CROOKED SPINE: WHAT YOU WORSHIP Short fiction, and poems for our fourth issue. We keep themes vague but please do not submit something way out of the guidelines. SUBMISSION WINDOW: September 1st -- October 23rd WORDCOUNT: 1,500 -- 3,500 PAYMENT: $20 + a contributor copy LINK TO ORIGINAL CALL WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR: What You Worship is seeking horror about devotion and the price it demands. Familiar cults, religions, and ancient gods are welcome when the work finds something unexpected...

After deciding that she's had enough of the corporate rat race, Holly Green does the one thing that she never thought she'd do: she moves back to her hometown of Peppermint Falls to seek a fresh start. Her mother Martha and her neighbors are delighted to welcome her back, and one man--the handsome new owner of the Christmas tree farm, Dash--is excited to meet her. Sparks fly between Holly and Dash, but this newfound love isn't without difficulty, especially when Hal, Holly's ex-boss (and...

"Through apocalypse, dystopia, and renewal, the throughline of empathy, love, and human determination in Barrington's THIS IS HOW THE WORLD ENDS keeps the story profoundly human. An impressive debut that leaves the reader with a bittersweet, hard-won hope that feels especially resonant in our uncertain political moment." - Seth Haddon, author of VOLATILE MEMORY and REFORGEDRun the race. Or die. Britain is at war, isolated by a digital blockade. Dissidents run a deadly race for the public’s...