Adria Bailton, Author
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Musings from a Mountain

Short Fiction Round-Up #70

1/2/2023

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I took the last week of the year for writing and reading reflection, planning my next year, and overall re-centering myself. Today, I have seventeen (17) stories for you to check out if you missed them when I posted on social media.

Seize the Press logo, a guillatine in yellow over a triangle, with the words seize the press in yellow with a red stripe
What the Goulah Said on Thursday of the Dead by Sonia Sulaiman was published by Seize the Press in 2022.

Luna Station Quarterly published The Warrior Tree by Chana Kohl in 2022.
Picture: Luna Station Quarterly cover with a tree in front of a mountain, a green meadow and pond.

Picture: Mermaids Monthly December 2021 cover with a dark-haired feminine form in a long sleeve water blue dress and a diving mermaid overlayed on a background of the ocean and sky with a moon at night.
The Catfish Sisters by Lisa M. Bradley was published by Mermaids Monthly in 2021.

Daily Science Fiction published Hidden Treasure by Cislyn Smith in 2022. 
Picture: Daily Science Fiction logo with shades of green, a green circle with Daily Science Fiction written in white and a rocket with DSF written in green.

Picture: Beneath Ceaseless Skies cover with a ruin of a historical soldier.
Girls with Needles and Frost by Jenny Rae Rappaport was published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies in 2020.

Apparition Literary Magazine published Silver Bells by Jaime Marvin in 2022. 

Medusa and Herophile by L.M. Spann was published by Cul-de-Sac of Blood in 2022.

PodCastle published Dying Rivers and Broken Hearts by Gabriella Buba in 2022.
Picture: a Filipino woman lays on a field rock in a forest with a white blanket and words Indigenous Magic written on it.

Picture: Uncanny Nov/Dec 2022 cover, a girl with green hair and peach skin stands in a circle of moonlight with fish swimming in the fore and background and contributor names
I Am a Little Hotel by Ai Jiang was published in Uncanny Magazine in 2022.

The Dread Machine published A Mortal in Armour, Among Immortals Walking by Ai Jiang in 2022.

The Restaurant of Object Permanence by Beth Goder was published by Diabolical Plots in 2022.
Picture: Diabolical Plots logo, a steampunk face in teals and greens and blues with geometric pattern behind it.

Picture: Flash Fiction Online December 2022 cover with a white circle
Flash Fiction Online published Lost and Found at the Center of the Universe by Bo Balder in 2022.

Palette by J.L. Kiefer was published by Pseudopod in 2022.
Picture: Pseudopod logo with Pseudopod written in yellow and a tentacle wrapped around a stone.

Smokelong Quarterly published in 2015

Things You Won't Tell Your Therapist by Colleen Kearney Rich

The Butterfly Effect by Marc Joan
Photo of lockers.
Picture: The back of a white woman's back with her hands over her neck.

The Arcanist published in 2022

Dead-Go by Matt Tighe

Entropy in a Fruit Bowl by Nicole Lynn

Happy New Year! I hope to suggest many more stories in 2023.
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Short Fiction Round-Up #69

12/5/2022

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In November, between social media meltdowns and power outages and holidays, I was a bit chaotic in my suggested story posts. I have twelve (12) stories for today's blog post, in case you missed my various social media. Several, not all, were featured in Lauren Ring's Short Fiction Fridays, where I first heard of them. I recommend subscribing to her weekly newsletter for more great selections. 

Picture: Nightmare Magazines cover with a face wrapped in bandages and covered in blood holding a clamp.
We, the Girls Who Did Not Make It by E.A. Petricone was published in Nightmare in 2021. It is a spine-chilling tale and it's likely to make my next newsletter highlights. Hat tip to Lauren Ring's Short Fiction Fridays where I learned of this story.

The Sprawl Magazine published What Not to Do When You're Polymorphed and Stuck in a Time Warp by Stewart C. Baker in October. Just a fun little romp! 

Sounds Like Forever by Josh Roundtree was published by The Bourbon Penn in September. This story overcame several of my DNF checkboxes to become a suggested story. It's just really well done.
Picture: cover of Bourbon Penn with a girl with dark hair and blue eyes, lip, chin, and neck paint, and a mask pulled up that shows her face written all over.

The Arcanist published Head in the Grave, Listening by Elizabeth Guilt in October. I like the slight open-endedness of it.

If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love by Rachel Swirsky was published by Apex Magazine in 2013. This is another that I learned of from Lauren Ring's Short Fiction Fridays. This story is about expressing your love in the face of grief.

Picture: Fantasy Magazine October 2022 cover. A cat sits on a gravestone. The names of contributors and editors are listed.
Picture: November 2022 Fantasy Magazine cover. Whales swim through yellow-orange cloulds. Names of contributors and editors are listed.
Fantasy Magazine published

Quantum Eurydice by Avi Burton in October, a story about Eurydice in time.

The Werewolf and the Fox Spirit Are Neighbors by Amy Johnson in November, a poem about becoming friends.

You Are Cordially Invited to an Evening of Horror at the Secret Hills Golf and Country Club by Madeline Ashby was published by The Sunday Morning Transport in October. The growing sense of dread in this story was perfect, especially right at Halloween.
Picture: The Sunday Morning Transport logo with the words written in white on a black background.

Picture: Lightspeed cover for April 2021 with a large person in a lake catching a smaller person parachuting in against a ringlight.
Lightspeed published The Equations of the Dead by An Owomoyela in 2021, a story about love and death. I learned about this story from Lauren Ring's Short Fiction Fridays.

Travel Guide to Spaceport Rest Stops by Seoung Kim was published by If There's Anyone Left in January. This story is a story by reviews. I really love stories in this format. 

Flash Fiction Online published A Menagerie of Grief by Kelly Sandoval in 2016. The analogy of how people hand their grief and how it can hurt those you love, the ones also grieving, is amazing. 
Picture: a black and white sketch of a dragon and a dog curled around a grave.

Picture: Mermaids Monthly December 2021 cover with a woman with dark hair in a blue dress and a mermaid diving through her.
Merbraids by Amal El-Mohtar, Caitlyn Paxson, and Jessica P. Wick was published in 2021 by Mermaids Monthly. Having recently finished Under the Drowning Sea by Mira Grant, this poem about Sirens was a perfect follow-up.

Bonus: I wrote today's blogpost like this:
Picture of a white and red Boston Terrier laying on a thigh covered in blue leggings and the corner of a laptop.
Peaches lays on my knee while I balance my laptop to write this blog post.
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Short Fiction Round-Up #68

11/7/2022

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I apologize for the delay in this post. Normally it goes up the first Monday of the month, rounding up all the previous month's short fiction I suggested. I normally write the post the weekend before that first Monday. Unfortunately, I had a major power outage at my home, limiting my ability to do things like blog posts. 

Hopefully this November you're still in the mood for creepy because October is the spooky month and I focused on that, for the most part. Not all of these stories are horror or dreadful, but they are all speculative under my SFF/H umbrella that I enjoy. I've sorted them by magazine. Enjoy!

Recipe by Tina S. Zhu was published by Fireside Fiction in September. It's a 500-word piece and I love the format!

Strange Horizons published

Survivors by Elizabeth H. Hopkinson
in 2005. I enjoyed this 1400-word reflection upon mental illness and Alzheimers/senility.

​12 Things a Trini Should Know Before Travelling to a Back in Times Fete
™ by R.S.A. Garcia in October.  Fantastic time travel 1800-word story. This one is going to show up in my Newsletter. 
Strange Horizons logo of the words Strange Horizons stacked with a gradient of black to purple.

Lightspeed Issue 6 cover, with an image of a mech suit in a sandy desert. Words on the left highlight stories and say November 2010.
Ej-Es by Nancy Kress was published by Lightspeed Magazine in 2010. This 7200-word story reflects on how we see and treat disease.

In October, the Future Fire published

AITA for throwing away my wife’s haunted dolls? by Annika Barranti Klein
, a truly creepy AITA the length of a reedit post.

​Spindle House by Jennifer Hudak
, short story about a coven of witches and an elderly woman and her son-in-law.
The Future Fire cover of a girl in jeans and t-shirt with dark hair with coils around her arms and purple, skeletal figures attacking her.

Picture: Reckoning 6 cover in tones of orange and pink with a blond child riding a tiger in a field.
Footnotes from “Phosphates, Nitrates and the Lake A Incident: A Review.” by Mari Ness was published by Reckoning in August. A story told as a numbered list, I love well-done non-traditional story formats!

The Arcanist published

Door to Door Detaial by Michael James in September. This short had good creeping dread factor.

Treat Me Like the Sea by Taylor Rae in September. Another creeping dread one about what we give of ourselves.

We Watch the Nimble Dancers by Megan W. Shaw in October. This one was so bittersweet!

Hunger by Ai Jiang was published in The Martian Magazine in October. This is a flash piece about making monsters.
Picture: Martian Magazine header with the words Martian The Magazine of Science Fiction Drabbles on a background of an orange sheet on a white background.

kaleidotrope published

The History Eaters by Marissa James is a surreal short story.

Lisa's Garden by Jennifer Hudak is a short story about emotion and expression.

Picture of a tumbler with a few fingers of liquid, a city sitting atop the liquid with the neon colors of future punk.
Some Drink to Remember by Julie Reeser was published by The Dread Machine in July. Beautifully written with the dread of why these patrons were drinking.

Diabolical Plots published 

​October's Wedding of the Month by Emma McDonald in 2016. This story bothered me and it's part of the appeal.

Estelle and the Cabbage's First Night Together by Amy Johnson is a story that invites reflection that we may not want to do.
Picture: Diabolical Plots logo, shades of teal and blue of a steampunk face made of googles and a toothy smile over a geometric background
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Short Fiction Round-up #67

10/3/2022

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We're getting into the spooky season and I started early. Please enjoy theese 17 stories. Not all are horror and there are fewer than normal because I am on an unexpected social media hiatus. I planned one for mid-October but sometimes life demands things on a different time scale.

The Green Man's Wife by Archita Mittra was published by Tasavvur Magazine this summer.
Tasavvur Magazine logo, an eye with waves and a crescent moon in the iris.

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Kaleidotrope published After Midnight, in a Dead Woman’s Shoes by Frances Rowat this summer.

In Pictures of Gunmetal Gray by Wendy Nikel was published by Daily Science Fiction in July.
Picture

HOAX published A Panther in Every Pantry, a Lion in Every Living Room by Andrew Kozma as a reprint from 2016.

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Milk Teeth by Annika Barranti Klein was published by Weird Horror.

Tilly's Dolls by Sarah Jackson was published by 96th of October in September.

Nightmare Magazine published 
√i by Martin Cahill in April
The Cabbit by Maria Dong in May 2021
There Are No Monsters on Rancho Buenavista by Isabel Cañas in June
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Balancing the Scales by Cislyn Smith was published by ZNB Presents in September.

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Diabolical Plots published Take Me To the Water by Sarah Macklin in August.

All the Boys in the Sea by Marie Croke was published by Fireside Fiction in August.

The Arcanist published When I Get There by Evelyn Freeling in August.
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The Sleep Cure by Alice Gauntley was published by The Dread Machine in September.

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Aphotic Realm Magazine published ​Out to Pasture by Eric Farrell in September.

This Shattered Vessel, Which Holds Only Grief by Izzy Wasserstein was published by Apex Magazine in 2021.

Uncanny Magazine published Six Fictions About Unicorns by Rachael K. Jones in 2021.
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Short Fiction Round-up #66

9/6/2022

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These are supposed to post on the first Monday of the month, but yesterday was a Holiday in the US and I really wanted to work on my current project instead of blog. First Tuesday of the month after a US Holiday is going to be good this time. 

I've got twenty-one (21) stories for you from the month of August.

Want only the highlights of last month's story posts? Subscribe to my newsletter! Next one arrives next week!

Daily Science Fiction published:
To Meet the Death Carriage by Beth Cato in May
Star Crossed by Andrea Carolina Rivera in May
Search History for Elspeth Adair, Age 11 by Aimee Picchi in 2019
Upper Beta Great Alcove Very Happy by Ron Fein in July
Pay Here to Exit by Karliana Sakas in May
Daily Science Fiction logo, Daily Science Fiction written in white font on a green green around a lighter green backgroun and a rocket outlined in green with D-S-F written in green font

Cover of Apparition Literary Magazine Issue with a mermaid in purple and beige with eels in blue and glowing lights. The names of contributors and editor are listed.10: Omens with

​A Personal Apocalypse by Leon Othenin-Gerard
was published by Apparition Lit in July.

Deathcap and Hemlock published

Blighted Ancient Grain Bowl by the Deathcap and Hemlock Staff


Perfect Penance Bundt Cake by Rae Knowles


​Low-Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies by Kanishk Tantia
 
Deathcap and Hemlock logo: a black background with a white diamond and an unknonw vegetable in the diamond, the words deathcap & hemlock written in white

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Solarpunk Magazine published 

The Brave Dress by Starhawk
in Jan/Feb

​Flora 2.0 by Coral Alejandra Moore
 in Jan/Feb

The Earthquakes are Coming by Ai Jiang was published by The Puritan Magazine in August.

The Deadlands published

In the Window by Patrick Lofgren
in 2021

I Had Never Been a Candle by Freydís Moon
in 2021

​Nearly New Rockports by Anita Brienza
in 2021
Cover of The Deadlands Issue 07 November 2021 with two figures in long, flowing dresses all in sepia and the names of contributors at the top.

Fireside published
The Tourist by Em Liu in July
Like Stars Daring to Shine by Somto Ihezue in July

A view through blurry glass of shards of glass flying and car headlights.
All That Burns Unseen by Premee Mohamed was published by Slate in July.


The Arcanist published 

The Thing About Ghosts by Deborah L. Davitt
in July
​
​Combat by Chocolate by Sheila Massie in August
A blue paint swatch with The Thing About Ghosts by Deborah L. Davitt written in white font on it.
A blue paint swath with Combat by Chocolate by Sheila Massie written on it in white font.

The Sun and the Sweet, Black Earth by Sarah Jackson published by Lavendar Bones in August.

Fireside Fiction is coming to a close soon and Daily Science Fiction is going on an extended or permanent break. Both used to send my stories into my inbox. I visit many speculative fiction magazines, but few send stories in their newsletters regularly. They tend to pick favorites (much like I do in my newsletter). Send me your favorite magazines, especially if they have email newsletters with their stories.
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Short Fiction Round-Up #65

8/1/2022

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I suggested lots of fiction during July. Most of it has been published this year, but every so often I dipped back a year or few. Here are the 21 stories I thought you might enjoy because I did.

Picture of a robot in gray with orange accents painting a book. The image says short fiction It Rises and Falls and Rises Again by RJ Taylor Issue 130 Apex-Magazine.com
It Rises and Falls and Rises Again by RJ Taylor was published by Apex Magazine in March.

From Daily Science Fiction,
NPC by James Van Pelt published in April.
Paulie Coiner by Thiago Loriggio published in April.
Table For One by Shannon Fay published in May.
The Messenger by Mari Ness published in July.
Daily Science Fiction logo in shades of green and white with a rocket with the letters DSF on it and a circle around with the words Daily Science Fiction.

Diabolical Plots logo with a face made of steampunk glasses and eyebrowns, a suggested nose and a wide mouth over a blue and teal pattern.
The Many Taste Grooves of the Chang Family by Allison King was published by Diabolical Plots in May.

From The Arcanist,
The Things We Saved from Burning by Matthew Bailey published in June.
​
New Roots by Megan Kiekel Anderson published in July.
A blue paint swath with the title The Things We Saved from Burning by Matthew Bailey.
A blue pain swath that says New Roots by Megan Kiekel Anderson.

The ZNB logo with the words ZNB Presents in yellow and a black and gray brain.
When the Salt Burns Green by Brian Hugenbruch was published at ZNB Presents in July.

From Fireside Fiction,
Certainty in Gold by Samara Auman in April.

At the End of Purple Meadow Road by Marisca Pichette in April.

XY by Lucy Zhang in May.
​
Custom Options Available by Amy Griswold in January 2020.
Cover of Fireside Issue 102.
Cover of Fireside Magazine issue 75.

Cover of 3-lobed Burning Eye issue 36.
The Tap Tap Tap of a Beak by Corey Farrenkopf was published by Three-Lobed Burning Eye in March.

From The Future Fire in July,

Unspoilt by Louise Hughes.
​
The Heart the of Party by Sarah Day.
Cover of The Future Fire Issue 2022.62

The Coffe Cup Song by Cat Rambo published at Kittywumpus.

Cover of Uncanny Issue May/June 2022.
Uncanny published Spirituals by Anjali Patel in May.

The Photographer's House by Sarah Jackson was published by literally stories in June.
A film strip with sepia toned non-images.

The Sunday Morning Transport published The Daily Commute by Sarah Gailey in July. 

The hex magazine logo, the word hex in bubble-like letters.
Chew, Swallow, Chew by Ai Jiang was published by hex in July.
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Short Fiction Round-Up #64

7/4/2022

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I took a break from posting short fiction for all of May and a portion of June. However, a discussion about readership spiking with random tweets of stories motivated me to start up again. I am tweeting and posting on Facebook a suggested short fiction for readers each weekday. My round-ups on the blog will be monthly for a bit. (And I promise newsletters will return this month!)

Translunar Travelers Lounge published:
For Sale: One Unicorn Saddle, Mostly Disenchanted by Aimee Picchi in February
​
Villainy: A Reluctant Memoir by Erin Rockfort in February
Translunar Travelers Lounge logo with a moon outlined in black, the upper half filled in with black and the lower half white. Translunar is written in white all caps letters across the black part and Travlers Lounge is written in all caps red letters on the white part.

A blue paint stripe with What you pay for by Aeryn Rudel written in all caps white font on it
The Arcanist published:
What You Pay For by Aeryn Rudel in March
I Remember You by Audri Salinas in April
All the Little Changes by Carol Scheina in May
A paint stripe with I Remember You by Audri Salinas written in all caps white font on it.
A blue paint stripe with the words All the Little Changes by Carol Scheina written in all caps white font on it.

Daily Science Fiction published:
Faith by Mario Milosevic in November 2010

A Song for Looking Back, A Song for Looking Forward by Jose Pablo Iriarte in March 2022
​
Paw and Prejudice by Mary Soon Lee in March 2022
Daily Science Fiction Logo in white and greens with a Rocket with DSF in green print and a green ring with Daily Science Fiction written in white font

Diabolical Plots logo a steampunch face on a blue and green background
Diabolical Plots published:
She Dreams in Digital by Katie Grace Carpenter in April 2022

A Strange and Muensterous Desire by Amanda Hollander in May 2022

Fireside Fiction published:
The Book of the Blacksmiths by Martin Cahill in February 2022

An Ōgama Tale in Seven Voices by Betsy Aoki in May 2022
​
Give My Body to the Moths by Riley Neither in March 2022
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Requiem for a Dollface by Margaret Dunlap was published by Uncanny Magazine in March 2022 

Sarah Jackson won a Twitter Noir Fire flash contest.
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Follow me on Twitter or Facebook for the daily story post, sign up for my newsletter for highlights, or join me here the first Monday of next month for all the stories I suggest in July. Happy reading!
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Short Fiction Round-Up #63

4/25/2022

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Apparently I only suggested three stories last week. Which is a huge oops because I have a ton to suggest. Here they are and keep your eyes on this space and my social media for more!

Picture: Translunar Travelers Lounge Logo - the outline of the moon with Translunar writting in white on black backtround and Travelers Lounge written in red on white background
Rider Reviews for FerrymanCharon by Guan Un was published by Translunar Travelers Lounge in February. I have been loving these reimaginings of the Greek Mythology lately.

The Arcanist published Jell-O Elvis by Ken MacGregor in March. I honestly wasn't sure about this one. It almost made my DNF, but the way it had me thinking kept me going through the end and putting it on my suggestion list.
The words Jell-O Elvis by Ken MacGregor written in white print on a blue background

Picture: Daily Science Fiction Logo with a rocket and green ring. The rocket has a green outline with DSF in green and the green ring has Daily Science Fiction in white print.
Our Grasp, Unbroken by Dawn Bonano was published by Daily Science Fiction in March. Get your kleenex ready for this story. 
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Short Fiction Round-Up #60

4/4/2022

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I started posting daily stories for people to read in April again. Here are the three stories posted last week.

The Music Station by Amanda Saville was published by Apex Books and Magazines Patreon in March. I was in a workshop wtih Amanda and I'm still thinking about the story I read by her. This piece of flash is absolutely beautiful.

Picture: Daily Science Fiction logo of a rocket with the letters DSF on it and a circle in green with white words: Daily Science Fiction
Daily Science Fiction published When It Pours by Carol Scheina in February. I always think stories about luck are interesting. 

Kindly, Stop for Me by K.M. Veohongs was published by Translunar Travelers Lounge in February. This story is absolutely heart-wrenching. I did not expect the ending. 
Picture: Translunar Travelers Lounge logo with a moon-like circle and the words Translunar Travelers Lounge in white and red.

Randomly, I decided to make a little comment about each of the stories this time. I will try to do that henceforth-just a line on why I picked it. Some weeks it may get skipped, some stories it may get skipped. But I hope it adds to your enjoyment. 
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Short Fiction Round-Up #59

3/14/2022

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I only have four stories for you this week. I'm on somewhat of a social media hiatus right now and have not kept up with story posting. 

Picture: Daily Science Fiction logo
Super. Hero. by Karen Benchley was published by Daily Science Fiction in February.

Reckoning published What We Have At the End of the World by Gabriela Santiago in January.
Picture: Cover of Reckoning Issue 6.

Picture: DP logo
The House Diminished by Devan Barlow was published by Diabolical Plots.

Wyldblood Press published Bite Back by Marissa James this month.
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    Writer of spec fic. 
    Flash published at Wyldblood Flash and Constelación Magazine.
    Currently querying a novel.

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