Content Warning: Profanity (a lot of it) Like clockwork, it rang the alarm of the space restaurant Eat the Rich every Sunday, blaring on all speakers. “WOLF MOTHERFUCKERS WOLF! WOLF! WOLF IS COMING FOR YOUR GUTS, YOU PIECES OF FU—FU—FUCK!” Now, the server bot Silas was programmed to be rude to customers. It was unconventional, […]
1. The Fire & the Name The first thing you ought to know about cows is we’re all a bunch of gossips. You try standing in a field all day, chewing your cud and swatting at flies, then gathering ’round the trough to discuss who’s been sent to the north pasture or which rooster’s got […]
Naomi could still wear the silver-threaded sheath dress she had worn to the Blondie after-party where she had danced with the girl who would one day be Madonna. It was because she had danced with that girl, who was like propane in search of a match, that Naomi grabbed Joe before the party was over […]
Prelude In which, a monster is introduced, as is a witch, and certain issues are brought to light. ### I am called monster. A name given to me by others. Although, all things considered, it is rather apt. Yes, it is true, I have taken sheep and goats. Cattle too. And pigs. We might add […]
Gene believed the mitochondria were feminist until someone asked him why. That’s how things started going downhill. My husband, Gene Saperstein, fifty-eight years old and retired from the IRS just this past spring, standing there holding a glass of boxed pinot grigio in Lucy Halperin’s living room, surrounded by women with statement earrings. You should know […]
Share your writing with us! We want stories from these genre categories: sci-fi/fantasy; thriller/mystery; dystopian.
Derek Alan Jones's work has appeared previously or is upcoming in Apex, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Utopia Science Fiction, and more, as well as being named in Ellen Datlow's list of recommendations for 2025.
See Their WorkDorit d’Scarlett is a CaLD poet and writer whose award-winning work has appeared in Rattle, Meniscus, and Dark Poets, among other international journals. As a multi-immigrant, her work often explores the fragile intersection between visibility and vulnerability, shaped by desire, self-perception, and the quiet acts of becoming. Links to her published work can be found on her website: doritdscarlett.com
See Their WorkJulia Rajagopalan is a writer of speculative and literary fiction who lives just outside of Detroit, Michigan, with her husband and their very grumpy dog. She has upcoming pieces in Club Chicxulub, The Lorelei Signal, and AntipodeanSF, and she has a Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan.
See Their WorkAngie Ellis lives on Vancouver Island, where she is working on a collection of linked, fable-like stories, of which "The Caddisfly" will be a part. Her first novel, "A Snake and a Feathered Bird", was published in the fall, and some of her more recent short stories can be found in The Masters Review, STORY, Strange Pilgrims, and others. She is very grateful to have received grants from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the BC Arts Council. www.angieellisauthor.com
See Their WorkMandy Lange has won WestWord’s Hermit Crab Prize and the Writer’s Playground Short Story Competition. Her work is forthcoming in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and has been featured in wildscape literary, Flash Fiction Magazine, and more. She runs a homestead in her limited spare time, though her goats would tell you she should stick to writing. Read more from her at mandylange.com or m.m.lange on Instagram.
See Their WorkThalia Peters is an emerging writer of speculative fiction and horror. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Ithaca College, where she was featured in the Handwerker Gallery Reading Series. She was also a finalist in the 2024 F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival Short Story Contest. She lives in Maryland.
See Their WorkZac Sherman is an Ohio writer of speculative fiction. His work has appeared in Mythcreants, 4Horsemen, and Penmarks.
See Their WorkLike the characters in this story, Steve Kemple grew up in rural Indiana and made his way to the river city of Cincinnati, where he spent a decade working as a librarian at the intersection of Midwestern, Southern, and Appalachian cultures. He now teaches elementary school in Newark, New Jersey. His writing has appeared in Library Journal, Cincinnati CityBeat, and AEQAI, and his fiction has appeared in 365tomorrows.
See Their WorkMiah O’Malley is a writer and artist living in the Ozarks. Her work blends speculative fiction with ecological and medical realities, focusing on bodies navigating care, risk, and systemic failure. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MS in Nursing from Loyola University. Her work has appeared in Radon Journal, Phano, and Exposed Bone. She can be found at www.miahomalley.com.
See Their WorkMike Elam is a mentalist and comedy magician from Northeast Tennessee. His years of writing original scripts and jokes for the stage naturally led him to writing fiction and poetry. When he isn't performing or writing, he enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter.
See Their Work
We are back with our 2026 Novel Excerpt Contest co-winners! Thank you to Micaiah Johnson for serving as our guest judge, and to everyone who submitted! 1st Place Co-Winners: The Human Problem by Aaron Woodley The Glass Horizon by Margaret Jameson Me, But Holding a Knife by Ashley Farrelly Shortlist:
Uncharted is partnering with Discover New Art to award two $25,000 prizes, one in poetry and one in prose, each to a promising manuscript-in-progress to support the manuscript’s journey to publication. Five finalists in each category will also receive $1,000 awards.
Time for the novel excerpts that made it to our shortlist! We never wanted these excerpts to end and now have to make some big decisions. Stay tuned for our winners!
At Uncharted, we want to help you achieve your publishing goals, and one way we can do that is to offer intuitive and precise feedback on your short story or novel excerpt. We’ve got talented, experienced guest editors, and you’ve got an almost-ready project, so let’s work together to get your piece submission-ready! We’re speeding […]
Presenting the novel excerpts that made it to our longlist! Novel excerpt submissions are always some of our favorite narratives to read, and this year was no exception. We’re honored by your trust in sending us your stories and can’t wait to read them again and again. Stay tuned for the shortlist!
We are now announcing our highly anticipated three co-winners for the Uncharted Novel Excerpt Prize, judged by Rachel Howzell Hall! These writers gave us scenes full of tension, crackling dialogue, and worlds we’ve never even imagined. To say these writers made us want to read more would be an understatement. Congratulations to the winners and thank […]
As promised, we’re back with the winner of our 2026 Noir Challenge! This story thrilled us from the opening line and we couldn’t stop thinking about it. Thank you to everyone who submitted! Winner: Tramway by Ted Berg
Last week to sign up! You’ve been agonizing over that first page for months or even years, revising and rewording until it feels perfect. Are you now ready to put your first page under scrutiny? For Uncharted’s Put Your Hook to the Test, imagine a version of America’s Got Talent but for first pages of […]
Here we are with the cinematic short stories that made it to our shortlist! Congratulations to all the writers; we’re so humbled by your talent. We can’t wait to see what the three winning stories will be!
Get the guidelines on our current contests, where we offer writers premier opportunities for publication and payment. All winners selected by noted guest judges.
