SLUGGER

Pre-orders ship tomorrow! An image of a black and white slug with a baseball bat that is dripping blood in its mouth.

Pre-orders ship tomorrow! There's still time to get your order in today. Of course, we'll still be fulfilling orders after tomorrow, but this is your best chance to get yours delivered in time for the holidays.

A black and white image of a person with short curly hair and hunched over wearing a bra. A light ray shines from behind them and lands on the back of their head.

Need one more reason to pre-order SLUGGER Vol. 1?

Did we mention it includes three non-fiction pieces connected to music in some way in our "Sound Trails" section?

I Dumped My Girlfriend: Black Dresses’ LAUGHINGFISH by Dorian Bowser
sluggerfiction.com/horror-ficti...

Art by Vesqid.

Pre-orders open until December 7. Extra swag included. An image of a neon green slug with a yellow bat and blood dripping from it.

All pre-orders come with a couple of stickers and book marks! Vol. 1 will be shipped on Monday, Dec. 8th and should arrive in time for the holiday. ko-fi.com/sluggerficti...

I'm designing some book covers to fill out my portfolio this morning, and could use a few extra bucks, so I'm making them available as pre-mades as well. I just finished this one. Clean, science fiction, all licensed art and fonts, customized to your liking. $50 for the package of e, print, audio.

A black and white image of a woman with a scared expression and black hair staring into an iPhone screen. Her face is illuminated from the iPhone’s glow.

The Other Man by Kareem Miskel is our third story in SLUGGER Vol. 1! It's free to read and posted on our website (sluggerfiction.com/horror-ficti...)

Interior art by Emma Fujikawa!

Pre-orders for Vol. 1 are available in our Ko-Fi Shop.

I did the thing :)

On a notepad with a coffee stain, the words: C.J. Subko 2025 publications: part 1 sea-born March 2025 Fantasy / Short Story Published in Morgana le Fay by Flame Tree Press the twelve deaths of you April 2025 Horror / Short Story Published in The Deadlands a house with good bones April 2025 Science-fiction/Horror / Flash Published in Flash Point Science Fiction proud to be a mother April 2025 Horror / Short Story Published in PUSH: An Anthology of Childbirth Horror flash flash flash May 2025 Horror / Short Story Published by Inner Worlds

on a notebook page, the words: cj subko 2025 publications part 2. incorruptible June 2025 Horror / Flash Published in The Cleansing Power of Fire by Infested Press because you let me: on a horror of manners and the tragedy of politeness July 2025 Horror / Essay Published in Skull & Laurel 004 by Tenebrous Press endless nameless August 2025 Horror / Short Story Published in Red Line by From Beyond Press the creeping December 2025 Horror / Short Story Published in Penumbric Speculative Fiction Magazine

Putting this together was heartening. I'd honestly forgotten that some of these were 2025.

In a tough year, I really needed to reflect on my #writing wins.

What's not pictured? All the other amazing stories I wrote! (Stay tuned for 2026+?)

If you want to nominate anything, I won't stop you. 😘🖤

Michael Bettendorf Awards Eligibility 2025 Short Fiction Devil is Fine | Cosmic Horror Monthly Issue 55, Jan. 2025 #E0E0E0 Sky | Libre, Feb. 2025 Never Odd or Even | Inner Worlds Issue 6, Mar. 2025 A Complete Collapse of Guidance Systems, Yet We Persist | Anomaly, Apr. 2025 Somewhere in the Lunar Wilderness | Intrepidus Ink, Apr. 2025 Counter Offer | Intrepidus Ink, Apr. 2025 Cyberpunk/Tech-noir Drabble set of 5 | Saros SF Issue 3 Tears in Rain, May 2025 Traced in Air | Pulp Asylum, Jun. 2025 A Cat Walked Across the Keyboard | Slugger, Nov. 2025 Creative Nonfiction Between Jesus and the Joker | Backchannels No. 16/Summer 2025

It's already getting to be that time of year. I've got a handful of stories eligible for awards this year. I appreciate any consideration.
💚💀🤘

Also, enjoy my best dog, Laser-Clover.

A graphic with a gray, sort of cement-looking background with splatters of black ink. Text transcript: Theodore Hill, 2025 Releases. “I Think I Have Lost Someone” The Skull & Laurel, Horror (Flash), January. “Rise” Translunar Travelers Lounge, Sci Fi, February. “Pirouette in Periwinkle” The Ghastling, Horror (Flash), April. “Other Duties As Required” Cosmic Horror Monthly, Horror/Sci Fi, July. “Hammerhead” God’s Cruel Joke, Horrorotica, September. “A Taste” Whisper House Press, Horror (Flash), November. Upcoming: “More Famished Than My Means” (Poem, God’s Cruel Joke, December).

Is it an awards eligibility post? Is it a retrospective? I dunno, but here it is. I published some words this year. Check it out. (If there is anything you'd like to read and can't find, let me know and I'll get it to ya!) 🫀

The paperback of PORTRAITS OF DECAY is on sale for $14.99 right here: shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params...

I did the cover, formatting, everything for this book—and I'm so proud of it. If you're into Ligotti, Evenson, Jackson, and Barron, give it a shot.

Episode 135: Final Girls Spotify video

This week on the Dead Languages Podcast we’re talking Final Girls! Grand horror tradition or tired, sexist trope????

open.spotify.com/episode/3J8x...

I think I'm getting better at these silly graphics! This anthology deserves more love: castaignepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/in-t...

A black and white image of a person with shaggy hair, eyes open, and slumped over the edge of a bathtub that overflows with liquid.

Hot Tub Hormone Xenotransfusion
By L. Sanguine is the 2nd story in SLUGGER Vol. 1! It's free to read and posted on our website. Pre-orders still open! (sluggerfiction.com/horror-ficti...)

Interior art by Kae Ranck.

A wurmple with a party hat

It's my birthday!! Do something kind for yourself today. Enjoy all the gooey yucky gross things in life. That's where I live. 💖🪱🦑

A black starlit cosmos, descending to a vague green glow. Text: YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR BODY Companion Volume (crossed out) Follow-up (crossed out) Sequel (crossed out) EVOLUTION Title Reveal Cover Art Reveal Submissions Details Coming Next Week

Visit Slugger Fiction's Shop! I've opened a shop. Come take a look!

ko-fi.com/sluggerficti...

A collage of four images. 1. Neon green slug with a yellow bat with red blood dripping from it. 2. Cover of SLUGGER magazine volume 1. 3. Photo of black and white interior pages. 4. Text that reads pre-orders open for vol. 1!

Pre-orders open for Vol. 1 The cover and interior photos are from the physical proof copy. 8.5 x 11 inches of glorious horror. We have a modest goal of 25 pre-orders. Current count: 7. PDF is $5. Print is $12 + shipping.

Hey I've seen a preview and it's pretty cool!

A neon green slug with a yellow bat in its mouth that is dripping red blood.

Our Ko-Fi Shop is open for Vol. 1 pre-orders! 8.5 x 11 in. Nearly 100 pages featuring 10 original short stories and 3 non-fiction essays related to music. Each story includes an original B&W interior illustration. PDF, physical copy, physical copy + swag options available. ko-fi.com/sluggerficti...

A black and white image of a person sitting in an office chair with their arms dangling at their sides and staring into a white computer screen on a desk in front of them. The floor is strewn with a few pieces of trash. A cat sits on the computer keyboard and stares at the reader.

A Cat Walked Across the Keyboard by Michael Bettendorf @beardedbetts.bsky.social is our first story in SLUGGER Vol. 1! It's free to read and posted on our website (sluggerfiction.com/horror-ficti...) Interior art by Emma Fujikawa!

Full cover reveal by Kae Ranck! Kae is a freelance artist and writer currently slugging their way through life with their two cats. They graduated from Oregon State University in 2025 with a degree in Art and, as all art majors do, is now seeking out a JD at the University of Kansas. When not hunched over a desk like a shrimp to work, Kae can be found communing with plants and listening to niche 80s music like The Cramps.

Cover by Kae Ranck! Kae is a freelance artist and writer currently slugging their way through life with their two cats. They graduated from Oregon State University in 2025 with a degree in Art and, as all art majors do, is now seeking out a JD at the University of Kansas. Full bio on our Insta.

Featuring stories by Michael Bettendorf, L. Sanguine, Kareem Miskel, P.L. McMillan, Joshua Dobson, Madeline White, Jon Clendaniel, e rathke, Jennifer Jeanne McArdle, and Shantell Powell. Sounds Trails contributors include Dorian Planken, Nico Bell, and C. P. Bearden. Image has a yellow-brownish background with names listed in a deep pink. A barcode is in the lower right corner. The SLUGGER logo is in the lower left corner.

Table of Contents reveal for SLUGGER Vol. 1! @shanmonster.bsky.social @lightinthegrimdark.bsky.social @mcardlejeanne.bsky.social @radicaledward.bsky.social @luahruah.bsky.social @beardedbetts.bsky.social @nicobellfiction.bsky.social @authorplm.bsky.social

A woman lies on her back, in bed, fast asleep. One arm is draped behind her head. A small creature, perhaps a demon, crouches on her chest. A black horse with very white teeth leans in from the window. Both the creature and the horse are wearing festive birthday hats, and the creature holds a party blower in its mouth. When she awakes, the woman will have a very special birthday surprise.

Cover reveal! This artist has graced the inner pages of the magazine since the beginning, but the moment we saw this comically unnerving art by @authoriseult.bsky.social we knew it was the perfect way to mark one full year of the mag. Sleep with one eye open and get ready to laugh! #dielaughing

A partially revealed cover showing the letters "ER" in purple, slash marks, and reddish brown hair.

We are almost ready for a full cover reveal of SLUGGER Vol. 1!

Appreciation post! NightTide Magazine. A logo of a black background and teal heart spurting bright red blood. The text reads "NightTide: The Heartbeat of Horror".

It was truly an honor to present at NightTide Mag's first virtual symposium on the Horror of Becoming. A sincere thanks to @nighttidemag.bsky.social @momoshaty.bsky.social! A true model and inspiration for how to build a supportive community in the horror space. nighttidemag.com

Sam Logan & Claudia Tom will present a talk titled "Teaching Body Horror with Punk Pedagogy, Learning it Through a Trans Lens: Gender, Self-perception, and Body Horror". Sam Logan (he/him), PhD, is a professor at Oregon State University, where he teaches on punk, body horror, and disability studies. His research explores rights-based pediatric rehabilitation and mobility interventions for children. Also a fiction writer and co-founding editor of SLUGGER Magazine, Sam uses horror pedagogy as a lens for empowerment. Claudia Tom: Gender, Self-Perception, and Body HorrorClaudia Tom (she/it) is an Environmental Science major from California whose interest in body horror began with friends and expanded into studies of gender and identity. They are fascinated by horror’s intersections with self-perception and often explore unconventional topics through music and research rabbit holes.

Check it out! Part of the SLUGGER team will be presenting (virtually) on Oct. 4 at Meeting of the Morbid Minds - The Horror of Becoming organized by NightTide Magazine.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meeting-of...

Tomorrow is a day to celebrate.
A day to fear.
Join me and @erikmchatton.bsky.social for an online book event.
Erik's voice: amazing
Erik's writing: even better
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-echoes...

"Straw World" launches tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited. The next day, however, has me almost equally excited as we'll be having a book launching event hosted by the always amazing PLM! Come join us for fun and prizes! Sign up now!

www.eventbrite.com/e/the-echoes...

Check out our recent appearance on the Dead Languages podcast! A breakdown of our experience with SLUGGER's first submission call.

Episode 124: Writing for Submission II (with Sam Logan and Arwyn Sherman) Spotify video

Back in episode 109, the goblins decided to support @sluggerfiction.bsky.social by writing for their very first submission call, with the intent of having @samlogan52.bsky.social and @arwyns.bsky.social on the podcast to talk about the outcome. The time has now cum.

open.spotify.com/episode/2hGV...