Something that the Pillbug and I have been discussing for a while is the general lack of low-stakes fiction in SF. There is a plethora of chosen-ones and so many fate-of-the-galaxys to choose from, and just so much hero’s journey everywhere, just everywhere. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course; everyone enjoys it on occasion, but especially this year as I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress, I’ve been craving fiction that’s less… tense. I don’t want to be glued to the page, hungrily devouring it to find out what happens with my heart racing; I want to curl up and read something gentle. Comforting. Low-stakes, or as we’ve been calling it, low-fi.

Between that and wanting to try our hand at something new, the Pillbug and I decided to put our money where our mouth is. So via Grace & Victory Publications (the hobby micropress I run with Grace Seybold), we’re creating a low-fi anthology.

Presenting A Quiet Afternoon, a call for paid SF submissions. We’ve already gotten a few and we are eager for more. So if you think you have something fun, sweet, gentle, weird or any combo thereof under 5,000 words, send it our way! All requirements and details are in the link above.