Coming in August! TRUNK: stories that took the long way A collection of stories that almost didn't make it.

TRUNK: stories that took the long way

Available 1 August! TRUNK: stories that took the long way "Not all those who wander are lost," as Tolkien famously said. Sometimes they're just taking the scenic route. Here are 20 great science fiction and fantasy stories that took the long way to success. Each of these stories met with initial rejection before finding a home here. Publishing is a weird alchemy of mood, taste, and happenstance, and it takes tenacity to find just the right combination to let a story shine as it should.

books.metaphorosis.com

I may not love today's political landscape, the vile parts most of all. But if we have to live through all this, I hope that somewhere, a hundred or so years in the future, there's a kid in history class busting his gut giggling over the President hosting cage fights at the White House.

In for the TL;DR challenge! Prompts did make my eyes spin and my head hurt for a while, but think I got something out of them in the end... #1KWHC

On the eve of our submission window opening, we felt we should add an AI policy

Finally giving Voltaire's Candide a try (I've wanted to read it for a while). Not sure exactly what I expected from an 18th century French novella, but evergreen satire woven with Monty Python's plot stylings and South Park's moral caution would have been low on my list.

Just the right blend of funny, sad and surreal, 'We Sang Water into Lemonade, on the Eve of Summer, In the Wasteland' by Robert Luke Wilkins is my pick for Best Speculative Flash Fiction, 2025! @factorfourmagazine.com @robertlukewilkins.com

Watching the Submission Grinder's acceptances pop now and then, and I must say, it's surprising how many parents had the uncanny foresight to name their children "Fuck ICE".

I don't know who needs to hear this, but cops are not allowed to shoot people just because you didn't do what they said. That is called murder when they do that. Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.

As another serialised #ShortStory is about to conclude, (I do not expect a happy ending for @robertlukewilkins.com's paranoid AI user protagonist) I am waiting in the wings, to step onto the @thedailytomorrow.bsky.social stage. Not too late to subscribe, to get your daily slice of "Dream Stealer".

My latest story, "The Guided Evolution of Chuck's Home Surveillance System", is now being serialized by @thedailytomorrow.bsky.social -- part 1 came out today, and it'll be getting published until Saturday. You can read the first part below! dailytomorrow.substack.com/p/the-guided...

The Guided Evolution of Chuck's Home Surveillance System — Part One

By Robert Luke Wilkins

dailytomorrow.substack.com

Just one of the most wonderful things I've seen, so now you can see it too -- a guy built a 2-billion frame per second camera and used it to observe the speed of light with a laser bouncing between two mirrors. www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4Td...

A laser pointer at 2 billion fps makes the speed of light look... kinda weird

YouTube video by AlphaPhoenix

youtube.com

There's just 4 DAYS LEFT to fund Apex Magazine for 2026, and we're SO CLOSE to hitting our 20k goal! Our full catalogue of critiques, ebooks, merch and more will all be gone on Halloween. Don't miss out on these limited edition items and donate TODAY! 💜👽🎃 www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...

ANNOUNCEMENT 1. Afterlives 2024 curated by @shereereneethomas.bsky.social has been COVER REVEALED 2. the collection will be available FOR FREE to paid patrons of @thedeadlands.com 3. join now, read The Deadlands, and receive the book magically when it is released beginning of November go see! 👇

Afterlives 2024: Cover Reveal - PSYCHOPOMP.COM

One cool thing about being a psychopomp is the ability to lead people to places they haven't been before. Sure sure, the main place we lead people is the Realm of the Dead, yeah yeah, but we can take ...

psychopomp.com

Whoever decided that the best way to present a best-before date on a product was to use translucent text on a transparent container should be taken out and shot.

This is important for all writers, no matter where they are in their publication journey. Your work is your work, and contracts are meant to protect it, and you, and the writing community at large. MRM is trying to normalize _very_ bad behavior.

P.A. Cornell (She/Her)@cornellwriter.bsky.social · 11mo ago

I’ve made an update to this situation. open.substack.com/pub/pacornel...

A reminder that "But what if people on YOUR side are on the Epstein list?" is a bullshit argument, EVERYONE who was raping children needs to get into the bin right now, that's the deal here and it ain't exactly complicated

Memento (artemis) Morty 🌙@mementomorty.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Bill Clinton mentioned during the Epstein press conference, which is a shock, because he's such a stand up guy with no former sexual misconduct accusations against him

are you ready for some big news? WE ARE OPEN for BIPOC subs for issue 100! and we are celebrating with a special theme: Transition, Migration, and Borders: Movement in, and of the Body 💖for those of us who find home in liminal spaces💖 find out more here: psychopomp.com/fantasy-maga...

Want to read stories like these but don't like to wait? Try Intergalactic Rejects, a similar anthology that just came out from @calendaroffools.bsky.social calendaroffools.com/intergalacti...

Intergalactic Rejects

Story writers face rejection all too often. It can be disheartening, depressing, and downright defeating. Every writer has heard that it happens to all of us, but also to show, don't tell. This anthol...

calendaroffools.com

PLEASE REPOST! WRITERS! Uncanny Magazine will be open to Short Story Submissions from August 25 to September 8! Uncanny Magazine will be open to Poetry Submissions from August 9 to August 26. WE WANT TO SEE YOUR SHINY WORDS! buff.ly/9AyStcb

My new story, "We Sang Water into Lemonade, on the Eve of Summer, in the Wasteland", is in the August 2025 issue of @factorfourmagazine.com, with stories by @cornellwriter.bsky.social, @oneminutemonkey.bsky.social, and @authorthealiu.bsky.social. Give it a read! factorfourmag.com/category/iss...

Issue 49: August 2025 – Factor Four Magazine

factorfourmag.com

Fond memories of wandering around with a friend of mine as a teenager, and singing his songs much too loud.

Al Yankovic@alyankovic.bsky.social · last yr.

My last living musical hero is still my hero but unfortunately no longer living. RIP to the great, great Mr. Tom Lehrer.

Here's a poem by one of the old Chinese scholar bureaucrats that I think captures a certain Vibe very well

I'm really delighted that my story (originally published by @kaleidotrope.bsky.social) will be included in this anthology. It looks like a wonderful line-up! And I only have to wait until October to read all the other great stories keeping it company.

Psychopomp@psychopomp.com · last yr.

PRESS RELEASE Announcing the Afterlives 2024 Table of Contents!! curated by @shereereneethomas.bsky.social "This Afterlives collection has some very powerful, gifted voices that explore liminal spaces, the veil between this world and the possible next." thread/ psychopomp.com/announcing-t...

I. Breathing Beyond the Veil “How To Get Away with Living” by @izom-chisom.bsky.social “Drinking Dead Brazilians” by Lia Mulcahy “Eyes Of My Brother” by @robertlukewilkins.bsky.social

Ugh. I wake up with a perfect sentence in mind, then by the time I sit down to write it, I've forgotten the words and can't find any half way so good. It's not the first bit of writing I've lost to poor waking memory, nor the last I expect, but they're all irritating.

In 1890, the X and Y chromosomes were discovered. It was found that the men who were tested had 46 chromosomes, including an X and a Y, while women who were tested also had 46 chromosomes, including 2 X chromosomes. So obviously the conclusion was that the Y chromosome defined masculinity.

Always be wary of story search-and-replace changes without a full read-through after. A last-minute proof-read of a story I thought I had finished editing today revealed "a shadow-cloaked temple as large as a temple".

My short story "Children of a Bronze Sun" is out today, in @onspecmag.bsky.social's issue #132. Read more at the link below! onspec.ca/2025/06/22/o...

On Spec VOL 35 No 2 is available!

With a cover  by Dan O’Driscoll, our new issue is ready for the readers. Subscribers and reviewers will be receiving links to download their copies. New readers, or those whose subscription m…

onspec.ca

Drudged up an old repost of mine from elsewhere today -- an article about why doing less, not more, is extremely important for us. bigthink.com/neuropsych/c...

Being busy is killing our ability to think creatively

Here's why you should try to fit less—not more—into each day.

bigthink.com

I am so excited to announce It's Storytime with Wil Wheaton, my new podcast. Our first episode drops on March 26th and is available wherever you get your podcasts.

I made a thing!

Hi friends! I am so excited to announce It’s Storytime with Wil Wheaton, my new podcast. Our first episode drops on March 26th. This idea emerged from my creative self […]

wilwheaton.net