I Did Not Write This Story by Zac Copeland-Greene
Somewhere, dear Reader, there exists an imaginary handbook on how writers must write their stories. The first chapter of this imaginary handbook dictates to writers how they can and cannot start their stories. There is a list of the ways in which one must not begin the plot under any circumstances. One of these rules mandates that the story must not open with its hero in bed. Continue reading I Did Not Write This Story by Zac Copeland-Greene
Review: The Poems on Catallus, Translated by Peter Whigham
Have you ever found something that makes you really think? I was in a second hand bookshop recently and saw a copy of Catullus’ poems, translated by Peter Whigham, under the always attractive Penguin Classics label. It was not going for much, about £2, so I picked it up with a ‘why not?’. Continue reading Review: The Poems on Catallus, Translated by Peter Whigham
The Colours of Time by Gemma Ghelardi
“The thing is, it was difficult to get anything done when there was constantly so much to see. Because it’s not like you could simply choose not to look – whether you liked it or not, your eyes would still rest on the bed, on Auntie May’s ridiculous night robes, on your big toe or on the tomato splash on the kitchen wall. Continue reading The Colours of Time by Gemma Ghelardi
Event Review: Where No Novel Has Gone Before
Singer in the Night is a novel about the Balkans conflict of the 1990s and the long term trauma it inflicted on its youth. It tells the story of the generation that came of age during the war and how they internalised its violence and hatred. Now 38, Clementine lives in modern-day Slovenia, working as a successful screenwriter. But after a car accident leaves her comatose, she awakes to re-evaluate her life and realise that, by distancing herself from memories of conflict, she has thrown away her chance of love. Continue reading Event Review: Where No Novel Has Gone Before
Mark’s Journey by Michael Bird
As I unscrewed a pipe from below the sink and pulled out a knot of clogged hair, ground coffee and potato peel, he told me of his latest plan: he was going on a trip to a small caucasian republic called Kirkazstan. Continue reading Mark’s Journey by Michael Bird
An interview with… SCOTT J. MOSES
Scott J. Moses is a Baltimorean writer of horror and dark fiction. His short fiction has appeared in STORGY, The Cabinet of Heed, Coffin Bell, and elsewhere. His debut horror collection, Hunger Pangs, is slated for release in October, 2020. Continue reading An interview with… SCOTT J. MOSES
Saddleworth by R.J. Gardham
“Not haunted. Alive. I read about it, once. This professor said that these moors change – the topsoil, the heather, the scrub – it constantly renews itself in a never-ending cycle. Reason why they never found that poor boy, and probably never will. These moors are shifting, changing. The very landscape is just as alive as you and me.” Continue reading Saddleworth by R.J. Gardham
Pigeon by Harriet Terrill
The man with the long black umbrella which was shut and dry because it hadn’t rained all day, he might’ve been thinking about stabbing the pigeon with the silver pointed end. I know you shouldn’t make assumptions, but the guy looked pretty intense, and you can’t help but imagine lugging an umbrella around on a sunny day would leave you pretty angry. Continue reading Pigeon by Harriet Terrill
Rep by Gwenda Major
I can’t deny I got a bit of a shock when I first saw her lying there. Right next to the bins. The rep had been wrapped loosely in an old tarpaulin, but somehow it had fallen open. I pulled the tarp aside a little more and saw that she had one leg bent underneath her body, eyes closed, her uniform intact but smudged with dirt. Continue reading Rep by Gwenda Major
Unfinished Business by Hannah Hulbert
When I see you now, it’s tiny glimpses. You’re at the office, where I’m supposed to be working, but instead am mostly twitching my eyes about the room, trying to catch you. You follow me on the bus, where I can almost see your reflection in the misty windows. Continue reading Unfinished Business by Hannah Hulbert
Away by Joe Butler
She could only watch him, silently noting that she should be doing something to help him, ease his suffering somehow, but she couldn’t. All she could do was feel shades of some sort of compression. Time passed. All those moments and days and everything in between seemed to just press together, bound with dreamless sleep. Continue reading Away by Joe Butler
The Hanged Man by Hazem Shekho
But he didn’t. He kept looking at the hanged man. I glanced about; no one seemed interested in doing something. I thought to myself, perhaps I should act. Yes, I should. Well, I did nothing too. I kept looking at the dead for a while then continued walking, aware of the music that started to fade behind me. Continue reading The Hanged Man by Hazem Shekho
An interview with… NICHOLAS GAGNIER
Nicholas Gagnier is the author of the eight-book Shroud Saga, which include the genre-bending sub series Olivia & Hale and its spin-off The Book of Death. He lives in Ottawa, Canada. Continue reading An interview with… NICHOLAS GAGNIER
Karen’s Art by Chris Lee
Karen was a brilliant woman, effervescent with ambition and energy. She could see through all fakery and pretention and she could prize from you your deepest thoughts just by opening her eyes and giving you a quizzical look. I became her lover, because I wanted to, oh how I wanted to, but also because it was impossible to deny her. It was as if there was some kind of destiny that drew me towards her. Continue reading Karen’s Art by Chris Lee
After Work Drinks by Ian Inglis
When Clive saw Erica standing at the bar, he was uncertain whether to approach her. He watched as she ordered a large glass of white wine – pinot grigio? Sauvignon blanc? – and deftly wove a path through the knots of early evening drinkers, to a solitary table in a quiet corner of the room. She hooked her handbag over the back of the chair and started to read the newspaper that had been tucked under her left arm. Continue reading After Work Drinks by Ian Inglis
Review: Singer in the Night by Olja Savičevic
Singer in the Night is a novel about the Balkans conflict of the 1990s and the long term trauma it inflicted on its youth. It tells the story of the generation that came of age during the war and how they internalised its violence and hatred. Now 38, Clementine lives in modern-day Slovenia, working as a successful screenwriter. But after a car accident leaves her comatose, she awakes to re-evaluate her life and realise that, by distancing herself from memories of conflict, she has thrown away her chance of love. Continue reading Review: Singer in the Night by Olja Savičevic
Carp in a Bathtub by Tom Guy
The day, ten months ago, when his parents had told him and his brother, Filip, they were moving to England, had started in peculiar fashion. It was a Saturday and both his parents were at home when Jakub woke up. Mama and Tata should have been at work for at least two hours. Continue reading Carp in a Bathtub by Tom Guy
Sealed with a Kiss by Michael Handrick
He sits next to me staring ahead, his eyes shaded by the cap’s peak. He doesn’t hold my hand. I look at him through the rearview mirror and I swallow that image of him. My eyes dilate to take in more until my own reflection is merely a fragment. Continue reading Sealed with a Kiss by Michael Handrick
Bandit Fiction 