Welcome to The Pitch, a monthly discussion thread of the best speculative fiction on Substack, introduced by the authors themselves!
Whether you’re a reader searching for spooky new worlds or a writer ready to promote your scariest piece, this Halloween Thread is for you! Here’s how it works:
🎃 Are you a writer?
Head to the comments and add:
A link to the speculative fiction that will keep your readers up at night (short story, serial chapter, anthology excerpt, essay, etc.).
A 1–2 sentence pitch to hook new readers.
Bonus: Share the inspiration behind the story, a moodboard, the first line, favorite reader tropes. Be creative!
⚰️Are you a reader?
Head to the comments:
Browse the comments to discover fresh speculative fiction directly from the authors.
Like the ones that catch your eye.
Leave a comment on a story you enjoyed—it makes a writer’s day and starts great conversations.
Already have a favorite ghost story to fit the theme of this spooky month (on or off Substack)? Leave a comment to drop a rec of your own!
🕸 Support the Community
Want to help these stories reach more readers?
Restack. Restack this thread. Restack the stories you are reading. Let fellow Substackers know what you enjoy.
Share it to Reddit, Discord, X, Instagram, Facebook, share it with your mom, uncle, best friend, grandpa, neighbor who weirdly does yardwork at midnight—anywhere speculative fiction lives, let them hear from you.
Like the infectious bite of a zombie, the words coming from your mouth are viral. The more you share, the more readers will read, and the more connections we build. Let’s keep the signal strong.
What if sports were the only thing keeping a society together? The Cog that Spins the Wheel is a dystopian sci-fi action-sports story for the modern age. Imagine Rollerball meets Formula One racing on the moon. Slam an energy drink, place your bets, and throttle out.
https://ipatterson.substack.com/p/the-cog-that-spins-the-wheel
The Witching Walls
This story emerged from a prompt from Substack's very own inspirational instigator, Miguel S. (aka The Fiction Dealer) - "Paint the Walls: An apartment comes with a strange clause: You must paint the walls every three months."
Horror literature isn't my natural ecosystem, but folks seemed to think this one was fairly Halloweeny. But me being me, I had to give it kind of a happy ending (of course the happiness depends on perspective).
https://jeannine85f.substack.com/p/the-witching-walls