The Pitch is a monthly discussion thread of the best science fiction and fantasy on Substack, as recommended by the authors themselves. Here’s how it works:
Are you an author? Head to the comments and add a link to any one speculative fiction short story, serial chapter or anthology post from your Substack. Add a one sentence summary pitch for the post. This is your chance to creatively promote your work and talent. Try to link a post that you haven’t yet added to a previous pitch session.
Are you a reader? If there’s a story you enjoy, be sure to add a like and comment on the author’s Substack, but feel free to come back here and do the same.
Are you a Notes user? Spread the word by restacking the thread in a Note.
Jul 27, 2023·edited Jul 27, 2023Liked by Brian Reindel 👾⚔️
Linking the first chapter of my novel, Heaven 2.0.
As generative AI and mixed reality unlock the ability to make every person a master of their own universe, questions about the existence of evil, suffering, and forgiveness are no longer only philosophical.
I liked it but felt ripped off because there were so many questions I still had, that I’d rather you answer than me imagine. So I came back here and re-read your comment. Chapter one? Excellent. Please, go on...
I'm Cameron Scott and my latest serial fiction project is called Thorne: The Withering Shore. It's a Detective Story that's Jessica Jones meets Constantine.
Here's the pitch and link to part one!
In a world where dark magic exists and chaos reigns, Rose Thorne investigates a series of disappearances across the city to uncover the truth. It's a race against the clock to catch a killer and bring him into the light of justice.
Logline: One rainy Sunday morning, Doctor Samuel Carter answers a phone call that would change his life. Curious, he joins a secret expedition to Egypt to “find what no one else could,” only to stumble from one mishap into the next. Upon his return to London, not quite himself, his whole world starts to unravel.
I feel like a kid in the sweet shop with these threads and I'm bookmarking this one to happily read through some of the stories later on.
Here is my link to the Goblin Market; where Sharon discovers the consequences of a new fairy market appearing in her town. It weaves folklore, fantasy, and modern living together in a single short story.
“A Dandelion Wish” is a two-part speculative fiction story about a girl who finds a mysterious artifact that gives her the ability to control the weather.
Oh, love this! I just started serializing my novel here :D Post-apo scifi intrigue, with a smattering of romance!
Working in Maintenance was supposed to be a safe haven from the dystopian hellscape around him - but when the local dictator executes her last aide for stealing, Niall finds his hard work rewarded with the promotion of a lifetime. However short that might be.
Imagine a Dungeons & Dragon game happening across New York City, where people complete quests for tokens and experience. Now imagine you've discovered that the game is a front for something far more sinister and far more magical and you're an ambitious hardscrabble striver who is determined to ascend to the top of this game. But you're going to need some help.
Read Guild of Tokens: Trainee, a short story in three parts.
I get so excited whenever it's time for another Pitch session. There are always so many wonderful stories to discover. Hopefully some of you will enjoy my contribution below.
Dreams and reality collide in this cyberpunk tinged flash fiction story about the utopian future people of a certain political persuasion want.
Sailor comes face-to-face with an assailant who is strangely familiar at the party to literally end all parties ... potentially a snippet from a humorous supernatural murder mystery novel.
Morning friends! This month, I bring out a very special flash story from a very special project.
"The Choice is Yours" is an interactive tale told in the 2nd person (or wolf I should say!), from the perspective of a middle-aged manager whose conscience is set adrift in cyberspace.
I'm Cecilia and I write speculative flash fiction. I'm fairly new to Substack and I'm super keen to read other authors here.
In "The Rapture," a young man ventures into the woods with his childhood friend during a camping trip, only to discover his friend has changed far more than he expected.
When the unthinkable happens at the end of a war, the crew of the Circumstance, a family forged in the fires of hell, are one of many forced to flee to the edges of the universe to find a safe place to hide if they wish to ride out the oncoming storm.
I'm linking my first chapter in my NA cozy/urban fantasy.
Witch Nyssa dreams of her own alchemy shop, but has to take a second job at a sentient cafe... And accidentally becomes embroiled with the local enforcers as her magic might able to locate kidnapped shifter pups.
A jaded literary critic has cracked the system, visiting only the small towns on a book tour to gain near exclusive access to otherwise swamped authors. However, this time is different. He doesn't just meet the author, he meets the subject of her hit expose novel--the author's own sister, a cult survivor. She's got to say than our critic bargained for.
This is one of the many worlds that people can can cross into:
"After breaking The Manager's Sect of Observation and Interaction's intolerable rule on falling in love, Jana is guided across The Plane before her last flame of strength is extinguished."
"Against the backdrop of a 6-year war between the Empire forces and xeno invaders a notorious bounty hunter and the Empire’s most effective Kill Team are engaged to recover a critical piece of tech from a local 17 year old orphan girl. With two killer forces on her heels and nowhere to hide, determined not to give up the tech and lose her last sliver of hope, Adrielle does the unthinkable."
Jul 27, 2023·edited Jul 27, 2023Liked by Brian Reindel 👾⚔️
This is wonderful. I'll take a stab at it (I also entered this for consideration in the latest Lunar Awards):
Both an outlaw mage and the mysterious, sightless traveler who's been searching for him must reckon with the fallout of their choices, and the choices of their loved ones, since the time when she was only a child and he gifted her the magic talisman that ruined her life.
100 years in the future a new world discovered in Orion's belt, dubbed Epsilon after the host star, leads to a new hope for humanity, but a freak solar storm event warrants the evacuation of Earth due to the rapid mutation of a terrifying creature - 2 mega ships remain humanities last hope, but can the survivors even make it to them?
"Ask the Captain: Kaboom" is the first part of a speculative fiction superhero story, written as an in-character advice column by Captain Happily Married, Edison City’s heroic defender against evil, injustice, and inter-personal conflicts. In the course of answering a standard question, CHM faces a greater challenge then even he anticipated!
In time for shark week, I just posted the first chapter of my serial, Zombie Shark Highway - a b movie creature feature type of story. Happy reading everyone! 🦈🚘
Lately I've been avoiding serials just because of the time commitment, but when you originally posted that you were going to start this up on Substack, I thought, okay, I HAVE to read at least the beginning of this. 🤣 It's such a crazy awesome concept, Meaghan!
Thanks so much Brian! And I totally hear you, I get the same way when it comes to serials - working on putting together an ebook for those who want to read ahead tho!
Jul 27, 2023·edited Jul 27, 2023Liked by Brian Reindel 👾⚔️
COMING TO A FUTURE NEAR YOU: Sub-human Medicare Plans and Compulsory Retirement Centers. A 150-something man with a canine brain implant loses the love of his life to an AI body snatcher. Can he get her back?
Thanks Brian, always enjoy scrolling through these.
Linking a fragment of a larger SciFi story:
Having walked the streets and alleys of a city cloaked in rain, two people find themselves in a darkened bar, exchanging words in a necessary moment—a prelude of what will come to pass.
Linking the first chapter of my novel, Heaven 2.0.
As generative AI and mixed reality unlock the ability to make every person a master of their own universe, questions about the existence of evil, suffering, and forgiveness are no longer only philosophical.
Hope you like it!
https://open.substack.com/pub/whogetswhatgetswhy/p/dating-advice?r=1z8jyn&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I liked it but felt ripped off because there were so many questions I still had, that I’d rather you answer than me imagine. So I came back here and re-read your comment. Chapter one? Excellent. Please, go on...
Love this!!
I'm Cameron Scott and my latest serial fiction project is called Thorne: The Withering Shore. It's a Detective Story that's Jessica Jones meets Constantine.
Here's the pitch and link to part one!
In a world where dark magic exists and chaos reigns, Rose Thorne investigates a series of disappearances across the city to uncover the truth. It's a race against the clock to catch a killer and bring him into the light of justice.
https://cameronscott.substack.com/p/ive-seen-that-mark-before
This is for the first part of my ongoing serial: "The Americans Used to Go This Way":
"The undercities had never been the most appealing part of Earth, but Edward was here in the Bayuu to find his bride."
https://germanicuscaesar117.substack.com/p/the-americans-used-to-go-this-way
Are you a fan of SF/Adventure, mystery with a dash of satire? Look no further, Indy lovers far and wide, come and enjoy
The Chronicles of Samuel Carter (A Novella)
https://alexanderipfelkofer.substack.com/p/the-chronicles-of-samuel-carter
Logline: One rainy Sunday morning, Doctor Samuel Carter answers a phone call that would change his life. Curious, he joins a secret expedition to Egypt to “find what no one else could,” only to stumble from one mishap into the next. Upon his return to London, not quite himself, his whole world starts to unravel.
I feel like a kid in the sweet shop with these threads and I'm bookmarking this one to happily read through some of the stories later on.
Here is my link to the Goblin Market; where Sharon discovers the consequences of a new fairy market appearing in her town. It weaves folklore, fantasy, and modern living together in a single short story.
https://open.substack.com/pub/plottedout/p/goblin-market?r=615mx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I'm C.D. Houck and have just started my serial fantasy fiction yesterday!
"Vakandi, the dragon spends his last day telling his assassin why he loves them, and why it's his time to die."
First chapter link: https://open.substack.com/pub/cdhouck/p/chapter-1-the-hunt?r=2lfbi1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks, Brian!
“A Dandelion Wish” is a two-part speculative fiction story about a girl who finds a mysterious artifact that gives her the ability to control the weather.
https://alongthehudson.substack.com/p/a-dandelion-wish
Oh, love this! I just started serializing my novel here :D Post-apo scifi intrigue, with a smattering of romance!
Working in Maintenance was supposed to be a safe haven from the dystopian hellscape around him - but when the local dictator executes her last aide for stealing, Niall finds his hard work rewarded with the promotion of a lifetime. However short that might be.
https://brambleswriter.substack.com/p/the-unceasing-mistress-1-the-bad
Imagine a Dungeons & Dragon game happening across New York City, where people complete quests for tokens and experience. Now imagine you've discovered that the game is a front for something far more sinister and far more magical and you're an ambitious hardscrabble striver who is determined to ascend to the top of this game. But you're going to need some help.
Read Guild of Tokens: Trainee, a short story in three parts.
https://jonauerbach.substack.com/p/guild-of-tokens-trainee-part-1
This is awesome.
I just started posting my speculative firefighter drama here.
A middle-aged firefighter impervious to the flames he battles questions his future and his past as he faces retirement and makes a shocking discovery.
Chapter 1: https://hsarthur.substack.com/p/the-first-chapter-of-unburnt
I get so excited whenever it's time for another Pitch session. There are always so many wonderful stories to discover. Hopefully some of you will enjoy my contribution below.
Dreams and reality collide in this cyberpunk tinged flash fiction story about the utopian future people of a certain political persuasion want.
https://joshtatter.substack.com/p/utopian-dreams?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Sailor comes face-to-face with an assailant who is strangely familiar at the party to literally end all parties ... potentially a snippet from a humorous supernatural murder mystery novel.
https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenscott/p/strangely-familiar?r=4de6r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Morning friends! This month, I bring out a very special flash story from a very special project.
"The Choice is Yours" is an interactive tale told in the 2nd person (or wolf I should say!), from the perspective of a middle-aged manager whose conscience is set adrift in cyberspace.
https://365infantry.substack.com/p/the-choice-is-yours
Thanks, Brian!
I'm Cecilia and I write speculative flash fiction. I'm fairly new to Substack and I'm super keen to read other authors here.
In "The Rapture," a young man ventures into the woods with his childhood friend during a camping trip, only to discover his friend has changed far more than he expected.
https://notesmetro.substack.com/p/the-rapture-short-story
I know I need to work on my pitch.
My pitch: Mia navigates the AI-run fantasy game of Revivium and confronts the high-stakes challenges that could determine her survival.
https://reviviumsaga.substack.com/p/twp-ch1
Meet some unique superheroes with a unique problem: https://davidperlmutter.substack.com/p/film-flam
Looking for a cozy sci-fi that will make you cry?
When the unthinkable happens at the end of a war, the crew of the Circumstance, a family forged in the fires of hell, are one of many forced to flee to the edges of the universe to find a safe place to hide if they wish to ride out the oncoming storm.
https://christiewright.substack.com/p/prologue-desolation-among-the-stars
I have the first short story in my serial anthology, Marredbury.
Alex can't explain what happened in her drive home, either her guilt drove her insane or she stumbled on something she wasn't meant to witness.
https://open.substack.com/pub/reinacruzwrites/p/the-happening-on-little-valley-road?r=y7t5u&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I really love this!
MEOW: Magical Emporium of Ware:
A magical bookstore with no known location, that shows up as needed, run by a cat.
https://frompagestoportals.substack.com/p/meow-1
I'm linking my first chapter in my NA cozy/urban fantasy.
Witch Nyssa dreams of her own alchemy shop, but has to take a second job at a sentient cafe... And accidentally becomes embroiled with the local enforcers as her magic might able to locate kidnapped shifter pups.
https://taradavis.substack.com/p/witch-of-the-lunar-order-chapter
Thanks, Brian! - Here's my story - "Ricky woke up early after getting home too late for a good night’s sleep." - https://jamesron.substack.com/p/for-your-eyes-only
I'm looking forward to reading the stories posted here!
Britney's Mushroom.
A jaded literary critic has cracked the system, visiting only the small towns on a book tour to gain near exclusive access to otherwise swamped authors. However, this time is different. He doesn't just meet the author, he meets the subject of her hit expose novel--the author's own sister, a cult survivor. She's got to say than our critic bargained for.
https://hamishkavanagh.substack.com/p/britneys-mushroom-a-short-story
awesome
This is one of the many worlds that people can can cross into:
"After breaking The Manager's Sect of Observation and Interaction's intolerable rule on falling in love, Jana is guided across The Plane before her last flame of strength is extinguished."
https://mikepaydo.substack.com/p/church-of-the-disappeared
ANNIHIL8 - Chapter 1. Serialised Sci-fi dystopian.
"Against the backdrop of a 6-year war between the Empire forces and xeno invaders a notorious bounty hunter and the Empire’s most effective Kill Team are engaged to recover a critical piece of tech from a local 17 year old orphan girl. With two killer forces on her heels and nowhere to hide, determined not to give up the tech and lose her last sliver of hope, Adrielle does the unthinkable."
https://open.substack.com/pub/hollowmachine/p/annihil8?r=g84as&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
This is wonderful. I'll take a stab at it (I also entered this for consideration in the latest Lunar Awards):
Both an outlaw mage and the mysterious, sightless traveler who's been searching for him must reckon with the fallout of their choices, and the choices of their loved ones, since the time when she was only a child and he gifted her the magic talisman that ruined her life.
https://markharbinger.substack.com/p/gifted-from-the-tales-of-myrrek
Dystopian Sci-Fi interest you? Join Expedition Epsilon!
100 years in the future a new world discovered in Orion's belt, dubbed Epsilon after the host star, leads to a new hope for humanity, but a freak solar storm event warrants the evacuation of Earth due to the rapid mutation of a terrifying creature - 2 mega ships remain humanities last hope, but can the survivors even make it to them?
https://open.substack.com/pub/choosefiction/p/blast-off-into-the-stars-in-this?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2g7o8t
Join Choose Fiction to be PART of the ongoing story. Your choices decide the direction of the story and fate of characters!
What would life be like for a typical goblin living in our modern world? Check out "American Goblin", by Joshua Calkins-Treworgy, and find out!
https://thestorytellerscorner.substack.com/p/american-goblin-chapter-1
My On Fire Girl is a flash fiction romance between a man and a star.
https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/my-on-fire-girl
"Ask the Captain: Kaboom" is the first part of a speculative fiction superhero story, written as an in-character advice column by Captain Happily Married, Edison City’s heroic defender against evil, injustice, and inter-personal conflicts. In the course of answering a standard question, CHM faces a greater challenge then even he anticipated!
https://indianamichael.substack.com/p/ask-the-captain-kaboom
In time for shark week, I just posted the first chapter of my serial, Zombie Shark Highway - a b movie creature feature type of story. Happy reading everyone! 🦈🚘
https://open.substack.com/pub/authorstrator/p/zombie-shark-highway
Lately I've been avoiding serials just because of the time commitment, but when you originally posted that you were going to start this up on Substack, I thought, okay, I HAVE to read at least the beginning of this. 🤣 It's such a crazy awesome concept, Meaghan!
Thanks so much Brian! And I totally hear you, I get the same way when it comes to serials - working on putting together an ebook for those who want to read ahead tho!
COMING TO A FUTURE NEAR YOU: Sub-human Medicare Plans and Compulsory Retirement Centers. A 150-something man with a canine brain implant loses the love of his life to an AI body snatcher. Can he get her back?
https://barryburton.substack.com/p/canine-brain
You awake on a packed people mover chugging along in the dark. Not knowing who you are and without the ability to scream or knowledge that you should.
https://billbradbury.substack.com/p/the-day-the-world-ended
Thanks Brian, always enjoy scrolling through these.
Linking a fragment of a larger SciFi story:
Having walked the streets and alleys of a city cloaked in rain, two people find themselves in a darkened bar, exchanging words in a necessary moment—a prelude of what will come to pass.
https://slake.substack.com/p/to-glimpse-another