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undertow.bsky.social
Undertow Publications 🇨🇦
@undertow.bsky.social
9.6K followers 2.1K following 2.9K posts
Indie press in Canada. World Fantasy Award, Shirley Jackson Award, HWA Specialty Press Award, and British Fantasy Award-winner. Endearingly weird. (Posts by Michael Kelly)

https://undertowpublications.com/
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undertow.bsky.social
New arrival.
Hardcover of Stewart O'Nan's EVENSONG. cover depicits a painting if a house with evening holden light crossing one side
November 27, 2025 at 5:20 PM
undertow.bsky.social
In house is issue #3 of @remainsmagazine.bsky.social I've been reading Andy Cox-edited mags all the way back to The Third Alternative. (I guess I'm old.) Check it out if you want to see what's going on in contemporary dark lit.
Issue 3 of Remains magazine. Cover depicts a very pale young woman or girl in a long, old-fashioned black dress/frock with laced bottom and collar, holding a teddy bear in front of an open door.
November 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
undertow.bsky.social
We're revisiting our back catalogue and the ONLY original novel we've published—M. Rickert's "The Shipbuilder of Bellfairie." This exquisite mystery is an amalgam of Frankenstein, and A Confederacy of Dunces. We want you to read it. The eBook is on sale for just $2.

undertowpublications.com/ebooks
PRAISE "...an affecting and tragic portrayal of a man struggling and failing to communicate and connect with those around him. Highly recommended..." - Starred Review, Booklist “Masterful ... darkly magical ... a stunning ending.” — Gary K. Wolfe, Locus “The Shipbuilder of Bellfairie grabbed me from the first page. Quark is an indelible main character who I will continue to think about and love.” — Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will “The Shipbuilder of Bellfairie by M. Rickert is a powerful evocation of an imaginary place, both magical and mundane; the tribulations of a good hearted hapless giant; and a compelling mystery. Dark and humorous and deep.” —   Jeffrey Ford, Author of Big Dark Hole “Fans of M. Rickert's singular blend of the mundane and the monstrous will be drawn deep into the briny, haunted world of Bellfairie.” —   Sofia Samatar, Author of A Stranger in Olondria, and Tender “Awash in sea rain, ghosts and the stories they trail, the sound of submerged bells from offshore (or their echo, or their memory), Bellfairie and its denizens are M. Rickert creations through and through—meaning magical, mournful, mysterious, profoundly human.” —   Glen Hirshberg, Author of The Motherless Children Trilogy “The Shipbuilder of Bellfairie is a dark, dream-like, psychologically astute novel about the outsider as threat and victim, about the power of crowds, and the betrayal of innocence, replete with uncanny secrets, signs, and symbols that echo and reverberate, intimations of an unseen, sublunary world.” —   Douglas Glover, Author of Elle, and Savage Love
November 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Saw it @weightlessbooks.bsky.social which says it's Summer 2025
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Summer 2025 Sheree Renée Thomas et al. Subscribe to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction | View All Issues The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, founded in 1949, is the award-winning SF magazine which is the original publisher of SF classics like Stephen King’s Dark Tower, Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon, and Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz. Each double-sized issue offers: compelling short fiction by writers such as Kelly Link, Mary Robinette Kowal, Michael Moorcock, Nnedi Okorafor, and many others; the science fiction field’s most respected and outspoken opinions on Books, Films, and Science; humor from our cartoonists and writers. For more information and to sample some of our articles, Please visit our web site. NOVELLAS THREAT ASSESSMENT Matthew Kressel and Mercurio D. Rivera SOUL REBEL Maurice Broaddus NOVELETS THE FINAL TRIAL OF JALEN, OBA OF UHURI Justin C. Key THE CORPORATE SOUL John Shirley THE APOLOGY TOUR Nnedi Okorafor SHORT STORIES THE SEVENTY-EIGHT SPOONS Devan Barlow AND A LITTLE GARLIC William Mangieri THE RED RIVER SUMMERS Inda Lauryn POEMS MOCTEZUMA III Lisa M. Bradley DEPARTMENTS EDITORIAL: A NEW HORIZON Sheree Renée Thomas BOOKS TO LOOK FOR Charles de Lint MUSING ON BOOKS Michelle West BY THE NUMBERS #10 Arley Sorg SCIENCE: THE SKEPTICAL SCIENTIST Jerry Oltion COMING ATTRACTIONS CURIOSITIES Michael Gonzales
November 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
undertow.bsky.social
First new issue of F&SF in ages says it is "Volume 1."
Cover of first new issue of F&SF in ages and banner says it is "Volume 1"
November 21, 2025 at 4:43 PM
undertow.bsky.social
In house. @raforall.bsky.social
Book cover of Why I Love Horror, by Becky Siegel Spratford. Black and white cover with a bit of red. Art by Jeffrey Alan Love depicts a large creature and smaller humanoid holding hands
November 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Coming Spring 2026, issue 12! Art by @marcpotts.bsky.social Design by Vince Haig. Words by @rajivmote.bsky.social @grayhaem.bsky.social @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social @breathinghead.bsky.social @noirbettie.bsky.social @rlsummerling.bsky.social and more.

Pre-orders will go up early in the new year.
Cover for issue 12 of Weird Horror. Cover shows art by Marc Potts called "Frost Witch". Blue/Grey color scheme of witch floating or moving above the grounds as their harir and garments trail
November 15, 2025 at 4:12 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Photographic evidence of me at our library's book sale yesterday. I'm in the grey toque. 'Ah, it's Canada,' you say. 'Which grey toque?' I'll let you figure it out.
People browsing books and films and CD's on carts.
November 15, 2025 at 2:19 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Our 2025 award eligibility post! If you've liked anything we've done this year, please consider it in your recommendations.

Thank you for your generous consideration.
undertow publications 2025 award eligibility Short Story Collection Uncertain Sons and Other Stories, by Thomas Ha Magazines/Periodicals Artists Non-Fiction Weird Horror #10 Weird Horror #11 Ove Tøpfer Valin Mattheis MK Cooper Shikhar Dixit “Transcendence in Horror” by Simon Strantzas “Gargoyles, Grotesques, Monster Toys” by Orrin Grey “The Four Quadrants” by Simon Strantzas “Tokusatsu Terror” by Orrin Grey (From issues 10 & 11 of Weird Horror) Short Stories “St. Dymphna’s School for Borderland Girls” by Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece “In the Dream, He is Skinless and Beautiful” by Spencer Nitkey “Her Alberta” by Malcolm Devlin “Silver Wires and Sweet Water” by Alexander James “Nothing Good Without a Price” by Martin Cahill “Scratch Dinner” by Françoise Harvey “The Waite People” by Meg Elison “Seven Cups” by Rebecca Kuder “No Light in The Trees” by John Patrick Higgins From Weird Horror #10 “The Start of Something” by David Demchuk “Invasive Species” by Mary Kuryla “A Cruelty” by Rory Say “Another Mother Again” by Cyan Katz “Wine-Dark Eyes” by Juniper White “We Dwell in Its Many-Chambered Heart” by A.C. Wise “Dark Water” by Andrew Humphrey “Foreword to Occult Methods of Investigation” by David Peak “The God of Rust” by Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece “We Didn’t Used to Be Like This” by Jack Klausner From Weird Horror #11 Anthology The Best Weird Fiction of the Year, Vol. 1, edited by Michael Kelly Novelette Uncertain Sons, by Thomas Ha Undertow Publications is eligible in the Professional, and Non-Professional award categories Michael Kelly is eligible in Best Editor categories Weird Horror magazine is eligible in Best Semi-Prozine/Periodical categories
November 12, 2025 at 4:41 PM
undertow.bsky.social
I've made @thomasha.bsky.social's original novelette "Uncertain Sons" - from his debut collection - available to read for those catching up on year-end reading, for awards eligibility and recommendations. Enjoy!

We appreciate your kind consideration.

undertowpublications.com/uncertain-sons
Web page showing partial text of UNCERTAIN SONS.
November 9, 2025 at 3:31 PM
undertow.bsky.social
@hironennes.bsky.social in the house.
My hand clutching a hardcover of THE WORKS OF VERMIN by Hiron Ennes.
November 1, 2025 at 7:13 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Perfectly ... um, adequate.
2 pumpkins I carved rather lamely.
October 30, 2025 at 7:08 PM
undertow.bsky.social
We published some bangers this year. Hope you got your weird on. Well, I'm sure you did. Thanks to everyone for your support.

undertowpublications.com
Our 4 titles: Weird Horror issues 10 $ 11; Uncertain Sons and Other Stories; The Best Weird Fiction of the Year, Vol. 1.
October 29, 2025 at 6:16 PM
undertow.bsky.social
New 2025 editions in house!
Box set of 5 Franz Kafka titles. Metamorphosis; The Trial; The Castle; Amerika; In the Penal Colony.
October 29, 2025 at 1:43 PM
undertow.bsky.social
The World Fantasy Awards are presented next Sunday, and we're so fortunate to be recognized again in Best Antho and Special Award. And so happy for @hironennes.bsky.social for their Weird Horror story.

All the fab finalists are here: locusmag.com/2025/07/2025...
Graphic showing World Fantasy Award trophy and categofres that Undertow are in: Best Anthology; Best Short Fiction; and Special Award
October 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Ugh!
October 22, 2025 at 1:50 PM
undertow.bsky.social
JFC!
Screenshot from Amaz*n.com showing the book "Writing Horror with AI" Ugh! The book's description: The blank page is no longer empty. In the digital age, a new collaborator waits in the wires—a ghost in the machine ready to help you craft tales of terror unlike any before. But not all ghosts are the same. To write truly groundbreaking horror, you must first learn to choose your ghost. From the author of the Supernatural America series, James Blessinger, comes a revolutionary guide for the modern horror writer. Writing Horror with AI is not just a technical manual; it is a grimoire for a new era of storytelling, revealing how to partner with the most powerful creative tools of our time to architect fear, build atmosphere, and push the boundaries of the genre. Forget generic prompts and clichéd results. This metaguide delves into the unique personalities of three distinct AI archetypes, teaching you which one to summon for every terrifying task:
October 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Couldn't resist a bargain.
Paperbacks of volumes 1, 2, and 3 of Best New Horror reissued in 2015 with new EC Comics style covers.
October 20, 2025 at 9:51 PM
undertow.bsky.social
What a time!
In race to succeed, some AI start-ups embrace 72-hour workweeks The start-ups are promoting hardcore cultures such as “996,” meaning working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, as they compete in the AI industry.
October 20, 2025 at 11:32 AM
undertow.bsky.social
From writer Matt Cardin (via facebook).
Especially if you're a weird/cosmic horror author, but actually if you're any kind of author, ignore any accusations or criticisms that your work is guilty of purple prose. For one thing, stylistic maximalism is awesome. For another, "too much" is a matter of taste and sensibility—and whatever counts as mainstream stylistic sensibility among readers these days can be problematic. This sensibility is a descendant of the latter twentieth century's unfortunate war on literary style in favor of the anemic, streamlined "styleless" prose of much mass market pop fiction. Additionally, the ongoing, epochal shift away from a literary, book-centric culture to a visual culture dominated by screens has blunted not only many people's readerly expectations but their actual readerly ability. In other words, if your prose seems purple, it's not your problem, it's theirs. The upshot is that you should write how you want. Say it exactly how you want to say it. If you're accused of reaching for every adjective or adverb in the dictionary and beating your ideas to death in ten words when five would be enough, take that as a badge of honor. Maybe your version of eschewing surplusage and identifying just the right word that makes the difference between lightning and a lightning bug is simply out of phase with the current culture—and that's fine.
October 16, 2025 at 2:40 PM
undertow.bsky.social
What? @thomasha.bsky.social's UNCERTAIN SONS is already 1-month old. They grow up so fast. Please grab a copy, if you haven't. Praised by @kellylink.bsky.social @jeffreyford8.bsky.social @premeemohamed.com @wiswell.bsky.social @byzantienne.bsky.social @stevetem.bsky.social Brian Evenson, and more.
Cover for Thomas ha's UNCERTAIN SONS AND OTHER STORIES, featuring Giger-esque figures of bone on red background.
October 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Off on a weekend road trip of Butter tarts, Brews, and Boos. @guesswheretrips
Buttertart and text: Butter tarts, Boos, and Brews.
October 11, 2025 at 2:14 PM
undertow.bsky.social
@datlow.bsky.social 's latest is in house. Just have to decid which side of this Saga Double to read first.
The "blue" NIGHT cover for the Saga Double DAY AND NIGHT The "red/orange" DAY cover for the Saga Double DAY AND NIGHT
October 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
undertow.bsky.social
New story up at Weird Horror. @jackklausner.bsky.social's chilling "We Didn't Used to Be Like This." It's sublime.

www.weirdhorrormagazine.com/we-didnt-use...
Screen grab of page from weirdhorrormagazine.com showing the story, title and front cover. Black text on ochre nackgrounb
October 6, 2025 at 9:57 PM
undertow.bsky.social
Grabbed some books from the @littleghostsbooks.bsky.social fest. @slimyswampghost.bsky.social @charleneelsby.bsky.social @rebeccacampbell.bsky.social
4 books: scarewaves, and Odd Noises in Empty Rooms, borh by Trevor Henderson. The Organization is Here to Support You, by Charlene Elsby. And The Other Shore, by Rebecca Campbell.
October 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM