Submissions

We’re thrilled to announce the return of our beloved chapbook series. Futures: A Science Fiction Series, invites submissions from writers speculating about the future in inventive, fascinating, and yes, political short fiction. Six stories will be selected which will be published and made available as individual chapbooks and as part of a combined box set.

The title Futures is a call-in; we seek fiction that considers the audacious possibilities of the coming times: in the fearful uncertainty of tech-feudalism, the escalation of digital colonies, the blurring lines between reality and imagined constructs, and radical reimagination of our social and political structures. We want stories tackling both dystopian and utopian possibilities, located in the many subgenres that categorize sci-fi: afrofuturism, climate fiction, cyberpunk, time travel, and more, that stir the boundaries of imagination, but always stories that are political, speak for the marginalized against autocratic structures of money, military might, racial and ethnic superiority, and colonialism. 

By using science fiction as a means to unpack these issues, we hope that the stories will allow for a better understanding of our world and give us more tools in our struggle to make it better.

Submissions open March 01, all the way through April 30, on Submittable. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

We are looking for unpublished short stories that could be described as “literary science-fiction.” The work should be about more than just rayguns and spaceships. (But there’s nothing wrong with those things!) They should explore the human element of science fiction, ask tough questions, and examine what it would mean to be alive in a future that is yet unwritten. We believe that good science fiction reflects the dreams and nightmares of the present day. 

Pieces submitted should adhere to the following guidelines:

Cover Letter

Please submit a cover letter with your submission, listing:

  • Your contact information
  • The title, word count, and a summary of the submission
  • An author bio under 150 words listing any major publications or awards

Manuscript Guidelines

  • Between 5,000 and 15,000 words
  • Your manuscript must be a single Word or PDF document. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, OR ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN THE MANUSCRIPT.
  • We require documents typed in a neutral font, 12.0 size, and double-spaced pages. Ensure your document is numbered.
  • One story per entry, but multiple individual entries by a writer are allowed. Any submission with more than one story will be immediately disqualified.
  • A nominal fee of $5 is required with every entry to cover facilitation costs. If this fee is a barrier for you, please email meher@radix.coop for a fee-waiver. A minimum number of fee-waivers are available to claim. 


CONTRIBUTORS & PAYMENT

Contributors will be paid a $500 flat fee for their selected story. Each author will also receive ten author copies at the time of publication, and two box sets at the time of publication. 

If you are a person of color, queer, trans, disabled writer, or find your identity on the margins of the mainstream, we would especially love to hear from you.