Science Fiction

Short Story Bonanza

I can talk about SOME of my short story news, but not all...

Jendia Gammon

Feb 2, 2024 — 3 min read

I can talk about SOME of my short story news, but not all...

A Flurry of Activity

I like to say that publishing is really slow...until it isn't. And right now, things are moving quickly in the industry. I'm seeing friends announcing book deals every day, it seems.

There are also a bunch of short fiction open submission calls across several genres. I saw one yesterday, sprang for it, submitted a story, and boom! I got an acceptance in my inbox this morning. I get its contract to sign next week.

That's pretty rare. Usually it takes weeks or even months to hear back from story submissions. That wasn't the only news I got, though.

I also got the contract for a short story that had been accepted near the end of 2023. So now that it is signed and sent back, I await the final go-ahead to announce it officially. Just like the first story mentioned above.

And today I saw a call for something I couldn't resist, so I sent in a story for that. But it will take months before I hear back. I'm hopeful for that one. It would be in a very intriguing anthology. And it's one of the funniest and most absurd things I have ever written, much less read! Very Douglas Adams, that one.

Two Anthologies This Year...So Far

So far, I'm in two anthologies this year. One of them will host the short story that was accepted today. It is a horror anthology out in October. So, obviously, that short story is a horror one, a slow-burn, very creepy tale.

The other one I can go ahead and talk about a bit. I have mentioned it before. It is a CyberSalon anthology, and I have a short story in it called "The Theseus Stone" which deals with memory and grief, and is set in the near future. It is a science fiction story. I do not have a link to purchase yet, but this anthology arrives at the end of March, last I heard.

Fingers crossed I get in that third anthology I mention above. And I'll try to get in more! At the very least, I'm building my brand under this pen name finally. And I will have no gap year in publishing once again. I've either had a book out or been in an anthology every year since 2018. That makes me happy.

Award-Eligible Current Stories

While you wait for these various stories to be announced officially and published, you can read other short stories by me, some standalone, and many in my debut collection THE SHADOW GALAXY, written under my J. Dianne Dotson pen name, and published in 2023 by Trepidatio Publishing. This debut book is longlisted for the BSFA Awards! Buy it on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Mysterious Galaxy...pretty much most places online. Available in paperback and ebook.

2023 Published Works by Jendia Gammon

Anthology / Short Fiction

“Falling Upward into Starlight” by Jendia Gammon; Flash Fiction Short Story; Fantasy. Published by Queer Sci-Fi in the RISE anthology, October 2023.
“A Swirl of Leaves and Sand,” by Jendia Gammon; Short Story; Fantasy/Magical Realism. Published by Seaside Gothic, October 2023.
“Copper,” by Jendia Gammon; Short Story; Science Fiction. Published by Interzone Magazine Issue 295, 2023.
“Opal World Frolic” by Jendia Gammon; Short Story; Science Fiction. Published by Third Flatiron in the Rhapsody of the Spheres anthology, August 2023.

2023 Published Works by J. Dianne Dotson Collection / Anthology / Short Fiction

The Shadow Galaxy: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry by J. Dianne Dotson; Adult; Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Magical Realism, Appalachian, Southern Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Short Fiction, Poetry. Published by Trepidatio / JournalStone Publishing, March 2023.
“Midnight Serenade” by J. Dianne Dotson; Short Story; Science Fiction, Fantasy, Climate Fiction. Young Adult. Published by Solarpunk Magazine, January/February 2023. THIS IS ALSO THE PROLOGUE TO MY DEBUT YA NOVEL, THE INN AT THE AMETHYST LANTERN (UP FOR AWARDS!)
“The Tower and the Raven,” by J. Dianne Dotson; Short Story; Fantasy. Published by Lazy Wolf Studios in Tales from Stolki’s Hall: A Thrones & Bones Anthology, September 2023.