Hell Itself Magazine

Today from Hell Itself, when you're not as young as you used to be, but those banks aren't going to rob themselves, it can get harder and harder to get past the wards and curses...

"Transition Period" by S. L. Johnson:

hellitself.com/transition-p...

I was trying to avoid working in solidarity with the people of Minnesota on Friday, and I apparently never cycled back to hype last Friday's story.

And it's a good one.

Today from Hell Itself, a story of the last man on Earth:
"Museum of the Living" by Steven Mathes

The Reading List - SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association Full Searchable List of Recommended Works Recommend a Work Welcome to the New Recommended Reading List! We’re proud to open […]

We would just like to casually point out that the @sfwa.org Recommended Reading List currently contains Hell Itself stories by @rachiea.bsky.social, @crboltz.bsky.social, @deborahldavitt.com, @reggiekwok.bsky.social, @gerrileen.bsky.social, @tedmorrissey.bsky.social, @ktwagner.bsky.social, and more!

Since I just noticed that posted the link to the listing, and not my story -- if you want to read my story see here:
hellitself.com/the-tell-tal...

Full Reading List Directory - SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association Return to the Randomizer! Recommend a Work Random Pick from the Full Archive Directory of Recommended Works Looking for someone […]

I just learned that my short story published in @hellitself.bsky.social was placed on Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association's "Nebula Recommended Reading List." I am so incredibly honored. www.sfwa.org/full-reading...

You know I can see the analytics, right? Not everyone dropped everything to read this story like I told you to.

Jim here. It looks like I forgot to post the December digest to the site. (This part of the process is 100% manual). My apologies. It's there now. Meanwhile, read today's new story here: hellitself.com/district-69/

I find drag rhetoric fascinating. Humor, but in the style of the legendary court jester: getting laughs by speaking uncomfortable truths and not being afraid to offend.

It's definitely a challenging piece. I hope you like it as much as I do.

This story came from a prompt that asked how a resistance can communicate in a surveillance society.

And I was like, DUH!, have it done by the people nobody is listening to.

I wrote it just a little over 2 years ago. It wasn't meant to be prophetic like this…

This week, straight from Hell Itself, The Drag Queen of Science Fiction, @ladyzinnia.bsky.social, brings us "District 69, or, How Trixie Learned ASL: A Drag Alien Occupation Story"

We'd say more but that title is so long we're almost out of characters.

Read this story.

If you are not reading @hellitself.bsky.social, you need to be reading @hellitself.bsky.social. You especially need to be reading @hellitself.bsky.social on Friday.

Our guidelines say, "We particularly want stories that are 'unpublishable' because they come from members of marginalized groups and speak truth to power."

We would like to clarify that white supremacists are not a marginalized group and they are not speaking truth.

ICYMI, "The Goblin on My Shoulder" is free to read with @hellitself.bsky.social. This is a story about invisible disabilities. I wrote it before my pain had a name, before I knew what I suffered was real and not "all in my head." I sincerely hope no one can relate, but if you can: I see you.

The road to hell is paved with...my new story! Come check out "The Goblin on My Shoulder", free to read with Hell Itself magazine!

This week from Hell Itself, @cjtavares.bsky.social brings us a tale of living with a pain that no one else can see:

Today from Hell Itself, @rajivmote.bsky.social brings us a tale about dinosaurs, power structures, and resistance:

hellitself.com/the-ones-who...

“The Ones Who Charge the Fence” Science fantasy, 4,000 words, published Jan 2, 2026 in Hell Itself. Chhronk the Triceratops would have rather listened to his mate sing an old Ceratopsian chant. Strength. Resolve. Righteousness. T…

I have a story that finally found a home in @hellitself.bsky.social! When dinosaurs were Gifted with a common language they formed a society of laws, ending the war between predator and prey. But new narratives compete with old stories, and we are our stories.
rajivmote.wordpress.com/2026/01/02/t...

We're really not sure what to say except that both present an awful lot of fiction.

hellitself.com/pala/

Go check this out. It's my latest published short story, and it's free to read. :)

We have done a year-end awards eligibility post:

hellitself.com/awards-eligi...

Today from Hell Itself, a tale of what happens when technology replaces human—er, griffin workers, told as only @reggiekwok.bsky.social can tell a story:

hellitself.com/pala/

I love this market and I love this flash piece and I love that they're together. Persephone with a cell phone and other modern tech. What could go wrong?

Read free here: hellitself.com/the-eleusini...

#mythology #Persephone #FlashFiction

This week from Hell Itself, @gerrileen.bsky.social takes us to Hades with Persephone:

Let's all welcome @arttracy.bsky.social who finally set up his own Bluesky account and will hopefully let me stick to using this one for official business.

New from Hell Itself, a haunting dystopia by @tedmorrissey.bsky.social, "The Unbearable Sweetness"

hellitself.com/the-unbearab...

So glad I discovered @hellitself.bsky.social
I told my most recent story that it has four more submissions before I send it to hell and it promised to try harder to get published.

(The preceding thread was from editor Art Tracy, for those who hadn't parsed.)

In either case, the best advice I can give you is "Keep sending this one out in case someone out there loves it like I didn't, and keep writing new stories."

Some I reject because I consider them unsalvageable. I consider it rude to say that.