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.
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
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.
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 pleased to announce that I have been invited to submit a BRAND NEW Western themed tale to a major anthology due out this summer from Dark Owl Publishing. It’s been a long time since I’ve written a genre story set in the Old West. Years ago I wrote a western novel, but didn’t see many sales. Western short stories I had a little bit better luck at in the payment department. And they were more entertaining too. That’s what I like about short stories. The pay is halfway decent. They’re quick to write. Quick to read. Just the right amount of space to entertain, and when you’re on the fly. The name of the anthology, which mixes western tales with genre-specific themes — even horror! even steampunk! — is called Something Wicked This Way Rides. Dark Owl Publishing released a mega-sized anthology back around Holidays 2020 which I also have two brand new stories in. This will be my third story with them, gracing their lovely books. So stay tuned for a Lawrence Dagstine western tale later this year, as we visit a mysterious Djinn in the Wild West post-Civil War. The rest, SPOILERS! Mock-up cover below.
Also pleased to announce that I will soon be a published writer of 25 years. Time flies.
COMING SUMMER 2021: “Something Wicked This Way Rides”
A Major Western Anthology – 26 Strong Authors, 29+ Short Stories
When the book comes out, I’ll make a formal announcement on this website. I’ll post the links where to buy, places such as Amazon. But it will be available on the convention circuits, book stores, other places. Covid-19 has had a tremendous effect on publishing when it comes to selling books at cons. It will be available in print and digital formats. The best of both worlds. As said above, there are some VERY strong authors in the short story department here. Other authors will include Gregory Norris (prolific in his own right), Jason McQuiston (who has a science fiction novel coming out around the bend), Gustavo Bondoni, Vonnie Winslow Crist, and even Darrell Schweitzer (former editor of Weird Tales). So, major names here in the short story field.
And why not check out what OTHER books and anthologies Dark Owl has to offer?
In other news, in-between writing fiction and non-fiction (freelance), I’ve been pursuing my other passion. Drawing. I missed art. I missed it something awful. Mostly comic book art, pop art. Maybe in a few weeks time I will share some of that artwork with you here, since art and literature often go together. Until then, Ciao…
OTHER NEW ENTRIES: “Book Acceptances, Books & Anthos, Anthologies…”
Summer is almost over, Fall is on our doorstep. With that means cooler temperatures (excited about that), and possibly a second wave of Covid-19 (not too excited about that). Regardless, it means more staying home, working remote, and more time to sit back and read. I’m pleased to announce I have sold two BRAND NEW short stories to the upcoming 650+ page anthology: A CELEBRATION OF STORYTELLING. The cover is gorgeous, and it should drop around Christmas 2020. It will be put out through new publisher, Dark Owl Publishing House. The book will feature two stories of mine: a mystery and scifi tale. And I will keep you updated with Amazon links and ordering info in the coming months.
As the writer of the occasional post-apocalyptic yarn and other dystopian fiction, I can say we are living in some very scary times. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is very scary stuff. I never thought I would live to see the day where the stuff of motion pictures (Contagion, Outbreak, and 28 Days Later) would become a daily reality! California is in shutdown mode, New York City is about to be shutdown! Europe has sealed the borders of twenty-six countries; Canada has also closed their borders and taken the necessary measures to contain this horrible virus which seems to prey mostly on the elderly (age 60+ crowd, mainly) and those with underlying health problems and compromised immune systems. I fall into this category myself because my immune system is compromised, so I must be cautious. Then, as an American, you have to worry about the economical impacts, the sociological impacts, and the political ramifications such a scenario has on a nation. This is only the beginning. This is not your average flu. In the coming months there will be food shortages, prescription shortages, medical supply shortages, people may have to stay indoors over a year. Please, self-isolate. Protect your loved ones. You’re going to have a LOT of free time on your hands. What better time to read? That’s why I am giving away one of my Ebooks for free during this health crisis, straight up until the end of this year. A CHILD WEEPS IN MOSCOW, a dystopian yet rather alternative history telling of alien influence in Russia during the Post-Revolution years is FREE until December 31st 2020 on Smashwords. It’s available in ePub AND Mobi formats (Kindle). Read it on your Kindle, your Nook, a phone or iPad or other android device. Whatever works for you. Links, pictures, coupon code below. Remember, free. Most of all, stay safe. Be kind to your neighbor. Self-isolate.
I am part of an amazing new charity anthology put out (March 3rd 2020 in digital, and March 10th 2020 in paperback) by science fiction writer/editor Stephen Landry. With artwork by Amelia Parris. The name of the charity anthology is RISE AND RESCUE: Vol. 1. It is a book of RPG and gaming-related tales for a very worthy cause. And you should pick up a copy right now! It is at a great price, I have a brand new RPG tale within its pages, along with 22 other talented authors, and ALL proceeds earned go to WIRES. Wires is a special wildlife group who are trying to save the baby koalas and baby kangaroos who have lost their homes or become sick due to the bushfires that have DEVASTATED Australia. Are you a fan of LitRPG or gaming-related fiction? Let’s help the animals of Australia. As an animal lover myself, this is doing a charitable thing. Check out the book covers and other banners below. And don’t forget to read my short story: “The War Module.” FIRST TIME in print! Links also below!
RISE AND RESCUE:
A Charity Anthology
For WIRES Wildlife – Volume 1 – 22 Authors!
RISE AND RESCUE: Volume 1
Save the koalas, save the kangaroos, help animals devastated by Australian bushfires.
Almost 450 pages of fiction by genre writers who are gamers/compassionate people.
You can get the book off Amazon, and very soon from Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, and through Apple Books, in print, in digital (if tablet or eReader is your thing), or even mobile (if reading on a phone is your thing). ALL formats.
Read: “The War Module” – a LitRPG story by Lawrence Dagstine.
AUTHOR LINEUP for RISE AND RESCUE Volume One
If you’re a fan of genre fiction. If you love to read. Let’s do this for the animals. Let’s do it because it’s right. Rise and Rescue…Now available.
I have a science fiction story in Left Hand Publishers speculative fiction anthology, titled: CLASSICSREMIXED. Edited by Karen T. Newman. This is a big beefy book, chock full of imaginative stories of characters we know from past fairy tales, novels, and folklore. What happens when you take famous story characters and put them in different scenarios, speculative situations, or twist around a fairy tale? You get Classics Remixed. An anthology of classic characters REMIXED and REIMAGINED into something new and different. It has beautiful cover art, and as always when I update my website, I will leave pictures of book covers, a lineup of the author talent (Table of Contents), and links to the publisher’s website and places like Amazon, where you can order this book in trade paperback form.
Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother Tells All by Jill Hand
The inside story behind one of our favorite fables
Sailor’s Saga by Steve Rouse
Old Man and the Sea meets Moby Dick meet 20,000 Leagues
Not a Single Soul by Tom Howard
A good witch, a wicked witch, but which witch is which?
The Maze Under the Clouds by Blake Jessop
A sci-fi spin on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur
The Upper Hand by A.P. Sessler
In a spin on “The Monkey’s Paw,” be careful what you wish for…
Of House and Home by Eric Andrews-Katz
Were Hansel and Gretel the victims? Not so much.
Solomon’s Moon by Kevin M. Folliard
Not all invisible men are created equal. Some are just bad.
A Taste of Wonderland by Gregory L. Norris
Starvation twists Alice, Wonderland, and all its inhabitants
Gluttony by Henry Herz
What happens below decks, stays below decks in this biblical misadventure.
Moby n’ Queegs by William Ade
This ain’t your daddy’s Moby Dick
Follicles, Fables & Follies by Paul K. Metheney
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down … never mind
Jane, Designed to Love by Brandon L. Summers
Jane Eyre or A.I.? Do androids dream of electric love?
Ding Dong the Pitch is Deadly by Jonathan Shipley
There’s no place like home plate
Catcher in the Crawlspace by Jay Seate
Catcher in the Rye or Stalker in the Crawlspace?
Curse of Avalon by Anthony Regolino
That’s no Lady of the Lake…
Treasure Moon by Robert Allen Lupton
Treasure Island with a sci-fi twisted sense of humor
Noah from Mars by Lawrence Dagstine
Science fictions versus one family’s faith
Strike the Match by Robert Petyo
The Three Musketeers go bowling. Seriously.
Handsome and Greedy by Katherine Brown
Hansel and Gretel like you’ve never seen them before
Copper County Fair by Cheryl Stevens Clark
The story of the Minotaur comes to Copper County
Mermaid by Karen Janowsky
The Little Mermaid in modern day prose
A Novel Gathering by Neil Childs
A band of fictional rogues who attempt to rob the poor to feather their own nests
I will appear with a werewolf story in the late May digital anthology, CREATURES, by Tell-Tale Press. Edited by Andrea Dawn. There will be two versions to this anthology. A short story edition and a novelette edition. I’m in the short story edition. It will be free to read on the Tell-Tale Press website, then available in ebook format from Amazon in the event you own a Kindle. The book, along with various other titles from Tell-Tale Press, will also be available on May 23-26th at Phoenix Fan Fusion Comic Book Convention. They will have a table there. So if you live in the Arizona area, be on the lookout for CREATURES ANTHO with my story in it, and many other talented authors. I will leave pictures, links, author lineup below. Just click on them (be redirected).
With Horror Stories By: Oreoluwa Arowobusoye, Kenneth Bykerk, Lawrence Dagstine, Danielle Davis, Dan Fields, Eric J. Guignard, A.M. Harte, Isabella Hunter, Jennifer Loring, Nicola Lombardi, Matthew Lyons, Jamie Mason, Jason McCuiston, Gregory L. Norris, P. R. O’Leary, D.C. Phillips, Mark Silcox, Melissa Watkins Starr, T.J. Tranchell, Joseph Walker.
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I have a BRAND NEW short story for late 2018 in the Left Hand Publishers’ Anthology: ‘Suspense Unimagined.’ Anthology of Suspense, Thrillers, and Nightmares creeping past the boundaries of your imagination. Edited by the very talented Karen T. Newman, and featuring over two-dozen talented authors. The name of my story is “COMPETING FOR ROSES.” It is a dark tale set in World War One, and around roses (the flowers). It is available in paperback. I will add book cover pics and the two links I could find to order it (below), such as Amazon.
You can now find a story of mine in the reprint anthology, RE-LAUNCH: Science Fiction Stories of New Beginnings. Available in ebook form, for Kindle. And edited by Kelly A. Harmon and Vonnie Winslow Crist. Re-Launch is just one of many genre titles in the Re-Imagined Series. This particular one being my forte, pulp science fiction. If you like pulp-stylized stories of astronauts and cosmonauts and space travel and interplanetary landings, this might be up your alley. I’m not sure if a print version exists but I will provide an Amazon link down below along with the author line-up.
AUTHOR LINE-UP: Douglas Smith, James Dorr, Kris Austin Radcliffe, Eando Bender, Wendy Nikel, Stewart C. Baker, Meriah Crawford, Gregory L. Norris, Jennifer Rachel Baumer, Jonathan Shipley, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Lawrence Dagstine, CB Droege, Jude-Marie Green, Steven R. Southard, Calie Voorhis, Anthony Cardno, Andrew Gudgel.
I have a story up in the Kindle Unlimited publication, Alien Dimensions Magazine. Issue #14. Or, also known as Alien Dimensions Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Metaphysical short stories. This is an ePublication focusing heavily on alien races and alien influence. Other authors appearing beside me in Issue #14 include: John Hegenberger, Neil A. Hogan, Olga Werby, Sean Mulroy, Jeremy A. Brown, and Regina Clarke. I’ll place clickable links below the current issue’s cover, along with their main website. Be sure to check it out. Enjoy.
ALIEN DIMENSIONS MAGAZINE – ISSUE #14, November 2017-2018
You can find a science fiction story of mine in the new Visions Anthology (and last in the series, by editor Carroll Fix and Rogue Star Press). VISIONS VII: UNIVERSE. Available in a nice thick trade paperback for $19.95, or as an ebook on Kindle or venues like Smashwords for about $4.99. A plethora of great stories by familiar science fiction short story names, all compiled into one 260 page book. This anthology focuses on the theme of “faraway universes” and the “human race.” Our roles within it. I’ll put more details below, along with the author lineup, and any necessary book cover photos and where-to-buy links (which you can click on and be redirected). So just scroll down.
The following below is excerpted from the Visions website for promotional purposes.
The Visions Series tells the story of how humanity must ultimately venture outward from our tiny home and explore the Universe.
Visions VII: Universe, the final volume, opens the doors to incredible possibilities for the race called Human. We venture into realms where the impossible becomes fact.
Visions VII: Universe
Final anthology in the Visions Series.
The Visions series tells the story of how humanity must ultimately venture outward from our tiny home and explore the Universe. Visions: Leaving Earth, the first volume, describes our first faltering steps to rise from Earth’s surface and build homes in space. Visions II: Moons of Saturn confirms humankind’s success in leaving Earth and building homes in the other planetary systems circling our sun-father Sol. Visions III: Inside the Kuiper Belt proclaims domination of all that dwells within the solar system—from our Sun to the outermost reaches of the Kuiper Belt and into the Oort Cloud. Visions IV: Space Between Stars astounds us with the infinite possibilities of adventure and danger far from any suns or planets— in the cold, dark regions of deepest space, where dark matter and nebulas of celestial gases abide. Visions V: Milky Way leads us to explore our own galaxy. Although vast and unreachable with current technology, the Milky Way is but a tiny point in the Universe. We must first learn about our own home galaxy before we can explore further outward to other galaxies. Visions VI: Galaxies follows human progress into other galaxies. Humankind survives to spread across the Universe, making distant galaxies and planets into a home for a race destined to seek horizons ever more far away.
Visions VII: Universe Series: Visions Paperback: 260 pages Publisher: Rogue Star Press (August 2017) Language: English POD ISBN-10: 1-945646-28-4 ISBN-13: 978-1-945646-28-7 EPUB ISBN-10: 1-945646-29-2 ISBN -13: 978-1-945646-29-4 MOBI ISBN-10: 1-945646-30-6 ISBN-13: 978-1-945646-30-0 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches Spine Width: 0.71640 in Weight: 1.019 lbs
For my twentieth year involved in short stories, I’d like to announce a 2016 release, a literary horror anthology that recently hit various conventions and online bookshops like Amazon and B&N. The fine folks at Nosetouch Press produced this immaculate 400+ page monster, brimming with spark, intelligence, imagination and much speculation, that doesn’t just focus on Broomsticks and Cauldrons. It is available in hardcover, paperback, and ALL eBook/Android/Mobile formats (for those on the go). Personally, I’d go with the hardcover or paperback myself. Introducing, WAX & WANE: An Anthology of Witch Stories. Thirty stories by thirty fantastic authors, some up-and-coming. Big book, kind of weighty, if I do say so myself. Links, pictures, adverts, and author list below. Cheers.
A little late at the presses, but I bring a new story to the Summer-Fall 2013 issue of David Lee Summer’s genre periodical, Tales of the Talisman. This would be my 6th appearance between its pages, and this time I weave a historical fantasy tale involving witches. Witches seem to be very popular as of late. With The Witching Hour and American Horror Story Coven opening to record numbers, the dark practitioners are far from overused. My yarn leans more toward Hogwarts though, so Harry Potter fans will surely relish in this slightly different approach. Read my 5,000-worder: She Left Home Under a Cloud ofDragonflies, now. Click pictures or links for direct order; line-up also below.
Issue 9.1 featuring fiction by: Christian Martin, Simon Bleakan, Glynn Barrass, Uncle River, Davyne DaSae, C.J. Henderson, Frances Silversmith, Derek Muk, David B. Riley, Jeff Stehman, Hunter Liguore, Melinda Moore, Mira Domsky, and Lawrence Dagstine. Also, poetry and illos by G.O. Clark and Marge Simon. And much, much more.
I have a gothic horror story appearing in the 2013 issue, No. 9, of Fortress Publishing’s Cemetery Moon. Nice looking Cthulhu cover art, perfect for this particular edition. I guess it’s themed. Features short fiction by Me, AJ Huffman, Gerald E. Sheagren, Brian Barnett, Larry Hinkle, Dr. Bill deArmond, Allen Koop, Donald C. White, William Andre Sanders, and William Amundsen. If you’d like to order it, just click on the link or pic below. Only available in print; they really should put out a digital version to this.
I had remembered appearing in this particular digest a long time ago, but I couldn’t place when. Then I remembered, I was in the premiere issue with authors Kristine Ong Muslim, Kenneth Goldman, and Barry J. House. Now that publishing is collapsing, with mass publications relying heavily on publicity expenditures and print magazines in the final stages of extinction, I’m going to miss these little pulps from yesteryear. One could step back in time and relive the days of when authors like Ray Bradbury, Fritz Lieber, John Campbell and A.E. Van Vogt were just starting out. I must confess, I’m going to miss it; oddly enough, another part of me isn’t.
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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