Crime + Mystery
Latest Stories

Blood Mountain
Sara Heise GraybealDecember 30, 2018 Dear Wade, You know Arnie’s Gas, Bait & Tackle? I’ve always wondered why he built it where he did, on that dusty strip by the community college, all the way across town from the lake. The first time I stopped there for gas—a decade ago, just out of college and moving to […]

And Then We Sailed Away
Danielle RanucciI walked into our shack holding a dead seagull. I’d come all the way from the beach with hunger stabbing my stomach, clutching that bird in my fist and refusing to eat it because Amos needed it more. My younger brother’s dark head jerked up from where he was whittling at the kitchen-table. I grinned […]

The Whereabouts of Abel Crane
Rory SayThere came an evening when, returning home from filling his lungs with rank seaside air, Abel Crane noticed a light in his living room window. The sight froze him. He had never seen a room of his house lit from outside before. Finally, he removed his spectacles and wiped their lenses on the quarters of […]

A Thousand Miles Away
Joseph WalkerGame six of the 1982 World Series had been a damp affair, and the skies in St. Louis were opening again as the tarp came out for yet another rain delay. In his basement workshop, Kevin Watts grimaced but did not actually look up at the small TV in the corner as the announcers settled […]

The Battle of Arroyo Escondido
Wes BlalockStanding beneath the overhead canopy of a Phillips 66, out of the desert sun, Delbert opened his wallet to take out the department credit card. He hesitated and withdrew Stella’s photo, her blond hair and piercing blue eyes smiling up at him. But all he could hear was her scornful, “Did you have to eat […]
Submit Your Story
Share your writing with us! We want stories from the three genre categories: sci-fi/ fantasy; thriller/ horror; crime/ mystery.
Richie Narvaez
Richie Narvaez was born and raised in Brooklyn. His work has been published in Latin@ Rising: An Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Long Island Noir, Mississippi Review, Murdaland, Pilgrimage, and Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder, among others. His first book of short stories, Roachkiller and Other Stories, received the Spinetingler Award for Best Anthology. Hipster Death Rattle is his debut novel (Down & Out Books).

Room for Rent
Hala stood in the black rain outside the landlord’s door. Cold, sooty water soaked her tunic, but he did not invite her in. Although cramped and filthy, the room behind the landlord radiated warmth and the smell of food. “I would like to see the room you advertised, if that is possible,” Hala said. “Can […]
Latest News

Uncharted Magazine Thrilling Story Award Shortlist
These 16 stories have been sent to judge Gabino Iglesias! We’re anxiously awaiting his choices!

Uncharted Magazine Short Story Award: The Aftermath
We invite writers to submit to the Uncharted Magazine Short Story Award: The Aftermath from June 1 to August 6, 2023. This award is for all three genres: SF/F, Thriller/Horror, and Mystery/Crime. Guest Judge A. C. Wise will choose three winning stories from our shortlist. We’re excited to offer the winner of this prize $2,000 […]

Voyage YA by Uncharted Anthology Contest
Thank you to everyone who submitted short stories! Check back in mid-July for the results! Big changes are at work for Voyage this year! We are moving all of our prize opportunities to two biannual anthologies dedicated to top-notch YA writing. We want to give our incredible contributors a chance to see their name in print! We […]

Uncharted Magazine Thrilling Story Award Longlist
These 30 stories are under review to form a shortlist of 15 stories that we will send to judge Gabino Iglesias!

AI Flash Challenge
This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! We’ll have a longlist in around ten weeks! We’re challenging writers to create 1,000-word-max flash genre stories in ten days or fewer! You’re invited to submit to the AI Flash Challenge from May 04 to May 14, 2023. We often find that the blank […]

Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Prize Winners & Shortlisted Writers
1st Place: Grimoire Gold by Goldie Maisey Quick 2nd Place: Roses by Emily Liu 3rd Place: In the Autumn Days of Empire by Lilia Zhang

The Power of Language: An interview with Author Ai Jiang
Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer and an immigrant from Fujian. Her debut novella, Linghun, will be published this spring, as will her collection, Ai Jiang’s Smol Tales From Between Worlds. She also recently announced a new novelette, I Am Ai, coming in June. Her stories have appeared or are forthcoming in The Magazine of […]

Unexpected Threads: An Interview with Dr. Phoenix Alexander
Dr. Phoenix Alexander is a speculative author, scholar, teacher, and curator. His work has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Escape Pod, The Dark, Deadlands, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Black Static, and Science Fiction Studies, among others. He is a full member of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), and served as […]

2023 Uncharted Magazine Thrilling Story Award
This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! We’ll have a longlist in around ten weeks! We invite writers to submit to the Uncharted MagazineThrilling Story Award from January 1 to February 28, 2023. This Award is for all three genres: SF/F, Thriller/Horror, and Mystery/Crime. Guest judge Gabino Iglesias will choose three […]

Horror & Thriller / Crime & Mystery 1st Chapter Prize | Judged by Agent Dorian Maffei Shortlist Titles
And here are the winners! 1st Place: Horror/Thriller “Prologue – or, the Carny Incarcerated.” by Chloe La Vada 1st Place: Crime/Mystery “Lodged in the Body” by Adam McCulloch Runner Up: Horror/Thriller “The Violin” by Patrick Shanley Runner Up: Crime/Mystery “Buffalo Jill” by Karen Parkman 13 Shortlisted Titles!

The Theoretical Possibilities:An Interview With Kristen Loesch
Kristen Loesch’s newest book, The Regeneration of Stella Yin, will be released November 30, 2022, from Ad Hoc Fiction. This novella-in-flash tells the story of two women inextricably linked in a technological quest to overcome grief and trauma. Through precisely crafted prose, Loesch explores artificial super intelligence, the singularity, and the human drive for survival. […]

Short Story Prize Winners & Writers Shortlisted
And the three co-winners are… 1. Men Will Die by Celeste Kallio 2. I Will Never Be Alone by Alejandro Gutierrez 3. Jacaranda Park by Kate Maruyama The Runners-Up are… 1. God fall by Kira Sutherland 2. Parts Girls by Nina Simon Comet Wine by Ken Altabef Us and Them by Siobhan Chesson Men Will […]

Writing Saturnalia: Revelation for your Character and Reader
Writers spend a lot of time thinking critically about beginnings and ends. These are crucial moments in creating a satisfying story, but they’re also the easiest turning points to consider. What’s the first moment of trouble, the first moment of choice? What’s the final confrontation, the culmination of the character’s desires and needs? Execution, of […]

Ripple of Unease: An Interview with Jasmine Sawers
Jasmine Sawers is a writer, editor, and teacher. Sawers’s fairy tale flash collection, The Anchored World: Flash Fairy Tales and Folklore, was recently released by Rose Metal Press. From the publisher: The Anchored World: Flash Fairy Tales and Folklore “Drawing on both Western fairy tales and Thai legends, these flash fictions combine the myth and […]

Writing Saturnalia: A Story Launch Thrives on an Easy Target
I’ve been writing and submitting fiction for nearly two decades now, and while I don’t have an itemized list, I believe I’ve received about one trillion rejections. One particular criticism appeared again and again: The opening is too slow and the stakes are too low. This complaint began to wear at me like a stone […]

Short Story Prize judged by Lincoln Michel Longlist
Comet Wine Us and Them Lotus Eater Men Will Die I Will Never Be Alone The Painted Child Appetite A Life Never Lived A Stroke of Luck Together Forever B. waterways The Stain Beast in the Fog Almost Heaven or How I Unraveled in the Mortaverse Jacaranda Park Made You Look Retrieved: Notes from Diver […]

The Spare Moments: An Interview with Isabel J. Kim
Isabel J. Kim is a Korean-American science fiction and fantasy writer based in New York City. An attorney by day, she also co-hosts Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture. Her stories have been included in the Locus Recommended Reading List, as well as TOR.com’s Must Read list. Her work has been published in […]

Horror & Thriller / Crime & Mystery 1st Chapter Prize | Judged by Agent Dorian Maffei Shortlist Titles
13 Shortlisted Titles! Mr Grim Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark GRIN Bury and Take Root The Lost Coast Motel The Carny Incarcerated A Certain Rectitude Lodged in the Body Buffalo Jill The Violin Flotsam A Detective Story Ritual

Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1st Chapter Prize Judged by Agent CeCe Lyra Winners and Shortlisted Writers
Judge Agent CeCe Lyra has made her selections! Congrats to the winners! Thank you to all of the submitters throughout the contest! The shortlisted writers deserve a celebration as well as it’s not easy to make the shortlist! 1st Place: HOMILY by Amanda Baldeneaux: The premise is intriguing: murdered girls begin to unexplainably reappear. Right away, […]

Uncharted Magazine Horror & Thriller / Crime & Mystery 1st Chapter Prize Longlist
We’re excited to send these 24 first chapters to judge agent Dorian Maffei! Mr Grim Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark GRIN Bury and Take Root The Godfather of Madagascar La Brujeria Spells for Remembering Einsteins Cavern The Lost Coast Motel The Carny Incarcerated A Certain Rectitude Lodged in the Body Maple Lane Camelot Noir […]

Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1st Chapter Prize Judged by Agent CeCe Lyra Shortlist
These 15 fantastic and gripping first chapters have been sent to judge Agent CeCe Lyra! We can’t wait to reveal her selections! I AM IN LOVE WITH A STRANGE GIRL NAMED GEMMA USHERWOOD Homily Clairvoyant On the Roof Night Service Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead Billamina and the Ship that Sailed the Trees Mourn in Glory […]

Choosing Joy: An Interview Gwen Kirby
Gwen E. Kirby’s recent collection Shit Cassandra Saw (Penguin) is filled with lightning-bright characters in unexpected situations. The stories, which have won too many awards to list, span centuries, centering women in their challenges and triumphs. Gwen has a lot to say, and she does so with elegance and wit. Thanks to Gwen for taking […]

Plot Structures for your YA Novel
Many of our readers are interested in international publishing as well as self-publishing, and Ali’s is an amazing story of success in both.

Interview With Mexican Self-Published Author, Ali Begun
Many of our readers are interested in international publishing as well as self-publishing, and Ali’s is an amazing story of success in both.

Preparing Your Short Story for Publication
Preparing your short story for publication

Writing with ADHD
Writing with ADHD

Young Adult Books from 2021 to Inspire You
Young Adult Books from 2021 to Inspire You

Newsletters for the YA Writer
Newsletters for the YA writer

Uncharted Magazine Short Story Award
Add to Calendar We invite writers to submit to the Uncharted Magazine Short Story Award from May 1 to July 31, 2022. This Award is for all three genres: SF/F, Thriller/Horror, and Mystery/Crime. Guest judge Lincoln Michel will choose three winning stories from a shortlist. We’re excited to offer 3 winners of this prize $1000 […]

An Unexpected Dragon in the Sky: An Interview with Maria Haskins
Maria Haskins is a Swedish-Canadian writer, translator, and reviewer of speculative fiction. She’s well known in the community for her tireless support of genre work, publishing a monthly roundup of speculative fiction for her newsletter, as well as a quarterly roundup for Strange Horizons. She consistently profiles the very best new stories, and her Behind […]

Uncharted’s 2021 Crime/Mystery Short Story Award Winners & Short List writers
And the winners are: 1st Place: SELF PRESERVATION by Rob Nisbet 2nd Place: A THOUSAND MILES AWAY by Joseph Walker 3rd Place: UNDER THE IVY by Meg Overman Shortlist The Pull by Kyle Tolan The Assassin’s Portrait by Nina Wachsman You Seen Our Girl? by S.E. Reed Self-Preservation by Rob Nisbet The Man in the […]

Here’s How Your Favorite Authors Get Their First Draft Down
A few drafts in, we get so familiar with our YA manuscripts that the story begins to feel like an old friend. We know it backward and forwards, where each scene is and what happens in each scene. But we also smooth out the edges in our minds and it becomes harder and harder to look at our manuscripts with a critical eye. We get to a point where we go over all our pages only to discover we don’t know how to push them forward. To help out when that happens, we’ve compiled a few prompts to help you get fresh eyes on your story

Conducting an Interview for Your YA Novel
Whether writing contemporary, historical, sci-fi or fantasy, an interview can be a great opportunity to develop a character or learn about something you didn’t know about before.

An Interview with Chris Panatier, Author of Stringers
Chris Panatier’s second novel, Stringers, releases on April 12. Publisher’s Weekly gave the book a starred review, and the American Library Association called it “a rip-roaring space adventure” and a “touching exploration of what sentient beings owe to one another.” The author himself says Stringers is “a heartfelt sci-fi vehicle for potty jokes.” I’m a […]

Researching for Your YA Novel
Most novels, whether they take place a hundred years ago or two years ago, require research.

Creating a System of Accountability in YA Writer Groups
Imagine this: a mug of hot coffee in your hand, a pencil and notebook in your backpack, and a group of fellow writers all sitting at the round table of a local bookstore cafe, waiting to talk about your writing.

Online Classes for YA writers
As a YA writer, you might be located in any part of the world. At one point, your resources for writing might have been limited by how far you could travel. However, with the internet and the spread of online learning, it’s become more common to take writing courses from your computer.
How to Budget for YA Writing Competitions
You’ve written your first draft, second draft and perhaps a few more. You’ve gotten your book as far as you can and you’re thinking about the next step–sharing your work. Placing your words in the hands of beta readers is a daunting task. It can be scary to share your story–but feedback from others can really make your manuscript shine.

Uncharted’s Horror/Thriller Short Story Contest Long List
We’re so excited to announce the 35 titles of our long list! The submissions we received were so chilling, thrilling, and memorable that we’ve had a hard time narrowing down the list! We’ll announce the shortlist titles next week! Thank you for your patience! The Gunfighter and the Undertaker Potashe Preserve To Serve With Both […]
How YA Writers Fit Writing Time Into Their Schedule
We’ve asked 5 YA writers at different stages of their career how they fit writing time into their schedules.

How to Set Daily Writing Goals as a YA Writer
With a daunting task like writing a book, It’s hard to see the finish line. That can often be difficult and demotivating. That’s why it’s helpful to set daily writing goals. You’ll start feeling accomplished at the end of the day, and before you know it, all of your little moments of word count will add up to a whole book.

Uncharted’s 2021 Crime/Mystery Short Story Award Short List
We’re so excited to announce the 14 titles of our Short List! The submissions we received were so chilling, thrilling, and memorable that we’ve had a hard time narrowing down the list! We’ll announce the winners in the next 2-4 weeks! The Pull The Assassin’s Portrait You Seen Our Girl? Self-Preservation The Man in the […]

How to Find an Agent for Your YA Novel
If you want to get traditionally published, finding an agent is often the next step after you’ve finished revising your manuscript. It can be really helpful to have a collaborator, a partner and new eyes on something you’ve worked on for so long, but it’s important to find the right person.

Prompts to Help You Get Fresh Eyes on Your YA Manuscript
A few drafts in, we get so familiar with our YA manuscripts that the story begins to feel like an old friend. We know it backward and forwards, where each scene is and what happens in each scene. But we also smooth out the edges in our minds and it becomes harder and harder to look at our manuscripts with a critical eye. We get to a point where we go over all our pages only to discover we don’t know how to push them forward. To help out when that happens, we’ve compiled a few prompts to help you get fresh eyes on your story

An Interview with Nick Olson, author of Afterglow
Nick Olson’s newest book, a speculative novel-in-flash titled Afterglow (Alien Buddha Press), will be released in June. Nick is a freelance editor and author of both literary and speculative fiction. His previous novels, Here’s Waldo and The Brother We Share, are available now. He is the editor of lit zine (mac)ro(mic). Nick let me take an early peek at Afterglow and I loved the complex future history he has envisioned.

Uncharted’s 2021 Crime/Mystery Short Story Award Long List
We’re so excited to announce the 26 titles of our longlist! The submissions we received were so chilling, thrilling, and memorable that we’ve had a hard time narrowing down the list! We’ll announce the shortlist titles next week! Thank you for your patience! The Sixth of October Help, Satan! Storm in a Teacup Bad Beat […]

Uncharted’s Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Short Story Award Short List
We’re so excited to announce the 15 titles of our shortlist! The submissions we received were so creative, thrilling, and deeply envisioned that we’ve had a hard time narrowing down the list! We’ll announce the winners in early January! Thank you for your patience! From this list, Ken Liu will select 3 winners! The Organic […]

Writing Stories that Sing: An Interview with Evan J. Peterson
1. What is your hottest take on the age old genre vs. fiction debate and how do you see yourself and your work fitting into that? Evan J. Peterson: You asked for it, so here goes. Genre is about money. Genres as we know them are made up to sell books, and they were made […]

Essay – YA Literature: Unchildlike Behavior by Megan Cummins
First published in The Masters Review “I don’t believe a teenager would think this.” This is a critique I’ve heard often while writing my YA novel, a story about a teenage girl who goes to live with her father in Sioux Falls one summer; when she arrives, she finds he’s left town. Rather than calling […]
5 Questions for Brandon Goode
Brandon Goode grew up in the small beach town of Melbourne, Florida. He attended Eastern Florida State College and Florida International University. He loves to motivate and inspire others, enjoys traveling, and eats an insanely amount of sushi. Oh, and he is obsessed with all things on the Bravo network. His debut novel, The Secrets […]
5 Questions for Pamela N. Harris
Pamela N. Harris was born and somewhat raised in Newport News, VA—also affectionately known as “Bad News.” A former school counselor by day, she received her BA in English and a Master’s in school counseling at Old Dominion University, her MFA in creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a PhD in counselor education and […]
A Conversation with Jenny Torres-Sanchez
Originally published in Fantastic Floridas by Burrow Press When I saw the premise for Jenny Torres Sanchez’s latest novel, Because of the Sun, I knew I had to read it. The novel features a complicated protagonist, captivating language and, best of all, a bear attack that takes place in Orlando. When I visited ALA over […]
Latest Contests
Get the guidelines on our current contests, where we offer writers premier opportunities for publication and payment. All winners selected by noted guest judges.
