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QSF Flash Contest 2022: “Clarity” is Here!

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Clarity

The 2022 QSF Flash Fiction contest is officially open for entries – the submission window closes May 1st. We’re excited about this year’s theme! Every year, QSF holds a flash fiction contest to create an amazing new anthology of queer speculative fiction stories. We ask authors to do the nearly-impossible – to submit a sci fi, fantasy, paranormal or horror LGBTQ+ story that has no more than 300 words. Clarity: Noun: 1) Coherent and intelligible 2) Transparent or pure 3) Attaining certainty about something 4) Easy to see or hear The whole world is murky right now. Covid waves, climate … Read more

Announcing the 2022 Flash Fiction Theme

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Clarity

We’re announcing our 2022 Flash Fiction theme, this one from Ben Brock. :) Clarity: Noun: 1) Coherent and intelligible 2) Transparent or pure 3) Attaining certainty about something 4) Easy to see or hear We’ll formally open the contest at the beginning of March, but start working on your submissions now! We do take early submissions – contest rules here.

Ink Is Here! And the Winners Are…

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Ink Print Wrap

Ink is here at last, and it’s time to announce the top three winners! It was an incredibly difficult field this year, with 384 entries, our most ever! Everyone who managed to write a tiny story and get it to us on time should be proud. Flash fiction is not easy! Here are the winners, along with our combined judges’ comments: Mixology, by Emilia Agrafojo The judges chose this one for its imagination, sweetness and joy. It managed to be both on-theme and different from any other submission in the contest. A lovely story that leaves a smile on your … Read more

“Ink” – The Judge’s Choices

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Ink Judge's Choice

It’s time for the next round of announcements for our 2021 QSF spec fiction contest. First off, the five Judges’ Choices. These stories were not chosen as our top three winners, but were singled out by our judges and director for special recognition. Congrats to all! Judge: Angel Martinez EduTron 6000 + Principal Vertner 4EverBrenna Harvey “The Ink-themed entries for this year’s flash fiction contest were surprisingly blood and death laden (surprising to me, at any rate), so the lighthearted stories really stood out for me. I found this particularly whimsical piece completely charming with a surprising amount of world … Read more

“Ink” Honorable Mentions

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Congratulations to our “Ink” honorable mentions! These are fantastic stories that may not have placed in the top three, but nevertheless were in the top 40 based on our judges’ scores. These authors should be extremely proud of this accomplishment, especially given that we received 384 stories this year, a new record for the contest. While they were not chosen for the top three spots, these stories may still be announced as one of the Judge’s Choices or the Director’s Choice. Stay tuned! Ink releases on August 10th. Laura Antoniou – A Most Rewarding Quest Tam Ames – The Autograph … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: Ink Anthology Stories

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Ink 2021

We’re thrilled to have completed the judging and story selection rounds for the Queer Sci Fi 2021 Flash Fiction Contest and Anthology. This was the most stiff cometition yet, with 384 stories covering the gamut of spec fic and the LGBTQ+ community. Before we get to the stories we’re including in the antho, a few stats: Stories by Genre Each year, the theme helps steer the kind of stories we receive in this case, “Ink”, chosen by Ryane, seemed to skew more toward fantasy than anything else (some stories crossed multiple genres, so the numbers below won’t add up to … Read more

Announcing the 2021 Flash Fiction Theme

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Ink Flash Fiction Theme

We’re announcing our 2021 Flash Fiction theme, this one from Ryane Chatman. :) Ink: Transitive Verb: to put ink on ink a pen ink a printing block to draw or write in ink ink a design—often used with in carefully inked in the letters to obliterate with ink —usually used with out inked out many lines to affix one’s signature to to engage or hire by securing the signature of (someone) on a contract Noun: a colored fluid used for writing, drawing, printing, or duplicating informal: a tattoo publicity in the written media a black liquid ejected by a cuttlefish, octopus, or squid to confuse a predator We’ll formally open the contest at the … Read more