Updated March 1, 2026
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
–Arthur C. Clarke
We are currently closed to submissions. Our sales have been low, so please help us make it to another anthology by buying our books.
Our latest anthology, “Offshoots: Humanity Twigged,” made it into the Top 10 of the Critters Readers Poll in numerous categories. See the News tab for details. We are also proud that several of the stories are on the Tangent Online recommended reading list.
The “Offshoots: Humanity Twigged” anthology is available in paperback, Kindle, Draft2Digital/Smashwords (see lineup under Current Issues tab).
See Current Issues tab for contents and details.
Care to try a sampler of our most popular stories? Third Flatiron Best of 2019 is available in ebook from Amazon.
—–
Podcast Tab: Our latest:
“Changing of the Guard” by Taylor Dye”
Also check out:
“A Touch of the Grape” by Sharon Diane King
Can’t always afford to buy our short fiction books? All our podcasts are #free (and commercial-free). We also have free stories on Smashwords and our Patreon site, and we do periodic giveaways on Amazon.
We are currently closed for submissions. See below as we add info for upcoming issues and submission periods.
Third Flatiron Publishing is based in Boulder, Colorado, and Ayr, Scotland. We are looking for submissions to our irregularly produced themed anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We want tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. Light horror is acceptable, provided it fits the theme.
Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer.
Role models for the type of fiction we want include Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, Vernor Vinge, Iain Banks, Alastair Gray, and Ken Kesey. We want to showcase some of the best new shorts available today.
For each anthology, we will also accept a few very short humor pieces on the order of the “Shouts and Murmurs” feature in The New Yorker Magazine (600 words or so). These can be written from a first-person perspective or can be mini-essays that tell people what they ought to do, how to do something better, or explain why something is like it is, humorously. An SF/Fantasy bent is preferred.
See the “Submissions” tab for preferred formats, etc.
Books will be available in ebook form as well as trade paperback. See the “Current Issues” tab for our latest offerings.
Themes and Schedules
Continuing with Third Flatiron’s themed anthologies, we will be soliciting SF/Fantasy/Horror short stories with stated themes. Themes are designed to be open-ended, allowing authors considerable leeway. We appreciate short, imaginative tales, preferring those that work with the theme in some way. Short stories should be 3,000 words or less. Flash humor pieces (<=1,000 words) can be on any theme. We aim to be inclusive and encourage submissions from all creators. Please submit during the reading periods.
Summer 2026
Theme: SciFi To Go: Food For Thought – SF, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Solarpunk
We will be looking for short stories in the areas of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. We also hope to read some funny flash humor to get us through this period of world chaos.
Our First Readers have told us they are hungry for new ideas (as well as baked goods), so the theme this time is expected to feature speculative fiction stories involving (1) food, and/or (2) thought-provoking ideas you want to share with us all.
Reading Period: February 13 – 28, 2026 – currently closed
Writer Deadline: February 28, 2026
Publication Date: June 2016
~~~~~~
Copyright 2026: Third Flatiron Publishing