I usually write literary or mainstream short stories. I feel my latest story is slightly different, but I don't know if it is too different. It takes place in a flat world. The world being flat is important to the story. Aside from the world being flat, everything else is realistic. Does this make it some sort of fantasy or SF story? I am not exactly sure if I should send this to a typical literary magazine. What do you guys think? Am I crossing genres with this one? Thanks.
What did I create?
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Flatland by Edwin Abbot can be found in the sci-fi/fantasy section of most bookstores. As can Discworld by Terry Pratchett. if you mean flat as in fewer dimensions, or flat as in the world isn't really round, either way I'd say you have spec-fic for sure. What kind would depend on how the flatness is presented (does science play a part in the explanation, or magic?)
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
There is no magic going on so I guess science, but I don't really get into that. I looked into some SF/fantasy magazines and I can't really see my story fitting in. It is more literary. I have to send it out somewhere for the writ1/sub1, but I am having a hard time classifying it and finding a market. I am really happy with the story. Has anyone seen something along the lies of what I am talking about in a mainstream short story publication?
Flat world...I'd have to go with spec fic of some type. There are certainly markets for literary SF or fantasy.
I have really tried to find literary SF, but I seem to be looking in the wrong places. I tried duotrope and read a bunch of websites, but I can't seem to find a place where the stories are similar to mine. Can you help me out with this? This is not my usual genre.
Also, what is spec fiction? Thanks for your help.
Also, what is spec fiction? Thanks for your help.
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I went through this same thing 6 months ago. My story is all normal except plastic surgery has improved so you can get fixed for the dress you want to wear then get changed back the next day.
It's hard. There are places that publish both sci-fi and pure lit. But they didn't like it. I wondered if it was too sci-fi, or not enough. A sci-fi journal commented that I should beef up the sci-fi aspect. I don't have an answer, I think it's a tough sell.
By the way, some journals do have sci-fi light editions. Tin House had one a few months back.
It can be easily found online as well, as it's so old it's public domain, and it's still popular reading (at least in some nerd and perhaps literary circles).
But then, that doesn't help much for find a market for this. I've always heard start at the top. Try The New Yorker.
Weeellll, it depends on how you wrote the story, and what the point of the story is. Some literary writers use very wild SF or fantasy settings that would never, even work in an SF of fantasy magazine, but work well in literary journals.
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