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Current Issues

Updated March 3, 2024

Rhapsody of the Spheres

Third Flatiron’s new all-original science fiction/fantasy/horror/humor anthology, Rhapsody of the Spheres, presents short stories about things that give us joy or meaning.

The theme is inspired by the well-known “music of the spheres” philosophy (aka musica universalis) and movements of the heavenly bodies, which dates as far back as ancient Greece. The term, rhapsody refers to an outpouring of ecstatic expression or an epic poem. Follow an international group of authors as they imagine visions ranging from an exhilarating space treasure hunt and alien contact, to nature, family, dreamscapes, discovery, mythology, and the power of music. Notably, a long sought-after truce with dragons is achieved. Includes a flash humor section, “Grins & Gurgles.”

Contents

Editor’s Note by Juliana Rew
The Solution to Everything is Disco by Jenny Perry Carr
And Lifts Her Leafy Arms to Pray by Brian Trent
One Last Night at Benny’s Magic Fantastic Cabaret by Jeff Reynolds
The United Flamemakers of Ravalli by David Hankins
The Day Luna Swallowed the Sun by Akis Linardos
Euterpe by Maureen Bowden
Let Sleeping Rock Stars Lie by Bruce Golden
Celestial Notes by Robin Pond
Peer-Reviewed Spellcasting by M. A. Dosser
An Autograph by Stetson Ray
Dog’s Body by Edward Barnfield
Dream Bones by Neethu Krishnan
Discordia by Liam Hogan
Matryoshka by Douglas Gwilym
A Touch of the Grape by Sharon Diane King
Lost and Hound by M. R. Abbink-Gallagher
Museum of the Multiverse by Anne Gruner
Physics for Witches by Monica Joyce Evans
Grand-Père’s Last Transmission by Bev Vincent
Changing of the Guard by Taylor Dye
Sunrise on Eris by Mike Adamson
The Stellar Instrument by Brandon Case
Opal World Frolic by Jendia Gammon

Grins & Gurgles (flash humor)
The Art of Music Surfing by Lisa Timpf
The Last Viceroy by Julie Biegner

Epic Poem
The Arbitration of Beauty by Emily Martha Sorensen

Available in Kindle and paperback.

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After the Gold Rush

Third Flatiron’s all-original science fiction/fantasy/horror/humor short story anthology is out! It has the theme, “After the Gold Rush.” Twenty-two authors explore themes related to complications of booms and bubbles, including effects of accelerated culture; ecological consequences caused by human over-expansion, such as climate disasters; and economics (for example, monopolies on resources and commodities). We include a flash humor section (“Grins & Gurgles”), of course.

Contents

Past the Projections by James Tager
Down on the Klondike by David Cleden
Sunrunner by Robert Bagnall
Moving On by Andrew Wright
To Vanquish Other Blooms by Tim Borella
Showdown at Sueño Hueco by Wulf Moon
Reassessed Value by David Hankins
Amphibios by Julie Biegner
Earth’s Last Immortals by Erin Cullen
Last Light in the Dark by Shannon Fox
Live from the Troll Factory by Edward Barnfield
The Front of the Pack by Lauren C. Teffeau
Last Bite at the Klondike by Liam Hogan
All Our Signs Align by Eve Morton
Facing Reality by Yelena Crane
Unwinding the Clock by Brandon Case
The Last of the Gen Xers by Angelique Fawns

Grins & Gurgles (flash humor)            

Currency Change Announcement by Elizabeth Davis
            Amore for Life by Cray Dimensional
            Genie in a PET Bottle by Daniel M. Cojocaru
            Goldberry by Tom Easton and Jeff Hecht

Now available from Amazon.

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Things With Feathers: Stories of Hope

The poet Emily Dickinson once wrote that hope was “a thing with feathers.” We proudly present the work of 24 authors whose short stories illustrate this theme admirably. Stories range from future science fiction to ancient myth to mysterious bird lore, all demonstrating different speculative takes on hope.

Contents

Dream Eater by Nemma Wollenfang
The Soul of Trees by Emily Dauvin
Adventures in the Spiritual Lost-and-Found by Paula Hammond
Elf Magic by Barton Paul Levenson
The Sorcerer’s Appendix by Sharon Diane King
Yin-Yang by Cayce Osborne
Shiny Things by P.A. Cornell
Hope, poem by Emily Dickinson
The Black Marble by Arthur Carey
Ephemeralities by David Cleden
The Ones Who Made the Crossing by F. T. Berner
Vanishing Act by Raluca Balasa
Stella by Melissa Mead
Yes, Sadly by Nicholas Stillman
The Wonders of Yesterday by Shannon Brady
Final Report from the Land of Red-Headed Children by Bonnie McCune
The Warrior Rides into Battle, Sword Held High by Brian Rappatta
The Girl Who Built Worlds by Alicia Cay
One Last Thing by Danielle Mullen
The Best Damned Barbershop in Hell by Bruce Arthurs
Zeno’s Paradise by E. J. Delaney
Sophie’s Parisian Stationery & Parfumerie Magnifique
by Wulf Moon

Grins & Gurgles (humor)
The Summer of Love by Art Lasky
The Wise Sister by James Dorr

Essay
What Hope Might Ask by Gerri Leen

Available in ebook (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers) on Amazon.

Paperback also available.

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Brain Games: Stories to Astonish

Updated February 5, 2021

A fabulous collection of 27 short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories involving killer apps, Rube Goldberg inventions, clever escapes, Greek mythology, mysterious space heists, and high-tech sorcery. The humor section gives us the inner workings of a MegaMind.

Contents

Theft, Sex, and Space Pirates by Brian Trent
The Art of the Duel by Jetse de Vries
Killer dApp by Geoff Taylor
Minds Unseen by Ellen Denton
Upcycling Death by M. K. Hutchins
Perfectly Rational Gamblers by Henry McFarland
The New Season by Graham J. Darling  
Forced Teaming by Monica Joyce Evans
The Disconnect by Lisa Timpf
Numbers by David Rogers
Bad Connection by M. Richard Eley
A Sweet Smell of Sheep by Maureen Bowden
The Incredible Machine by Dennis Conrad
Stockholm, 2066 by Joseph Sidari
All Your Bases Yada-Yada by Paula Hammond
Kwatt Games by Alyce Campbell
Escape from an Infinite Regress by C. J. Peterson
Softlock by Jess Hyslop
Joey and Rue by Dominick Cancilla
A Bronze Giant to Guard Her by Jenny Blackford
Mock Me Amadeus by Justin Short
Toxic by Eleftherios Keramidas
The US Portal Service by Brenda Kezar
The Greatest Toymaker in the World by Rebecca Fung
Grins & Gurgles (flash humor)
To All the Creatures I’ve Hid from Ethics Committees by Aidan Doyle
DIY Your Pillow! by Steve Zisson
The Best Bra for the Boobs by Lauren Lang

Available in ebook (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers) on Amazon.

Paperback also available on Amazon

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Gotta Wear Eclipse Glasses

Summer 2020

The future we all want.

Twenty authors contribute short science fiction and fantasy stories about their visions of a brighter future. Explore how life might change with increasing use of social media, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, space exploration, and medical advances. Envision worlds where climate change can be mitigated through technology, and war is a thing of the past.  Third Flatiron’s “Gotta Wear Eclipse Glasses”offers new opportunities to boldly go where none have gone before.

Contents

Living As You, Our City a Garden by Christopher Muscato
The Thirteenth Floor by Robert Bagnall
Just Like Living with Dad by Jenny Blackford
Catcher in the Sky by Paul A. Freeman
The New Mutants by Angelique Fawns
The Centaur Detective and the Vanishing Man by Patrick Hurley
Such Sweet Sorrow by Gustavo Bondoni
All Fuzzed Out and Fractal by David Cleden
Give Me My Wings by Eneasz Brodski
Tabula Rasa by Emily Martha Sorensen
SoulShine by Koji A. Dae
Ashes to Ashes by Chloie Piveral
Lighter Than Air by Liam Hogan
The First Day of Winter by Mike Adamson
We Make Life Beautiful Again by Alexandra Seidel
War’s End by Neil James Hudson
Grins & Gurgles (flash humor)
Interview with a Zombie by Ville Nummenpaa
The Plumber by Matt Tighe
For Mom: Standup Cosmic Comedy by Mariev, Erie Matriarch
Night Chat by John Kiste

Ebook for epub, mobi, and pdf readers available from Smashwords (Reader sets the price!)

Available for Nook at Barnes and Noble.

Paperback available at Amazon.

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Third Flatiron Best of 2019

Spring 2020

The Grim Reaper decides a coffee shop barista is a worthy successor. An eastern European town enlists the help of the rusalka to help in wartime. A fairy queen visits earth to bid farewell to her dying human lover. Third Flatiron Anthologies presents these and many other of its best speculative fiction stories from the year 2019.

Contents

Chosen by Tom Pappalardo
The Ghost Train by J. D. Blackrose
Tunnels by Brian Trent
The Fairy’s Bell by Bruce Golden
The Last Son of Geppetto by Mack Moyer
Running on Empty by Arthur Carey
Frost on the Fields by Maureen Bowden
Against the Roaring of the Fire by Edwina Shaw
Yes, Yes, Yes, We Remember by Elizabeth Beechwood
The Sixth-Gun Conspiracy Letters by Evan A. Davis
Wishbone by K. G. Anderson
Like a Seagull, Hurling Itself into the Mist by Philip John Schweitzer
Specimen 1842 by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Professional Envy by Samson Stormcrow Hayes

Ebook for Kindle available from Amazon. Available on Smashwords and other ebook outlets.

Free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

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Infinite Lives: Short Tales of Longevity

Fall/Winter 2019

Explore the secrets of Infinite Lives: Short Tales of Longevity, an original anthology of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humor short stories. Twenty-eight international authors explore the themes of long life, life extension, and immortality. Tales range from dark to playful, featuring mythical gods and timeless lands, time travel, androids, grim reapers, and technology. A flash humor section, “Grins & Gurgles,” is also included.

In Infinite Lives, a man cursed with immortality finally finds joy when technology defeats death, an astronaut finds himself spaghettified by a black hole, a fairy queen returns to earth to bid goodbye to her dying human lover, the Grim Reaper finds an enthusiastic successor in a coffee shop barrista, a rebel subverts AIs who don’t allow death, a rich oligarch tricks his way into the Garden of Eden, a conquistador and his war dog put their dip in the fountain of youth to good use, aliens convince a scientist to abandon her immortality drug and let evolution take its course, a wooden puppet rues the day he never became a real boy, a war criminal pays back the lives she took, a grandmother decides ageism has got to stop, and a Zoroastrian angel battles a demon through eternity, until a truce becomes love. These and many more stories entertain while exploring the pros and cons of longevity and how it is achieved.

Contents

Tunnels by Brian Trent
A Billion Bodies More by Sloane Leong
Del Boy Falling Through the Bar, Forever by Matt Thompson
Left of Eden by J. B. Toner
A Last Word by Larry C. Kay
Dry Bones by David F. Shultz
Only the Poor Die Young by D. A. Campisi
Long Stretches by Russell Dorn
Professional Envy by Samson Stormcrow Hayes
At the Precipice of Eternity by Ingrid Garcia
Frost on the Fields by Maureen Bowden
Secrets from the Land Without Fear by Brandon Butler
When They Damned the Name of Oma Rekkai From Memory, I Danced by Caias Ward
Thoughts of a Divergent Ephemeron by Leah Miller
The Scarecrow’s Question by Megan Branning
Abe in Yosemite by Robert Walton
Wishbone by K. G. Anderson
The Reinvention of Death by Louis Evans
President Redux by John Paul Davies
Sweet Release by David Cleden
Chosen by Tom Pappalardo
Like a Seagull, Hurling Itself into the Mist by Philip John Schweitzer
Found Wanting by Martin M. Clark
Cold Iron by Wulf Moon
The Last Son of Geppetto by Mack Moyer
Find Her by Konstantine Paradias

Grins & Gurgles (flash humor)
Dear AirBnB by E. E. King
Best-Selling Items from the M. R. James Collectibles Catalogue by Sarah Totton

ISBN: 978-1-7339207-3-5, 276 pages.

Ebook and trade paperback available from Amazon (ASIN: B07XVN23X6)

Available on Smashwords and other ebook outlets.

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Hidden Histories

Spring/Summer 2019

Third Flatiron presents “Hidden Histories,” an original anthology of 28 science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humor short stories. Twenty-eight international authors explore the themes of alternate history, secret history, conspiracy theory, mythology, and future history. Tales range from dark to playful, featuring fantastical and revisionist histories, as well as a flash humor section, “Grins and Gurgles.”

In Hidden Histories, agents of the ancient Library of Alexandria attempt to steer human history, a witch at the stake explains how she was framed, a missing airliner black box turns up, General Custer is defeated by wendigos, Queen Elizabeth tells Shakespeare she was cursed, a seance saves the Apollo-13 moon mission, an alien ambassador mentors Jimi Hendrix, a competing ship line plots to scuttle the Titanic, were-boars fight Nazis in WW2 Germany, the back room of a bookstore holds histories written in the future, and a girl learns the true history of Chinese dragons. These and many more stories entertain while exploring revisionist interpretations of real and fictional events.

Contents

The Fairy’s Bell by Bruce Golden
Fire, Steel, and Flaming Pearls by Kai Hudson
Losing Face by Matthew Reardon
Indian Uprising by Brenda Kezar
Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson
Behind the Purple Haze by John A. Frochio
Freudian Slips by Dennis Maulsby
The Oracle’s Dilemma by Michael Robertson
The Secret History of the Space Shuttle by Mike Barretta
Best Possible of Worlds by Simon Lee-Price
MH370 by Ricardo Maia
The Ghost Train by J. D. Blackrose
Man Overboard by James Chmura
Running on Empty by Arthur Carey
Proving Pictures by Tony Genova
Against the Roaring of the Fire by Edwina Shaw
Yes, Yes, Yes, We Remember by Elizabeth Beechwood
Specimen 1842 by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
The Homebringing by Robert Dawson
The Thunderbird Photo by Jennifer Lee Rossman
The Fulcrum by Shannon McDermott
The Sixth-Gun Conspiracy Letters by Evan A. Davis
Defender of the Realm by H. J. Monroe
Cry the Thousand Sentinels by Brian Trent
Red Reckoning by Jonathan Shipley

Grins & Gurgles

Them Tourists by A. Humphrey Lanham
Date Attire by Tyler Paterson
Fairy Godmothering by Dantzel Cherry

ISBN: 978-1-7322189-8-7, 274 pages.

Ebook and trade paperback available from Amazon (ASIN: B07PRN5ZQ1)

Available on Smashwords and other ebook outlets.

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Terra! Tara! Terror!

Third Flatiron presents “Terra! Tara! Terror!” an anthology of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humor short stories. Twenty-seven international authors give free rein to their imaginations to explore speculative fiction themes ranging from the #MeToo political movement, magical realism, weird and slipstream tales, and gothic fantasy. Whether earthbound, starbound, or fantastical, these stories are small but mighty.

Whether the setting is a cabin in the woods, Fae, or a tomb by the sounding sea, Third Flatiron’s new anthology, “Terra! Tara! Terror!” takes you on an atmospheric journey through the realms of speculative fiction. We invite you to savor its mixture of dark and playful themes, fantastical elements, and mystery. A flash humor section, “Grins and Gurgles,” is also featured. Plus a special reprint by Robert Silverberg of his story, “To Be Continued”!

Contents

Mud by Salinda Tyson
Learning to Fly by Marie Vibbert
Father O’Neill’s Confession by Jen Downes
Me Too, Medusa by Evelyn Deshane
Replica by John Paul Davies
Music, Dogs, True Love, and a Gateway by Steven Mathes
The Android Graveyard by Diane Morrison
Annabel and Edgar by E. M. Sheehan
Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe
black frost at serac’s fall by Michele Baron
The Dance of a Thousand Cuts by Liam Hogan
The Occasional Cabin by Stefon Mears
Captain Carthy’s Bride by K.G. Anderson
Scales, Fallen from His Eyes by Kelly A. Harmon
Spacism Is Still With Us by Matthew Reardon
Winter War by Samuel Chapman
The Octopus in the Millpond by Emmett Schlenz
Field of Honor by Gustavo Bondoni
Shadow Harvest by Melanie Rees
All the Moon’s Children by Kiki Gonglewski
Only the Weak Survive by Caroline Sciriha
War Dog by Wulf Moon
If a Tree Falls by Dan Micklethwaite
Memory and Muchness by Rhonda Eikamp
My Lady of the Park by Blake Jessop
To Be Continued by Robert Silverberg

Grins & Gurgles (Flash Humor)

Oceans of Time by Elizabeth Twist
How to Have a Productive Relationship with Your Semi-Autonomous Vehicle by Josh Taylor

ISBN: 978-1-7322189-5-6, 278 pages.

Ebook and trade paperback available from Amazon (ASIN: B07GYDBKS8)

Available on Smashwords. Sign up for a free account at Books2Read.com for other ebook outlets.

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Galileo’s Theme Park

Third Flatiron presents Galileo’s Theme Park, a new collection of science fiction, dark fantasy, horror, and humor. Twenty short stories by an international group of authors explore how the universe has changed since Humanity took a closer look at the stars. Journey with us on a speculative expedition to the lands beyond Earth opened to us by Galileo’s telescope.

Are we alone in the universe?  Galileo’s Theme Park explores themes such as space exploration and adventure, religion, and cosmology. A flash humor section, “Grins and Gurgles,” is also featured.

Contents
And Yet They Move by Alex Zalben
For the Love of Money by Ginger Strivelli
The Kromlau Gambit by Steve Toase
Vincenzo, the Starry Messenger by Dr. Jackie Ferris
A Hard-Fought Episode at the TON-1 Black Hole by Eric J. Guignard
Titan Is All the Rage by Jemima Pett
Signals by Erica Ruppert
Night on the High Desert by Connie Vigil Platt
Dispatches from the Eye of the Clown by Justin Short
The Beast and the Orb of Earth Deux by Wendy Nikel
Growing Smaller by Jimmy Huff
Titanrise by Adrik Kemp
New Heaven, New Earth by Neil James Hudson
First, They Came As Gods by G. D. Watry
And the Universe Waited by Jo Miles
The Bright and Hollow Sky by Martin M. Clark

Grins & Gurgles (Flash Humor)
Devouring the Classics: Ten Recipes by Rachel Rodman
No Encore by Ville Nummenpää
Just Right Guy by Art Lasky
Advice for the 2060s Birder by Lisa Timpf

ISBN: 978-1-7322189-3-2, 180 pages

Ebook and trade paperback available from Amazon (ASIN: B07D5LVSBX)

Available from Smashwords. Sign up for a free account at Books2Read.com for other ebook outlets.

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Monstrosities

Third Flatiron presents an exciting anthology of science fiction, dark fantasy, horror, and humor. Twenty international authors ventilate about their favorite “monstrosities”–things that are just too big or dreadfully obnoxious. Whether it’s the new shopping mall down the street, giant killbots, overweening ambition and flawed utopian ideas, or the supposed ultimate weapon, join us as we expose the latest humongous blunder.

Contents

Chicken Monster Motel by Keyan Bowes
Five Billion Pounds of Soul by Larry Hodges
Sacrifice Needed, Alcohol Provided by Carl R. Jennings
#Notalltigers by Mark Pantoja
The Doomsday Machine Retires by Ray Daley
Alien TV Shows Are Bad for Your Eyes by Brian Trent
Got Them Wash Day Blues by James Dorr
This Tyrant Crown by Liam Hogan
The Great Mall by Salinda Tyson
Skywalker by Jennifer R. Povey
Eaten by Ville Meriläinen
Into Xibalba by Sita C. Romero
The Emerald Mirage by Martin M. Clark
TidBits by Sharon Diane King
The Catacombs of Constitutional History by Julia August

Grins & Gurgles (Flash Humor)
      New Shoes by Robert Bagnall
      Kismet by Barry Charman
      They Saw Me Coming by Russell Hemmell
     Bigger and Better Things by Joseph Sidari

Plus a special reprint of Edward Bryant’s “Winslow Crater.”

ISBN: 978-0-9990704-7-5, 174 pages

Download from Amazon. (ASIN: B079Q9N7Q1)

Paperback available from Createspace/Amazon. Ebook also available at Smashwords. Sign up for a free account at Books2Read.com for other ebook outlets.

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Third Flatiron Best of 2017

Third Flatiron presents a sampler of its best science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories published during 2017. This compendium offers a smorgasbord of thirteen short stories from an international group of new and established speculative fiction authors.

Contents

Editor’s Note by Juliana Rew
Valediction by John Sunseri
Command Decision by James Beamon
The Jim-Aaargh School of Philosophy by Rati Mehrotra
Lampblack and Dust by J. L. Forrest
They Grow Up So Fast by Konstantine Paradias
Glass by Jean Graham
Talk to the Animals by Jill Hand
The JPEG of Dorian Gray by Brian Trent
Beyond the Borders of Boredom by Ville Nummenpää
Beast of the Month by Wulf Moon
Picnic, with Xels by Keyan Bowes
One Is One by Vaughan Stanger
Willing by Premee Mohamed

Full ebook Price: $2.99

Download from Amazon (for Kindle).

Available on Smashwords. Sign up for a free account at Books2Read.com for other ebook outlets.

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Many more Third Flatiron Anthologies titles are available.