overall 2 votes: 
editor rating: 
The Slush Pile is a weekly short-fiction blog run by Hal Matthews that runs the gamut of speculative fiction. Updated every Wednesday, the stories can range in focus from power-armored paladins looking for love at the edge of space, to boys getting high with the monsters in their closets. . . .
more:
editor picks
· member picks
· popular
· worthwhile
· recently vetted
· all recent additions
or jump to a random listing
editor rating 1 vote: 
An collection of stories with humor, horror and things that are just too darn hard to classify. . . .
overall 2 votes: 
editor rating:
A series of short stories loosely connected by the themes of Fantasy, Equality, Intelligence, Angst, and Idealism. Characters (particularly a small, black-haired young woman) and settings (particularly a place not unlike present-day Earth) may be shared. Plotlines may be continued. Morals may be made. For sure, they are all written by the same author. . . .
editor rating 1 vote:
Amba begged the demi-god Krishna to train her as a warrior. His price: to make her a pawn in his grand scheme. Aryavarta, Northern India, 864 BC Krishna rested in a clearing, giving Amba a clear shot. She raised her bow longing for the satisfaction of a kill. A doe distracted her as it bounded between mangroves to . . .
overall 33 votes:
no editorial rating
A little girl is kidnapped from her family by unknown assailants, is imprisoned into a gigantic, endless cave filled with ravenous monsters, is infected by the monsters’ poisonous blood (that’s the ‘Taint’ from the title), and dies. Then, she gets angry. . . .
overall 7 votes:
editor rating:
17-year-old Jason Giles dies and is subsequently railroaded into becoming the new ruler of Hell. As he learns about Hell, his role, and his abilities as the Devil, he tangles with a slew of demons and a few humans in his attempts to protect himself, his position, and ultimately, the world. . . .
overall 4 votes:
editor rating:
Orphaned at birth and raised in a hostile foreign land, Sterling must journey across Taaneri to find her origins and help save her people from the evils that surround them. With the help of the Veillen Warriors Sterling must push back the demons of Abaddon and stop the Severon from their quest to control the demon army. . . .
editor rating 1 vote:
When the city of Kaj Jollies was burned and looted by kobold hordes, Anaya lost everything she ever cared for – her new-found family, her lovers, her sisters and her purpose in life. As she struggles with madness after being shattered by unbearable grief, something dark fills the space of her soul, transferring the gentle and shy Anaya into . . .
overall 5 votes:
editor rating:
The sequel to Children of the Halo. It’s been a month now since the town of Dunsmith, British Columbia has found itself stranded in the Pactlands, and the citizens have begun the process of learning to adapt to a new life. Having fended off the initial invasion by the nation of Vector, they now discover a new array of . . .
overall 2 votes:
editor rating:
Provoking Fire is an original fantasy web novel set in an alternate reality where Earth is inhabited by both humans and mutants, beings that appear to be human, but possess supernatural abilities. The discovery of these super-powered individuals has rocked the globe and in the aftermath of a destructive world war a few humans strive to understand and strike a . . .
overall 2 votes:
editor rating:
If you were the bane of existence cursed with catastrophic power, would you choose to save the lives of those who abused you, or witness and bring upon their demise? The Dark Crystal, and the Light Crystal, contain magnificent power, but together create an unparalleled path of absolute annihilation. But each carrier is destined to defeat the other. So, . . .
overall 2 votes:
editor rating:
Crandall Jacobson doesn’t believe in vampires. His life is singing for Inertia Stand, a band he loves even if he hates the name. His best friend and drummer appears to have the same lust for music but Mike also has a secret: He’s a vampire hunter. When a routine staking goes awry, and a vampire sinks her teeth into . . .
overall 10 votes:
editor rating:
Thalia’s Musings is narrated by Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, as she observes the comedy, drama, and tragedy of the ancient Greek pantheon. But when Thalia becomes more than an observer, the Fates take notice. Are Thalia’s powers limited to helping mortal playwrights hack out a comedy sketch, or can she create happy endings in real life, even for the . . .
Jul 4, 2013: This is a collection of stand-alone short stories, many of which have fantasy/horror elements. The other thing they have a lot of is angst, fear, longing, and regret. It’s not my usual read, but the author has a true gift for creating stories and moments that bring these things out, and then holding them up to the light like fine blown glass.
He has a talent for creating a world and telling a story succinctly, so that by the end I [more . . .]
Jul 11, 2015: This is a fun serial. Well, I suppose that only works if your idea of fun is two Britishmen trying to understand the apocalyptic hellscape that their world has become. Usually that wouldn’t be my kind of story, but I’ve got to say, this pulled me in.
The biggest draw for me was actually the format. Whereas epistolary novels can often feel a little played out, his one does something interesting: each of the two characters gets written by a different [more . . .]