Weird Fiction discussion

https://stygianlepus.com/

The Stygian Lepus is an online magazine based in the United States that publishes what they call “dark” fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They have already published 24 issues! And they only started publishing in 2023. Check out those covers! That's some pretty amazing art, isn't it?

Probe a little deeper, and one discovers the magazine purports to offer "diverse genres from horror to science fiction, each story push[ing] the boundaries of reality." Pushing boundaries, horror to science fiction, does that sound familiar? The magazine is further described as "a thrilling foray into dark speculative fiction. In each new edition, readers explore the depths of imagination, where fear and fascination intertwine. Talented authors craft tales that transport readers to new dimensions, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The magazine is a vessel for exploring the human psyche, embracing darkness as a means to understand ourselves."

Yep. Sounds like weird fiction to me. Maybe the editors are unfamiliar with the term, or perhaps they have decided their intended audience won't know it. Whatever! If you need the published version, it's a bit pricy: $15.99 per copy. However, if you are willing to read it on a Kindle, it's an incredibly good deal! Just $1.99 for 145 print-length pages of material in our favorite genre. All 24 issues are sold at that price.

Actually, the magazine's requirements are that submissions should be written in American English, but I think the publication may originate from Australia.

oh how interesting! Bought the first issue

I bought the 24th, published only yesterday. Normally I would start with the first, too, but I wanted to see the magazine at what is presumably its best.

I read the first story last night before bed. The production values in terms of editing and presentation are high. It's thoroughly professional and the editor wrote a strong opening essay regarding the magazine's goals. However, the writing in that one and only sample story I have read so far was not quite up to what I had hoped for: purple prose and a few amateur writing characteristics that normally get improved through writing workshops and creative writing classes. The magazine pays $5 per story on acceptance. Better writers, I imagine, submit to higher paying markets. Still, I'm betting there's going to be some gems hidden in many of these issues.

In terms of genre, the subject matter encompasses the same area as weird fiction. But weird fiction also places a premium on writing art and originality. The editors may have accurately described their content after all in calling it simply dark fiction.

Three stories and a poem in now, 25% of the magazine. The stories are getting progressively better. Two stars, then 2.5, then 3, and the poem was 2.5. The third story (I rated three stars) was written in present tense, never a good decision in my opinion; otherwise, it would have been a 3.5.