Awesome November 2025 Issue Live!

The awesome November 2025 issue of Electric Spec is live!
Thank you, authors! Thank you to our artist!
Thank you to the whole Electric Spec team!

Thank you, readers!
We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did.

November 2025 Issue TOC Preview!

November is a busy time of year! Rest assured we are hard at work on the awesome November 2025 issue of Electric Spec. I'm pleased to pass along a preview of our Table of Contents:

• Salvage by A.R. Werner
• A Domestic Dispute by Alex Fayle
• Jewels and Vipers by Dafydd McKimm
• Genesis by John Leahy
• The Ballad of Black Calchas by Townsend S. Wright
• Editor's Corner Fiction: A Full Moon Botheration by Lesley L. Smith

Woo hoo! I can't wait!

From Author Leahy

We're excited to feature "Genesis" by John Leahy in our awesome November 2025 issue of Electric Spec. Grayson asked him some questions about his story.

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What inspired you to write this story?
I've always been intrigued by genetics and the human genome. I found the p53 tumor suppression gene to be particularly compelling. The thought that we need this guardian of the genome to keep cancer at bay is rather concerning. We need this amazing gene to prevent our bodies from turning on themselves! I got to thinking about the loss or damaging of this gene in millions of people at once in a terror attack using nanobots, and the story grew quickly from there.

Did the story develop in any surprising ways as you wrote it?
Yes, at the beginning I didn't see Dr Cristoni coming back as subject A. That only developed in my head about halfway through writing the story.

Is this story similar to your other writing, or were you trying out something different?
Yes and no. It's similar to my other writing in that I've written on apocalyptic events before, but I never delved into the human genome as a means of delivering a disaster.

Would you like to dedicate the story to anyone in particular?
Yes, to my nephew Josh.

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Interesting! Thanks, John! Be sure to check out "Genesis" and the rest of the stories on November 30.

From Author Fayle

We're excited to feature "A Domestic Dispute" by Alex Fayle in our awesome November 2025 issue of Electric Spec. Alex was kind enough to send us some comments.

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A Domestic Dispute plays with the concept of privilege, living unaware, and the dangers of being self-absorbed. Back in a university class on children's literature, the professor told us how most fairy tales and poems are actually warnings for children on how not to behave.

For example, a child might be curious about what would happen if they dropped the cat down the well, but they read a nursery rhyme that tells them doing such a thing would make them a bad person, but if they rescued an animal, they would be a good person. A couple may receive wishes, then waste them by arguing with each other.

In this story, Daniel who starts out as a totally self-absorbed twenty-something learns something the hard way, with a lot of arguing happening. No nursery rhyme or fairy tale lessons for him; he has to experience it first hand.

And we, as the reader, get to act all smug and knowing about it. We would never be so insensitive. (To be honest, I have been that unaware and worse many times in my life.)

As for the setting, well, I've been living in the Spanish Basque Country since 2007, and am fascinated by Basque myths. Basque culture in general is quite unique, but many of their myths overlap with other cultures. However, there is just enough difference to make the connections even more interesting.

Add in Basque cultural details and the beautiful city of San Sebastian, and you get the perfect setting and setup for a series of short stories (plus a novel underway).
Hope you enjoy the story A Domestic Dispute!

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Interesting! Thanks, Alex! Be sure to check out "A Domestic Dispute" and the rest of the stories on November 30.