Substacks recommended by J. Curtis

Recommended by J. Curtis

Matte Black

By Shane Bzdok

Short stories and microfiction set in the speculative realms of dystopia, science fiction, and horror.

MicroZine

By The MicroZine Crew

A story can be found, and appreciated, in the smallest of places and fewest of words…

When in Doubt, Walk in a Circle

By CB Mason

Author of the FORGED series (Shattered, from Provender Press, coming late 2024), SUP enthusiast, & lifelong mover. Get behind-the-scenes details, literary Easter eggs, & random thoughts that might make your day (or give you a little insight into my life).

Cactus Flowers

By K.C. Knouse

Short fiction, novel serialization, and observations on writing and life.

Annie Hendrix Writes

Poems, short fiction, and creative nonfiction.

A work of fiction

By Hanna Delaney

Author of Oceanus and The Spider. Writes speculative fiction and horror. Can't resist a micro fiction. I just came as myself to this party.

The Fry Corner

By Stephen Fry

A sack of stubs, a stub sack, a stack of subs, a substack

Penny Wagers

By James

Poetry that's actually fun to read. Ambitious essays with audience participation. Where ancient magic meets jokes about Flannery O'Connor's mayonnaise addiction.

Automatic Writer

By Sean Thomas McDonnell

For lovers of cornfields, rock-lottos, and haunted dolls.

Sean knows the magic of words. With a deft sleight of hand, he draws us in, sometimes pulling us deep, as he transforms an unforgettable moment into a story that lingers, refusing to fade.

- J. Curtis

The Feral Stack

By Summer Koester

Deciphering & rewilding culture with humor & honesty + writing (witch)craft… from a cultural misfit dwelling at the intersection of arts & Alaskan wilderness

Summer’s writing is like a balm for the soul. Her words are clear and poignant, cutting straight to the heart of the matter and working wonders without you even realizing it.

- J. Curtis

Ear Candy Update

By Jason Thompson

I write about music for therapeutic reasons.

Put the kids to bed, grab a pint and let the magic of Jason’s words cleanse your spirit.

- J. Curtis

Talebones ✨

By S.E. Reid

Home of the Ferris Island Tales! Short and serialized fiction from S.E. Reid: speculative stories with a spiritual, supernatural, or uncanny twist.

Catch & Release

By Ben Wakeman

A free-ranging collection of creative work in the form of speculative short fiction and novels, songs, essays, and multimedia made with the intention of connecting and inspiring.

Porn Name Pseudonym

By Clancy Steadwell

Modern literary fiction. Bildungsromans, generational conflict, dark humor and local color. Occasional essays on culture.

Clancy’s words tug at the threads of moments we’d rather ignore. Yet he urges us to pull at them, revealing what lies beneath. In doing so, he reminds us of our fragility, our strength, and ultimately, our shared humanity.

- J. Curtis

5AM StoryTalk

By Cole Haddon

A place to talk about stories in all their forms, the craft that goes into them, and the role art plays in our lives.

Plato Was a Dick

By S Peter Davis

Former Cracked columnist, now a free agent. Survived the rise and fall of the internet since the 90s. I talk about society, social media, current affairs, and anything I can put a sardonic spin on.

Colin Meloy's Machine Shop

By Colin Meloy

A sporadic journal about song-making and story-writing

Luke Kondor's Newsletter

Quarterly newsletter from award-winning writer and podcaster, Luke Kondor.

LEAVES

By Sharron Bassano

Short character-driven fiction, evocative travel tales, memoirs and a lot of laughs. Always free. 🌿LEAVES are proven to be better for your mental health than the daily newspaper or social media.

With a whisper of words Sharron paints the most marvelous scenes.

- J. Curtis

Story Club with George Saunders

A place to explore the way the short story works.

Chuck Palahniuk's Plot Spoiler

Exclusive fiction too out-there for prime time, by the author of Fight Club. Writing lessons. Lurid back story.

Factorial Zero

Absurdity. Observation. Occasional seriousness.

The Elysian

By Elle Griffin

This could be our utopian future. Join us to rethink governance & capitalism, contemplate human progress & flourishing, and participate in humanist worldbuilding.

The Earth Has A Mother

By Julia Plevin Oliansky

The deeply personal, highly intimate writings of a Earth-loving mother navigating parenthood in the age of climate change

Jimmy Doom's Roulette Weal

Substack's biggest and brightest circus of single author short fiction from two-time Best of Detroit Best Author Nominee Jimmy Doom-- "One of this century's master storytellers"

HOT PLATE! Print Edition

By Karl Straub

Our culture is totally fucked! On the other hand, music, books, and movies are pretty good.

Written Ward

By John

I am obsessed with discovering and understanding the best ways to share stories on Substack. This is my newsletter where I experiment with doing just that. I share interviews, essays, and original fiction.