14 October 2024
November Story Submission Deadline Tomorrow!
10 September 2024
Basking in the August Glow!
If you haven't read them all yet, get to reading!
In the meantime, the slush pile is already building up for the notable November issue. (Thank you for submitting!) We better get to work...
31 August 2024
Awesome August 2024 Issue 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.
29 August 2024
From Author Crawford
This story emerged pretty much entirely as is, from the beginning to the end, during a day-long work meeting. I was taking notes in a notebook, and suddenly thought... What if a zombie was a computer programmer? Add in my interest in obscure brain dysfunctions, and there it was!
The worst part, though, was coming up with a title, until I remembered that zombie processes are a thing in Unix-based operating systems. Once I had that, the story was complete. I am so happy that this story has found a good home!
Interesting! Thanks, Richard!
Readers, be sure to check out all the August 2024 stories!
27 August 2024
Getting close!
- "I, Cro-Mag" by Michael A. Clark
- "Labyrinths for Wayward Teens" by LM Zaerr
- "Dragon Shepherd" by George S. Walker
- "Zombie Processes" by Richard S. Crawford
- "There Are No Clowns" by Graham Robert Scott
Check them all out on August 31!
20 August 2024
From Author Walker
Some writers are plotters (they work out the story details in advance). Others are pantsers (they write by the seat of their pants and develop the story as they go along). I'm a pantser.
"The Dragon Shepherd" started when I visualized a dragon roasting over a fire, with men sitting around it.
I needed conflict so I added a girl walking up to them and saying, "That's mine."
The characters grew out of the dialogue between them. As the characters grew, I discovered why they were there and where they came from.
Then I needed an ending. This is where plotters have an advantage because they know the ending before they begin.
Endings are important!
Since I didn't, I went through a process of trial and error to think of an ending that made sense and yet was (hopefully) a surprise.
And I wanted the ending to be satisfying to the reader. Unless it's a horror story, the sympathetic character(s) should come out ahead.
Then I filled in the gaps in between, and voila, I had a story.
On to the next one!
Interesting! Thanks, George!
Readers, be sure to check out all the August 2024 stories!
13 August 2024
August 2024 cover sneak peek
Without further ado, let's take a sneak peek at the piece: