merry-creepsmas-the-green-book/ebook/product-7ker84d.html

THE RED BOOK (availability in USA – click below):

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/merry-creepsmas-the-red-book/paperback/product-gj26dkw.html

Ebook: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/merry-creepsmas-the-red-book/ebook/product-p67r5zn.html

Wicked Shadow Press on social media:

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

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

Be a part of the Facebook group to get regular author-related info and submission calls from Wicked Shadow: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7867933553277077/?ref=share

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Other New Stuff in Addition: “Lawrence Dagstine Newsletter”

https://lawrencedagstinewrites.substack.com/