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Short Story Collections
Wild New Worlds of Wonder & Delight 

Five years of our annual winners:

The absolute best short stories

UNIVERSE IN A BOTTLE AND OTHER TALES 
TIME TRAVEL, DREAMS, SCI-FI  2023 Anthology

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"Universe in a Bottle" is a collection of exciting new short fiction that is bigger on the inside. These new voices are a cosmic boom in the psyche; they open new worlds of wonder and delight as they take you to visit a time traveler who knows how much change you have in your pocket, a school girl who alters the family dream machine, more than a few robots who break the rules any way they can, an astronaut without a ship, a space dog who wants to solve mysteries, and a jazz club at the end of the world. Enter into new times, dimensions–expand your own possibilities of this winning, innovative, and satisfying fiction. Edited by Polly Alice McCann, this collection features fourteen exciting authors: Soramimi Hanarejima, Lisa Acerbo, Amrita Bhasin, Jill Bronfman, Matthew Brown, Jordan Carr, Travis Flatt, Lauren Leach-Steffens, Alexandria LaFaye, Matthew Vogt, Mike Hixson, Logan Penna, and Hal Hulan.

THE NEW JOB'S MURDER
MELODY SHORE MYSTERIES 2022 Anthology

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ISBN-13: 978-1-970151-39-8 paperback​

ISBN-13: 978-1-970151-41-1 ebook

Meet Melody Shore, a sassy, calamity-prone millennial who leaves her legal secretary career in Pittsburgh to work as a funeral assistant. She's trying her best to send the dearly departed off to a “peaceful rest” back in her hometown of Pleasantview. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to keep herself out of the crosshairs of murder. Join Melody as she buries her past, digs for clues, and unearths small-town secrets. "This New Job's Murder" is a collection of five short cozy mysteries by Carole Lynn Jones.

TALES FROM THE DEEP
Deep, Dark, Dangerous: New Short Fiction 2021 Anthology

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From an apocalyptic ocean to the empty void of space, from the ghosts in the human psyche to the center of the Earth. In “Tales from the Deep” asks questions answered best in the dark. Artist Alex Eickhoff brings these short hybrid fictions to life. Don't dip your toes in these waters unless you have the courage to face what's waiting underneath, where you’ll dive deep into dystopian futures, water worlds, and alien planets. Twelve international authors reveal evocative awakenings and acts of courage. You'll visit a doctor in the high mountains of Persia, dive into the microbiology of alien moons, then foray into the dark recesses of the lives of warriors deep underground. Meet fantastical deep space travelers, cyborg creatures, and adventurers of all kinds. In this book you'll find:

Falling by Harrison Blackman, Second Chances by Victoria Shannon, Plastic Jesus by Judith Ets-Hokin, Levi’s Song by John Waterfall, The Red Wolf Incident by Natasha Reeves, Amir Moo by Ali Azar, Neptune’s Children by Brian Burt, James McClintock Was a Rational Man by Thomas, Winningham III, Aeriel by Samantha Bolf, Europa Explorer by Martin Rothaemel, Don’t Want the World to Turn Without You by Mathilde Rybka, The Lady with the Alligator Purse by Polly Alice. 

TALES FROM THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE

2019 Voices in Short Story

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The Goldilocks Zone is the part of a solar system that is suitable for life: not too hot, not too cold. Step into the boots, high heels, spurs, or flippers of unconventional travelers, those who disappear in the blink of an eye, who fight environmental disasters, hide secrets, believe in true love; those who are looking for a new home, and those who will never go home again. This collection features new voices in both fiction and non-fiction and the work of amazing illustrator and professional "doodle-er" Hayley Patterson. Whether sci-fi, fantasy, or absolutely true, each one brings new worlds of wonder and delight. These new voices in short story find the zone for a surprising take on life. And every time, it’s just right. Illustrated by Hayley Patterson and Edited by Polly Alice McCann featuring authors: Alexandra Ames, R.L. Aseret, Amy Bernstein, Brian C. E. Buhl, M.W. Dreygon, Clementine Fraser, Rebecca May Hope, Sol Jacobs, Jerry McCann, Amanda Michelle Moon, Greg Moravec, and Ashley Reisinger. Read more...

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