Huzzah!

Huzzah! We're Live!
Check out the new issue of Electric Spec!

new issue next week!

We are getting close now! We'll publish a new issue of Electric Spec next week: February 29, 2016! We've already mentioned "Catch and Release" by Tiffany Michelle Brown and "Posthumous" by Daniel Brock. In addition to these we'll have "Where everybody Knows Your Name" by Kate Swed, "The Wish of a Child of Wishes" by Patricia Russo" and "Gifts from a Newlywed Husband to his Wife" by Nina Shepardson.

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name" is a unique and fun take on a more traditional fairy tale--with a nod to a famous TV show. "The Wish of a Child of Wishes" is a unique fantasy tale involving a very empathetic child and her accomplishments. "Gifts from a Newlywed Husband to His Wife" is a haunting and lyrical romance. Read them!

In addition, we'll have an extremely helpful article "Story Endings, How They Torture Me" from newly-promoted Editor Nikki Baird. She's been working in the trenches for quite a while and has a lot of expertise. Check out her article which includes the basics, sizzling recommendations, and a very helpful checklist.

I strongly recommend you check out everything in the issue on February 29! You won't want to miss it. :)

from Author Brown

We're excited to publish the story "Catch and Release" by Tiffany Michelle Brown in our February 29, 2016 issue of Electric Spec. Here's what Author Brown has to say about her story:

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The show Lost Girl, my proximity to water (I live in San Diego, California), and my lifelong love of Greek and Roman mythology are what inspired me to write "Catch and Release."

You know how some people go gaga over vampires? That’s how I feel about sirens. But you don’t see too many contemporary stories about them (or am I simply not looking hard enough?), so I challenged myself to create my own interpretation of the classical siren. In modern times. In a bar in Florida. Out on the hunt. Because sirens need to eat, too, and why should vampires and werewolves have all the fun meddling in the human world?

During this particular hunting trip, Theron, my protagonist, doesn’t enjoy his usual routine—walk into a bar, find a snack, go home to Persephone. Unexpectedly, he meets another mythological creature. One to be reckoned with. And that’s when the fun begins.

When I wrote "Catch and Release" last year, it was an anomaly. At the time, I was writing a lot of straight-up horror. In lieu of gore and ghosts and creepy campfires, I embraced sensuality, folklore, and different kind of tension than fear. "Catch and Release" started out as a challenge, a writing exercise, and it progressed into something I’m rather proud of.

"Catch and Release" was a gateway drug, because since, I’ve been writing a lot more in the fantasy/magical realism vein. A few weeks ago, I finished a story about Death personified, but instead of the customary black robe and a scythe, Death shows up wearing the likeness of a past love (and isn’t a terrifying presence—friendly and comforting, in fact). I just finished a happily never after story inspired by The Frog Prince, which features a talking pigeon and sexual addiction (separately, I promise!). And now I’m working on a Japanese folk story adaptation that involves aliens, bamboo, and interplanetary love.

With fantasy and speculative literature, there are no limitations. You can be sexy or funny or absurd. You can create new creatures and species. You can play with gender tropes and social norms and inhuman emotions. Anything goes.

Even darkly attractive sirens in well-tailored suits who sip fruity cocktails at beach bars.

I hope you enjoy "Catch and Release."

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Thanks, Tiffany!

Check out the issue on February 29, 2016!

from Author Brock

We're excited to publish an SF tale from Author Daniel Brock in our February 29, 2016 issue. Here's what he has to say about his story "Posthumous":

"For me, ideas come and go so fast I can barely keep up with them, let alone remember how they came about. Most of them begin as small, fickle things, little more than a vague notion of something I think would be cool, that slip away unless I capture them in ink first. Posthumous, on the other hand, was one of those ideas that slipped away and just kept coming back. I’d get excited thinking about it, then lose faith and put it on the backburner. It was a bit of a struggle, but because of this, it is one of the few stories I can say for sure where the idea came from and how it evolved.

At first it was just the title. Posthumous, meaning awarded or occurring after death, always made me think of Grammys awarded after death, so the musician coming back from the dead was always a part of the story. That was the “coolness,” but for the longest I couldn't decide how to make it an actual story. Eventually, I thought the best thing to do was address the two main characters and let them drive the plot. I think for this version, that was the right thing. The inspiration for the characters came from my own music idols. Though the explosion of publicity Michael Jackson’s music received after he died played a big role in the early days of “Posthumous,” Billy Strat and his story were heavily inspired by my newfound love of Alice in Chains and my wish that Layne Staley could still be singing now. His voice alone influenced this story more than anything.

So that, in a Nutshell (ha! :D), is how I came up with “Posthumous.” One more thing, before I go. I submitted this story exactly one week before David Bowie passed away. I worked on it during Lemmy Kilmister’s last days, and was toying with the idea when they found Scott Weiland. Though I didn’t witness any of these men in their prime, the mark they left on music and entertainment has probably influenced me in ways I don't even know. This story isn’t about them, but for some reason I feel it should be, so I’ve dedicated this story to these three men and all the others we’ve lost. It’s the least I can do.

May they continue to Rock in Paradise."

Thanks Daniel!

first 2016 production meeting

We are well on our way to producing the first issue of 2016! Woohoo! Thank you, authors for sending in your stories. We appreciate it. I believe all authors should have heard back from us one way or another if you submitted before the Jan 15 deadline. If you didn't hear from us (and you submitted before Jan 15), please submit again. We do want your story! I did disable the auto-reply for the submissions email--it was causing trouble.

The discussion amongst editors was very spirited. Grayson, Nikki and I had fun discussing the latest spec fic books, TV shows, movies and the Broncos (we like them! Go Broncos!). The story discussion for the issue itself was surprisingly agreeable. We pretty much agreed about everything, but it was spirited because we like the stories a lot! :)

For Editor's Corner Nikki's going to give us all some tips on writing endings. Yay! Unusual fact: we didn't get much SF this time. In terms of food and drink, nothing too weird except my dish...I got 'Breakfast Nachos.' Have you ever heard of this before? I hadn't. Let's just say it was an adventure in itself!

Hopefully, we'll have some blog entries from our authors the rest of the month. Stay tuned.
Look for the new issue February 29, 2016!