Serialised Fiction On Substack
Serialised Fiction Deep Dive
During November and December 2024, I will be launching a series of articles, written in collaboration with a range of writers on Substack, on serialised fiction. By means of introduction, I have created this space where writers who are interested in sharing their own serials can gather, as well as readers looking for a new serialised fiction read.
Though the article series will relate the theme of serialised fiction specifically to historical fiction, all genres of serialised fiction are welcome here.
As the primary purpose of this list is to gather momentum for an upcoming series, it will not be as comprehensive or as well marketed as other directories on Substack.
Could I encourage you to check out
, by and ? It is one of the most comprehensive directories of serialised fiction I have found on Substack, and the source for many of my favourite reads. It is subdivided by genre, with hundreds (thousands?) of entries, and is the most fantastic resource.
PLEASE NOTE that inclusion in the Directory does not indicate agreement with all beliefs or themes demonstrated in a serial.
Children’s
Faire Exchange
Fifth grade has a new exchange student: a spoiled bully from the realm of Faerie! As Lady Rina Algruent wields her magic to terrorize her teachers and classmates, it's up to Jeremy, Zoe, Gregg, Martin, Halley, and Nadia to figure out their new normal and decide how to respond.
By
on . Children’s fantasy. This serial is complete, so all instalments are available to read for free. It is also available in ebook and paperback formats.A Lost Pigeon Named Lew
Lew, the pigeon, gets lost in New York City and gets caught up in more trouble than he can handle.
By
on . Children’s book. All instalments released, for free.Contemporary
The Intern
Javier is an intern with the (fictional reality) Oakland A’s during a historical season when All-Star Brett Austen is on the verge of a historic achievement. Javier navigates good-natured indoctination, relationships and more in this coming-of-age story.
By
on . Contemporary fiction. The Intern is now completed, so all instalments are available to read, for free.Spazzy Square
This coming-of-age story features a boy, Jack, who is starting a new school and is obsessed with getting nuked. After witnessing a shocking crime, Jack becomes the prime suspect, and his only hope is a young woman with severe Cerebral Palsy who can’t talk but communicates with her head. Jack learns about the meaning of life from the handicapped kids who hang out in Spazzy Square, from a refugee of the war in Vietnam, and from a guy who wanted to beat him up just for being different.
By
on . Coming-of-age. New instalments released weekly or biweekly, for free.Things That Can’t Be Broken
Nine-year-old Dani makes a fervent promise that there will always be horses in her life, so when she finds out her next door neighbor won a scholarship to an exclusive horsemanship program, she vows to win one too—but she never gets the chance.
By
on . Shannon releases new instalments each week for free.Three Lives of Jury: Jealousy, Murder, and a Town Called Jury
Three Lives intertwined by fate and jealousy and murder. Lucy the outcast psychic, Whit an abuse victim bent on vengeance and Frank, a sickly, chalky turd of a boy trying to get people to like him, collide during a dangerous quest and are bound to one another forever out of honor and debt. They meet again 20 years after and events tumble into chaos. Twenty years after that they are drawn back together for one final terrible task.
By
on . New instalments released weekly, for free.Wedding Bells
You're invited to participate in the wedding of Paul Buckley and Tracey Jenson from four different perspectives. More than seven years after her husband’s death, Tracey Jenson is remarrying, to local sportscaster Paul Buckley. Told in four parts, we view the festivities from the trip up to the bachelor party, the bachelor party, the last day of work before the wedding, and the wedding itself. These characters were introduced in 2021 in the novel Friends In Low Places.
By
on . Contemporary fiction. New instalments are released monthly, for free.Women of the Canyon
Women finding their next chapters, navigating life’s challenges through friendships and discovering what brings them joy.
By
on . Women’s contemporary fiction. New instalments released weekly, for free, with paid bonuses.Crime
Bad Boys - A Novel
DI Craigson is on the verge of retiring from a lackluster career in the Dundee police department, when a faceless body shows up under the Tay Bridge and he gets dragged back into service. Andrew Moore, a wealthy American oil man working in Dundee has lost his two kids. Could the faceless boy be his son Conor?
As Craigson digs further into the mystery, he uncovers a deep well of family secrets, and his timely retirement becomes more unlikely.
By
on . Crime. New instalments released weekly, for free.Dark
The Blue Jungle
Naomi is a struggling reporter in L.A. Gangsters kidnap her because their boss thinks only Naomi knows what happened to his daughter. He may be right: Naomi covers the porn industry, where all secrets lead to the king of sleaze, Bobby Feathers.
By
on . Noir pulp. New instalments released weekly, for free.Karma of Kulgera
Hundreds of people died by drying in the lush green hills of Kulgera when DSP Prithvi Singh was called to investigate the matter, not expecting he would have to navigate through waters deeper than he originally thought.
By
on . Dark historical fantasy.Nine Story Hotel
The Nine Story Hotel is a collaborative horrornoir publishing project and concept developed by Will Christopher Baer, author of the acclaimed cult neo noir Phineas Poe Trilogy. The Nine Story Hotel weaves characters and their stories inside of a persistent environment, The Nine Story Hotel. Inside you'll find criminals, murderers, thieves, junkies, madmen, the desperate, people trying to disappear, a bit of the occult, and a mysterious staff all creating a puzzle box reality revealing itself as time passes and stories mount and connect between serialized and standalone stories from fresh voices in horror and noir literature, cult favorites, and a core group of diehard writers who keep the world of the Nine moving and organized. The Hotel is a universe all its own, growing with every contribution and new story.
By
on . Noir, horror, crime. Up to 3 serialized pieces in an interconnected and centralized location (The Nine Story Hotel) a week. All stories are currently free, though there is an option to pay to support the writer’s endeavours.No Dogs In Philly
In a future Philadelphia, someone is killing blue-eyed girls for a bizarre religious ritual. When tough-as-nails PI Saru Solan takes the case, she draws the ire of an alien death god — and the interest of all its enemies.
By
on . Cyberpunk Horror Noir. No Dogs In Philly is now complete, so all instalments are available to read, for free.Drama
Dry Bread Ain’t Greasy
Tension escalates between four ex-convicts inside a women-only reinsertion program with wild horses in the Canadian prairies. The intellectual disability of the younger one threatens the participants' chance at a steady future that they would secure if they complete the program's last task: crossing the country on horseback. Early on their journey, this dysfunctional quartet will be forced to work together when they're framed for a murder they didn't commit and set their mind on finding the real felons before they're sent back to prison.
By REMI K. CHEVALIER on
. Drama, neo-western. New instalments released weekly, for free.Fantasy
Acolyte of the Arm
Martin is an acolyte of The Arm, a religious sect in which devotees sacrifice a part of themselves to gain magic-like abilities. When Martin is sent on a mission to help a group of villagers track down a mysterious animal, he begins to learn the secret behind the power members of The Arm wield, and the affects it is having on the world around them.
By
on . YA Fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Amazing Adventures of Tortoise & Gecko
A four-part, cross-genre novel that sets off as a comic fable and then begins to spiral. A story of wit, wonder, loss, and transformation, it includes talking animals, piracy, empire, and buried text.
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Amy of Earth
When Amy falls through a mysterious portal, she finds herself in a world without humans—where fierce, war-driven creatures rule. Captured by a merciless myrmidon, she is declared a slave, and her fate appears sealed.
But in this dangerous land, she discovers unexpected allies: a childlike shapeshifter, a wine guzzling thicket, and a cuegle seeking vengeance for the death of her brother. Desperate to return to her world, Amy must convince them to help her escape before the ruthless myrmidon forces her into servitude. Can she find a way home while there's still time?
By
on . Lite portal fantasy. New instalments released Sundays and Wednesdays, for free until episode 20.The Ancient’s Vendetta
Three adopted brothers are thrust into the eternal battle between good and evil.
By
on . Low fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Beacon
What people see as massive “waves,” “bubbles,” or “distortions” are traveling across the land, inciting acts of foolishness, selfishness, and pure evil. The king calls on his problem-solver, Adonis Santinetta, and his crew to investigate the phenomenon and restore tranquility to Margonne. Meanwhile, signs of rebellion begin to trouble the kingdom, raising the specter of civil war.
By
on . New instalments released weekly, for free.Briar Rose
With her body asleep for a century, Briar Rose is left to wander her palace in spirit while those around her sleep or rot away. And then one day a duke breaks the curse of the hedge beyond. But instead of bringing freedom, he brings death and destruction. Powerless to stop him, Briar Rose also fears the powerful witch by his side - the only person in his entourage who can see her ghostly form.
By
on . Fairytale retelling. Four part serial with all parts already published, for free.Chamber of Power
Magic, once purged from the Kingdom of Magh, has returned. This time, the world might not survive.
Lyn has the rare ability to sense, even see, the magic in things and people. Outcast, she offers her skills for hire, not caring for what as long as she’s paid. Success after success sends her ego flying high, and her reputation spreads far and wide. She believes she’s unstoppable and there’s nothing she can’t do.
So teaming up with a too-clean street sweeper, Tass, wasn’t part of her plan. Being around him is like throwing water on hot oil, but she needs him to complete the most important job she’s ever taken: to find the secret behind the Chamber of Power, a mythical place said to hold the power of a thousand suns, and the source of a darkness bleeding into the land that’s corrupting people and places.
Their search has Lyn questioning everything she thought she knew, and seriously worried they’re already too late to save the world.
Chamber of Power is a fantasy serial dripping with magic, portals, and creatures that follows characters struggling to know themselves even as they strive to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Power.
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Child of Light
Child of Light follows Elswyth, a young woman in the 1990s who feels increasingly disconnected from the world around her. Mysterious dreams and strange occurrences pull her into a journey of self-discovery, where she begins to awaken a hidden power within herself. As she unravels the secrets of her past, Elswyth is drawn into a deeper conflict between forces beyond her understanding. Her journey will challenge everything she thought she knew about herself, her world, and the line between reality and dreams.
By Diana Hannay on
. Fantasy. New instalments released bi-weekly, for free.Chronicles of a Hero
In Chronicles of a Hero, an ordinary individual is thrust into a world of ancient prophecies and supernatural powers. As dark forces begin to stir, the protagonist must reluctantly embrace their role as the chosen one, navigating a treacherous path of moral ambiguity and growing responsibility. Along the way, they forge alliances with a diverse cast of characters—each with their own motivations and secrets—while confronting a mysterious antagonist intent on destroying the balance of their world.
As the hero's journey unfolds, they grapple with internal conflicts, questioning their own worth and ability to bear the weight of destiny. Each installment of the series peels back new layers of the sprawling fantasy realm, revealing complex politics, hidden dangers, and forgotten magic. The stakes rise with every challenge, building toward an inevitable confrontation where the hero must decide whether they will sacrifice everything to save their world—or let it fall to chaos.
By
on . Epic fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for paid members only.The Curse of Havenwood House
The women of Havenwood House have two options: enter their ominous cellar and face whatever fate awaits them immediately, or live in fear until age thirty-five when they will die.
By
. Fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Cycle of Reversion
In the near future the modern world Reverts back to a world where technology no longer functions but magic does. Jack Adams, a software engineer on a business trip to Tokyo, discovers he is now a wizard. Many people change into creatures of fantasy including orcs, elves, werewolves, vampires and more. Jack works with the manager of the Emerald Palace Hotel to create a place of safety in the chaos. He meets many new friends as he discovers the reality behind the Cycle of Reversion.
By Stephen L Rolston on
. Fantasy fiction. New instalments released twice weekly (Saturday and Wednesday), for free.Daughter of the Dark Wood
Ariadne Blackwood has a grave secret: she is marked by Death. While trying to keep her true sinister nature in the shadows, the young noblewoman is forcefully married off to the tyrant king, Asmodeius. Having to navigate a hostile court, the young queen struggles with her quest for power. Meanwhile, the high mage Averik tries to prevent the world from plunging into complete chaos by fixing ancient magical wards - the only thing holding primordial darkness at bay. Would their efforts to maintain control prevent their worlds from crumbling? Or will the darkness slip out and win?
By
on . High fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for paid members with the first chapter free.Dorothy: Locked and Loaded
Dot, a former Marine, finds herself in Oz, even though she was sure her grandmother’s stories were just the rantings of a loving, but senile old woman. Toto? Not a cute little Scottish terrier this time — more like a Glock 9mm. His bark is definitely not worse than his bite. Return to a twisted Oz, where everything you remember has changed, and the Yellow Brick Road leads to danger, deception and despair.
By
on . Dark fantasy. New instalments released every five days, for free.Earthbound Echoes
A mixture of science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction.
By
on . New instalments released weekly, for free.Eathel the Bastard
The son of a powerful duke leads a rag-tag band of warriors in a fights to keep his country together against enemies inside and out, guarding a secret so dark it would destroy everything he loves.
By
on . Fantasy, adventure. New instalments released weekly, for free.Glass Heart
In the present day, Thalia is a young psychologist with a dark past, dedicated to healing others after her troubled teenage years. She struggles with the guilt of failing to save her first patient; however, her life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters an ancient book that transports her back in time.
In this past world, Thalia finds herself in a kingdom controlled by the cunning Lord Malgor. He hides behind a facade of loyalty while secretly manipulating events to his advantage. The kingdom's ruler, King Alexander, appears as a melancholic and passive figurehead. But deep within him, is a yearning to regain the power to protect his kingdom.
As Thalia is drawn into the dangerous world of court intrigue, she not only works to unravel the schemes of Lord Malgor but also finds herself irresistibly drawn to the tortured soul of King Alexander. With every encounter, their bond deepens but as her feelings for him grow, so does the danger surrounding them, forcing Thalia to confront her darkest fears and decide where her heart truly lies.
By
on . Romantasy. New instalments released weekly (though the first season is already completed and available to read), for free.Harold and Sallie
A woodsman frees a fairy from a tree. Over the next few months they learn about each other, themselves and how a human and a fairy can live together in the middle of the woods.
By
at . Urban fantasy (ish). New instalments released twice per month, for free.The Haunting of Guaritori Diolco
"Haunting" is set in a near future-world in which technology has failed and only magic works. Guaritori (Garth to his friends) and some of his companions visit what used to be Egypt in an effort to find new allies. Instead, they become involved in a complicated and potentially fatal game involved a new pharaoh, ancient Egyptian gods, and a secret Garth must protect at all costs.
By
on . Contemporary fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Heaven’s Warrior
In a Tang Dynasty influenced world, a peasant girl defies imperial law to try to prevent the immortal Lord Emperor from taking her sister as one of his 100 Wives Divine. As Meilin attempts to save her sister (Lian), she risks execution by seeking forbidden gifts from the Shen gods, rebelling against the kingdom’s female-oppressive culture, and defying the Lord Emperor. Along the way, Meilin falls in love with Lian’s fiancée, battles demon assassins, and uncovers that the true source of the Lord Emperor’s indomitable gifts of power comes from his mistreatment of the Wives Divine. To rescue Lian and stop the emperor’s ruthless reign, Meilin engages in a deadly duel of power and mental will with the all-powerful Lord Emperor.
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released daily, for paid members.Hiraeth
Hiraeth (heer-eye-th) charts the story of a Chosen Court who are called to uncover a new homeland for the sea dragons, the dreigiau môr. Disaster strikes and they are swept far off course. Will they discover a new homeland? Will they find their way back home? Will these new challenges fracture or strengthen this Chosen Court?
By
on . Romantasy. New instalments released monthly, for free.I Am The Everqueen
A newly crowned Queen navigates through life, duty and love.
By
on . Fantasy, adventure, a little horror, a little slice-of-life. New instalments released monthly, for free.In Sunlight and Frost
An unlikely friendship springs up between two soldiers who fought on opposite sides of the Buonegarde wars as they navigate romance, society, and post-war intrigue in the world of Europa.
By Noah on
. Fantasy. New instalments released monthly, for free.An Inkling of Magic
Elspeth had convinced herself that it had all just been her childhood imagination—that there are no such things as fairies or goblins—but when it starts all over again, is it real or is she slowly losing her mind?
By Laura R. Hepworth - Bookwyrms. New instalments are released weekly for free, though paying members get to read further ahead as earlier chapters unlock.
The Jester
A royal heirloom, Margonne’s Dagger, is stolen from the palace, and the king hires Mardans Santinetta to find it and the thief. Taking the guise of a court jester, Mardans, with the help of his friends, sets out to solve the mystery, which soon expands into a quest to prevent a coup and save lives.
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Legend of Mother-Wind
On this Substack, you will listen to the ancient Chronicles of The Tale-Keeper. As the wielder of The Wheel of The Flame, Yuedhra Ever-Wind traverses the wayward currents of time to narrate the epic romantic tragedy of the Goddess of Gale, Eloria. You will be moved by stirring stories of mythical magic, mystical prophecies, unforgettable adventures, and the horrors and glories of war.
It begins with the Cosmic Mythos, a brief legendarium explaining the cataclysmic origins of his world. Next, you will hear his powerful depiction of the foundational origins story of the Eternal Scar universe… The Legend of Mother-Wind.
By
on . Romantic fantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Lost in Light
“Safe" was the only word Belisama heard when she and her twin sister, Ixchel, received word that they could return home after spending their life on Earth. Being with others like them would be better for the twins. They would be able to stop hiding who they were. Ixchel would learn to control her vast elemental abilities, and Belisama would have the opportunity to live a life outside of her born duty to protect her sister.
But life on Marselai isn’t as safe as their mother led them to believe.
There are still people who would seek out and abuse Ixchel’s abilities if they knew how powerful she was, and Belisama is still Ixchel’s best chance to stay hidden. Balancing her lifelong duty to her sister with the deep desire to be her own person, Belisama must walk a delicate line between the light and the shadows as she enters a world bubbling with political tension and dualities that threaten to pull the sisters apart.
She'll do anything to protect her sister, even if that means destroying herself—or all of Marselai.
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released twice-monthly, for paid members.Madisonville Murder
Chris Murphy just graduated from high school, but he's already saved some people from pacts with Satan. When he discovers evidence that a girl at his high school who supposedly committed suicide might actually have been murdered by a demon, he thinks he's found another opportunity to get in Satan's way. But is he right, or is the situation just a clever trap by which Satan can finally get rid of him?
By
on . Urban fantasy / mild horror. New instalments released weekly, for free.Moonthread (Nala Saga, book 1)
Nala is an orc, 11 years old. She's gentle to a fault, and there is a shadow goddess sleeping in her spine... Until she meets the boy she has bad dreams about.
By
on . Poetic fantasy. 2 chapters released weekly, for free.North of Midnight
Alexandra Luminitra, vampire hunter, has mild psychic abilities that lead her to a small town in Santa Barbara. It only takes her a few minutes to discover that this is no ordinary place--and that vampires may not be all she has to worry about.
By
on . Urban fantasy / mild horror. North of Midnight is now complete, so all instalments are available to read, for free.Penny Wagers: The Crafty Huntsman
A young boy moves to the city to seek his fortune, but a chance encounter changes his trajectory. This is a verse adaptation of the original publication of the Grimm brothers' "The Skillful Huntsman."
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released twice monthly, for free.Prince of Flames
Banished across a desert by the very people he was meant to rule over, Prince Aganyú has sworn vengeance upon his kingdom to the east. He was determined to live, though it seemed impossible that is until he came across an oasis. It was once there that he was to meet the most remarkable woman he had ever met.
From this meeting sparks would fly, sparks that would bring down kingdoms, elevate a new one and come to define the whole of the west of Ifriquya.
By
on . Romance & fantasy. New instalments released monthly, for free up to Chapter 3 and then for paid members only.The Red Riding Hood Saga
Red Riding Hood finds herself on the run after having been framed for killing her beloved Princess Snow White.
Now, she seeks revenge on the true killer - the queen.
By
on . Fairytale fantasy. New instalments released irregularly, though the aim is monthly, for free.A River Trembles
”A River Trembles” continues the epic romantic adventures of “A Grail for Eidothea”. In this new book, a dreigiau môr monarch fights to claim their power and form the first Chosen Court in centuries. Find out what really happened at the end of “A Grail for Eidothea”.
By
at . Romantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.A Royal Secret
In the war-torn land of Abrein, Alec Sokolov has found a fragile home in the Crown City, but as a refugee from the enemy empire of Mieren, he’s haunted by loneliness and secrets. With looming adulthood and the impending loss of his adoptive family's support after his school graduation, he faces the daunting prospect of leaving the city despite the watchful eye of the King’s Guard.
Just as he begins to plan his escape, his life takes an unexpected turn when Crown Prince Corrin—an apparent heir shrouded in mystery—arrives at Alec's school. Bound to a wheelchair after a past assassination attempt, the Prince becomes an unlikely friend. As their bond deepens, can their respective secrets bring an end to the endless war, or will they lead to a tragic end to their friendship?
By
on . New instalments released once or twice per month, for paid members.Rundellfall
Two street kids and a sheriff navigate the mean streets of Rundell - a city on the edge of financial disaster and civil unrest - and must learn to work together before Fae saboteurs push the city into chaos and ruin.
By
on . Fantasy fiction. New instalments released bi-monthly (usually), for free.Saga of the Jewels
The Emperor is seeking the twelve Primeval Jewels which grant unfathomable elemental power. Can Ryn and his companions find them first to save the world?
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments released monthly, for free.The Stag Campaign
Follow our dnd campaign as the Dungeon Master and I rewrite the journey into a serialized novel.
By
on . Fantasy. 2 chapters released weekly, for free.Stheno
While walking her dog in Philadelphia, down-on-her-luck barmaid Kylie McKenna has an unfortunate encounter with a gorgon.
By
on . This serial has recently concluded, so all instalments are now available to read, for free.Supersomething
The "villain" finds herself with new powers, a long-lost twin and a life she didn't know she had.
By
on . Antihero / fantasy. New instalments released on an ad hoc basis, for free.Tales and Treasure
An adventure about a bard and a treasure hunter that straddles the line between cozy and epic fantasy.
By
on . Free.Tales from Crann Na Beatha
Life in the Saorsa nan Roaintean Mora.
By
on . New instalments released weekly, with the current season free and previous seasons for paid members only.Tales from the Triverse
Portals have opened in London, connecting Earth to a far future version of itself and a fantastical land where magic is real. As society adjusts to the new status quo, a specialist division of the police is established to handle the growing number of portal crimes.
By
on . Fantasy (and sci-fi and crime). New instalments released weekly, for free.Terrific
Super-powers have recently become possible in Olympus City, and a few strive to live up to the superhero ideal despite being anything but perfect.
By
on . Superhero / fantasy. New instalments are released mostly weekly (with the occasional skip week). It’s currently free (won’t always be, but that’s months away).Tooth & Nail
A witch bound by an oath to heal, finds herself steeped in blood.
Yarrow is a witch who has pledged to use her magic for healing, but when a friend is betrayed to the scaffold, she finds herself forced to leave her vows behind in order to survive.
On the run and pursued by a ruthless hunter of the Aconite King, Yarrow is faced with a choice: trust the man who seeks to put her in chains or rely on the young woman who shares her fate…
Many years later, a woman named Saskia has raised her firstborn son alone. But when he is taken into the heart of the wood, Saskia must face horrors of her past and uncover the secrets of an old enemy before time runs out.
By
on . Fantasy folklore. New instalments released biweekly, for free.Tranith Argan Fantasy Series
This high fantasy tale is: - Character driven, not just action - Not Young Adult, but is family friendly - Heroic and hopeful, not dystopian
By
on . New instalments released weekly, for free.The Underlings
Ro and Ru, two tiny Underlings only four inches tall, are caught between a growing darkness threatening their home and the mysterious call of their island asking for help. Despite their young age, they must navigate a world filled with strange creatures, magical forces, and unexpected dangers. Their adventure leads them on a journey of courage and discovery, as they uncover hidden truths about their people, their land, and their own incredible gifts. Along the way, they must outsmart formidable foes and rally to protect the Wild Lands from an evil that looms larger than they could have ever imagined.
By
on . Young fantasy (readers are age 6-12). Includes audio. New instalments released weekly, for paid members only.What’s a Dragon?
A young girl wakes up one night to find that she’s a dragon, which is not exactly a good thing.
By
on . Fantasy. New instalments are released weekly (Wednesday at 7am EST), for free.Windtracer Tales
For generations, the Ancient Order unified the world, bringing prosperity like never before seen. Then, it was gone. Swept away by what some call The Great Collapse.
After a thousand years, we still don’t know what happened.
But there are clues. Hints. Pieces to the greatest puzzle in history in ruins of the Ancient Order. Remnants of their greatest works.
There are many that debate if the knowledge of the Ancient Order should be rekindled. It’s former glory restored to life. Others argue that the Ancient Order’s legacy should remain lost. Some even suggest that the Collapse may still be happening now. Certainly, the magic storms and other wild magics that scour the world suggest that something dire lingers from the disaster.
But there are guilds that look to preserve the lost knowledge. The Windtracer Company is one of those organizations that seek to preserve the knowledge of the Ancients. These mercenary-historians scour the forgotten corners of Awldor, into restricted ruins and the dark places. They explore, learn, and share what they find.
They collect this knowledge so that others can learn from the past. Not to rekindle the old Order, but to build something new… while not repeating whatever dire mistake the Ancient Order made.
In the end, the Windtracers hope to decipher why the Great Collapse happened. Through that, perhaps a way to prevent it from happening again.
- Lorekeeper Nicol Oldbuck, 1277 by Windtracer reckoning
By
on . Fantasy adventure. New instalments released weekly, for free.Gothic
What the Walls Whispered
After fleeing her controlling marriage, Vera Jean Lawson returns to her childhood home in central Massachusetts. There, she discovers certain rooms exist simultaneously in 2024 and 1929. In this mysterious temporal "doubling," she meets William Barrett, a grieving builder trying to rebuild his own shattered life. As her powerful husband closes in, she finds herself falling for William while a colony of enigmatic feral cats stands guard over the house's secrets. Through newfound love, supernatural mysteries, and confrontations with both past and present, Vera must summon the courage to reclaim her identity and confront the man who sought to erase it.
By
on . Contemporary gothic. New instalments released biweekly, with the first six chapters for free and the rest for paid members.Historical
Bertha’s Tale
The untold tale of the woman who converted a kingdom, in her own words - not those of the men around her.
Usually relegated to the sidelines by her more famous male contemporaries, Bertha played a central role in the most fundamental change her kingdom saw for centuries. It’s time she was given back her voice, with a little creative license to flesh out the meagre written sources.
Fiction-based-on-fact, this tells her life story as it might have been, with all its highs and lows, triumphs and failures, loves and heartbreaks.
By
on . Historical fiction. This serial has finished, so all instalments are available to read, for paid members only.Dancing at the Orange Peel
In this Southern tale set in 1968, a young widow, Gwen, and her nine-year-old daughter Libby must come to terms with the reactions of their family and community when they befriend their town’s first prominent Black businessman.
By Gina Hogan Edwards on
. Historical fiction. Chapters released monthly with related research articles and tidbits in between, all for free.Elrod B etc’s Search for the Holy
Elrod who is not perhaps all he should be, thinks of himself as an adventurer searching for the holy.
By
on . History adventure comedy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Empress and Soldier
A boy of the night-time streets. A girl of libraries and learning.
Druisius, the son of a merchant, is sixteen when a cruel order from his father drives him from home and into the danger and intrigue of the military.
Eudekia, a scholar’s daughter, educated and dutiful, is not meant to be a prince’s bride. In an empire at war, and in a city beset by famine and unrest, she must prove herself worthy of its throne.
A decade after a first, brief meeting, their lives intersect again. When a delegation arrives from the lost West, Druisius is assigned to guard them. In the span of a few weeks, a young captain will capture the hearts of both empress and soldier in very different ways, offering a future neither could have foreseen.
By Marian L Thorpe on
. Historical fiction of another world. New instalments released 3 times per week, for free.The Fairchild Colony
Fired academics try to establish a school for the gifted under ever-present threat of another revolution.
By
on . Future based on historical fiction. New instalments released daily, for free.A Grail for Eidothea
It is 1814. History will say the Napoleonic Wars are drawing to a close, but in reality, a new history is just beginning… Miss Eidothea Pendyr is content to live on the isolated western Welsh coast until a wounded man washes up on her beach. In tending him, she has a vision of the future: the world’s ecology has completely collapsed. The ocean has died, including all life within it, and life on land is fading quickly. The sea dragons, the dreigiau môr, a magical race almost forgotten by humans, have gone extinct. Humanity’s demise is close behind.
Eidothea is catapulted into taking up her mother’s quest to find the Greal*, last loaned to Arthur Pendragon by the dreigiau môr. Her cause is much larger: she is the longed-for prophet that will help prevent the world’s collapse. Will she succeed in finding the Greal and change the future?
By
on . Alternate history romantasy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Hild’s Tale
The early English church’s most powerful woman, pushed to the sidelines of history by the men who wrote it. It’s time her voice and her story were heard. This is a historical fiction novel based on (though not tied to) real events that took place in the kingdom of the Northumbrians during the late seventh and early eighth centuries. Abbess Hild, or Saint Hild as she later became known, was a woman who defied social and political expectations to become one of the most powerful people - yes, people, not women - in seventh-century England. Despite this, she was sidelined in the major contemporary histories; this story aims to give back the spotlight she so rightly deserves.
By
on . Historical fiction. New instalments released twice monthly, for paid members.Preserved by a Promise
Two cultures clash and meld into a forbidden friendship in this story, challenging loyalty and trust to the utmost. I also have a full post about it. 😂 I also plan to do some serial-only free and paid stories in the future.
By
(publishes as Lexi T Walker). Historical fiction. Also published in full as an eBook, Abigail is releasing instalments almost daily currently, for paid members.The Shieldbreaker Saga
(Based on the mutual destruction of the Eastern Roman and Persian Empires in the 600s, and on what happened next…)
The Etela have lived in the dry plains and red-rocked deserts on the southern border of the Disputed Lands for centuries, watching the two great empires of the age battle for control of the region. Now, after sixty years of uninterrupted warfare, Rune and Imandris are both exhausted and on the verge of collapse, leaving behind a power vacuum as their forces retreat or splinter.
Untold thousands of Pohyor warriors on horseback have come from the north to forge a new empire in the Disputed Lands. They’ve offered everyone they meet the choice to submit or die—and the Etela’s gods forbid them to surrender to a foreign enemy.
One by one, the tribes of the Etela have fought the new power, and one by one, they’ve been destroyed.
The Etela’s dying High King, Varyta of the Hodrir, opened his tribe’s stronghold, the hidden fortress of Kalaa Ukruv’r, to refugees from the other tribes. But now the Pohyor have uncovered the secret path to the fortress and are on their way south through the red rocks of the Vesret Pass to complete their ‘pacification’ of the region.
Varyta’s second son Kareva has been preparing to become the Oproz of the Hodrir since his older brother was executed for rebelling against their father six years ago. He is young, unknown, untested, and—unbeknownst to anyone—haunted by the bloody, vengeful specter of his brother.
As the enemy approaches, Kareva will have to reckon with his own demons, and with the shadows of his brother’s failed rebellion, in order to give his people and his way of life any hope of surviving.
By
on . Alternate historical fiction. New instalments released twice monthly, for free.The Shield of Locksley
Join Locksley, a young bachelor Knight on his adventure during the end days of Camelot, as he sets off on a reluctant quest to help a princess, and in the meantime, helps restore a kingdom…This is not your father’s King Arthur that he used to read to you as a child. A new take on an old classic, made for a more mature audience.
By
on . Historical fantasy. New instalments released weekly. First 15 chapters are free and the rest is for paying members only.Theda’s Time Machine
On a Kansas military base in 1918, Theda Evora is visiting her father...and hiding from a group of anarchists who want her dead. It would be the perfect place to lay low, if only young soldiers weren't mysteriously disappearing. Then a stranger appears who knows too much about Theda’s past…and about her future. He's from the 1940s searching for a time traveling doctor with a penchant for disease. Caught between believing in reality and knowing that something is terribly wrong, Theda searches for the truth, even if it means confronting her own father.
By
on . Historical fiction. New instalments released every one to two weeks, for free.The Waltz of Devil’s Creek
Judith Campbell, dying in 1994, reveals the tragic truth of her son’s conception in 1947—a story of love, assault, and injustice in the segregated Deep South.
By
on . Historical. New instalments released bi-weekly, for free.The Wanderer and the Way
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, now the most famous pilgrimage route in the world, was founded in the early ninth century, largely due to the efforts of Bishop Theodemir of Iria Flavia. As with most people of this period, nothing seems to be known of his early years. What follows, therefore, is pure invention.
Theodemir returns footsore and disillusioned to his uncle’s villa in Iria Flavia, where he meets Agnes, his uncle’s gatekeeper, a woman of extraordinary beauty. He falls immediately in love. But Agnes has a fierce, though absent, husband; a secret past; another name, Elswyth; and a broken heart.
Witteric, Theodemir’s cruel and lascivious uncle, has his own plans for Agnes. When the king of Asturias asks Theodemir to undertake an embassy on his behalf to Charles, King of the Franks, the future Charlemagne, Theodemir plans to take Agnes with him to keep her out of Witteric’s clutches.
But though Agnes understands her danger as well as anyone, she refuses to go. And Theodemir dares not leave without her.
By
on . Historical fiction. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Wistful and the Good
Before the Vikings set foot on English soil, the Northern kingdom of Northumbria knew a golden age, an age of artists and poets, of scholars and saints. Elswyth of Twyford was the golden child of that golden age, blessed with beauty, charm, and a gift for entertaining and peace-making in the halls of great lords. Though her father’s name has never been heard in the counsel of kings, Elswyth is promised to an Ealdorman's son and will one day host kings at her table. But in the year of grace 793, the peace of Northumbria is shattered by the vicious Viking raid on its greatest jewel, the rich monastery of Lindisfarne. People ask if God himself has abandoned them, and great lords thirst for any chance to spill Norse blood. And Elswyth finds herself caught between old friends suddenly cast in the image of devils incarnate, and the lust for vengeance of the man she is to marry. One false step could lead to the loss of the promised marriage and the death or enslavement of people she loves, both English and Norse.
By
on . Historical fiction. This series is now complete, so all instalments are available to read for free.Horror
Crybaby
Reading "Crybaby" is like watching "Jaws" for the first time.
"Crybaby" will do for elephant rides what "Jaws" did for swimming in the sea. It is a gripping, terrifying read that will linger in your mind long after the final page.
By Mark Watson Books on
. Horror. New instalments are released weekly, for free.The Glacierman
Begin a chilling adventure of a boy’s survival after a plane crash on the ice sheet of Southern Greenland, where man is not the apex predator; "The Thing” meets “Apocalypto.”
By
on . Horror. New instalments released every Tuesday, for free.Herd Mentality
A family of four fall victim to a herd of deer, or are they, after purchasing a remote cabin in Appalachia.
By
on . Horror. New instalments published 3 x weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), for free.The Spider
When Frances Bryant and her family arrive at their new home at number five, Percy Street, she doesn’t feel welcome. Something lurks within the house, trying to catch her at every turn. What Frances discovers will force her to uncover the unforgivable, shattering the life she craves to pieces.
By
on . Horror. New instalments released weekly, for free.Tracking Blood
With humanity on the brink of extinction, a bounty hunter and his fugitive brother must brave the dangers of a virus-infested world to reunite their fractured family.
By
on . Apocalyptic horror. New instalments released weekly, for free.Humour
The Annals of St. Remedius Medical College
Backstory and chronicles on St. Remedius Medical College of Dallas, Texas, the biggest and most influential organization dedicated to extranormal investigation you’ve never heard of.
By
on . Exonormal, humour. New instalments released weekly, for free.Emails from Grams
Emails from Grams are regular email correspondences from a witty New England Grams to her anonymous grandchild. She examines this chapter of her life with a sarcastic lens, but still finds there is so much for her to learn and experience. At the same time, she lends advice and words of wisdom to the grandchild walking the road below her.
By Erika Lindquist on
. Intergenerational humour, slice of life. New instalments released biweekly, for free.River Zombies
When the zombies came, they came from the rivers. These are the memoirs of Jack Gray, who fought for survival and sanity during an absurd apocalypse.
By
on . Absurdist tragicomedy. New instalments released biweekly, for free.Victor Nova Goes North
A comic modern tale of self-creation set on the northern fringe of reality.
By
on . Comedy. New instalments released weekly, for free.Literary
Centenary: 100-Word Stories from Living Well Towers
Centenary is a serial novel unfolding in 100-word stories set in a fictional high-rise senior community in Southern California. You won’t believe what they’re up to in Living Well Towers.
By
on . Literary fiction. There are 3-5 stories released per week. Individual stories are always free. A “story so far” collection of all the stories is available to paid subscribers for $5/month.The Cold Days of Summer, The Hollow Men and soon… Walking Backwards
Not quite true tales of Texas in the 20th and 21st centuries.
By
on . Literary fiction. New instalments released weekly, for free.Fallout
England, 1982 and fifteen year old Bridget isn’t interested in politics. But when her art teacher suggests a field trip to Greenham Common to join a weekend action against nuclear armaments, Bridget discovers that running away to join the peace camp is the best fun she’s ever had. If only life’s problems were as simple as Ban The Bomb. The personal becomes political as Bridget finds herself up against more than the threat of cruise missiles in this funny, sharp glimpse of an iconic women’s movement; FALLOUT is the story of how politics made a know-it-all teenager grow up.
By
on . Literary fiction. New instalments released each weekend, for free.Idols of Ambrosia
Two childhood friends navigate love, loss and the bittersweet pull between staying and leaving, as one contemplates exile from the rain-soaked island that shaped them both.
By Ed on
. Literary. New instalments released weekly, for paid members.Mercy
Scottsville's City Council wants to build community and a city to be proud of but to Isla Campbell, the city's New Business Liaison, all they are offering is a shiny band-aid on a gushing wound. She is annoyed that money equals quality of life in the eyes of her colleagues, but also embarrassed that they might see her as a member of the class they criticize. Isla is assissting kind, gentle, but impulsive yoga instructor Dave as he sets up a studio, but he increasingly has other priorities. As their personal and professional lives get sucked into a whirlpool of disarray, the question "are there places too dark for mercy to go?" becomes increasingly relevant.
By
on . Literary. New instalments released twice per month, increasing to weekly in January 2025. Currently free for the Mercy short stories; when I start serializing the whole novel in January, it will be free but with a paid option to read ahead!Obedience, The Guild Book One
A girl raised in a secret society tries to find a way out.
By
on . Cross-genre suspense and literary. New instalments released weekly, for free.On the Road to Jericho
Eleanor’s timing is spot on—for better or for worse. She grows up as apartheid collapses in South Africa, becomes a diplomat amidst Israel-Palestine conflict, and moves to the U.S. a month before 9-11.
Shrugging off the threat of bombs, the young Eleanor Williams starts her career as a South African diplomat witnessing Nelson Mandela’s inauguration. Thirty years later, she lies broken in the women’s bathroom of an office building in Haven, U.S.A. She’s navigated war-torn landscapes, so why does corporate scheming break her? Where does she belong? And how can she hold both adventure and loss, hope and disillusionment, lightness and abysmal darkness?
Follow Eleanor’s unflinching and cathartic story, a contemporary odyssey for women who hold multitudes. Who are at times both loveable and unlikeable. Who choose the unexpected path. And who are building resilience through everyday experiences as professionals, wives, and moms.
By
on . Literary / historical fiction & creative nonfiction. New instalments are released twice-weekly (Thursday and Saturday), with the text freely available for all readers and the audio version available for paid members.The Summer We Said Goodbye
A coming-of-age story set in the rolling fields of the English Cotswolds.
By
on . Literary fiction - coming of age. New instalments released weekly, for free.US:A Journey to Freedom
A young man and a young woman journey together to the ultimate destination.
By
on . Literary fiction / travel / romance. New instalments released weekly, for paid members.Mystery
Cold Secrets
Findrussie, Scotland, New Year's Eve, 2000. Clara Rowley is found murdered in the Ryvune Bothy. 22 years later, a mysterious visitor interrupts Hogmanay celebrations and claims bar owner Robert Begg is the key to solving the brutal case. As Robert uncovers Findrussie's restless and dangerous secrets, he begins to wonder whether he has more to do with Clara Rowley's death than he thinks.
By Vicky Randle on
. Murder mystery. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Thief
The Thief is a low-fantasy audio series with a full cast, fully immersive, in which the drawlatch heroine called "Symphony" stumbles into a missing-person conspiracy. It's an award winning, high-production value actual play and audiodrama.
By
on . Low-fantasy mystery. New instalments released seasonally, for free.Non-Fiction
Hell. To Dysphoria
Definition and support for people suffering from mental health issues in particular Bipolar Disorder.
By
on . New instalments released weekly, for free.Paranormal
Necromance in the Air
It could be tough balancing everyday life with the moral quandary of raising the dead to work in secret call centers, but Felix was coping, until he met Lucy…
By Ross Young on
New instalments released at least weekly, for free.Sean & Wormwood, The Friendly Satanists
The chronicle of Sean and Wormwood, two operatives of the Megachurch of Satan on an unholy quest to find the Relics of Unimaginable Power.
By
on . Humour, paranormal. New instalments released weekly, for free.Romance
Beatitude
Jack Zawinul is a book nerd attending a northern university who aspires to be a substantial novelist. Unfortunately, his experiences are limited. He’s never even fallen in love. Until he meets Charlene Smith, another struggling writer wannabe. They might be a perfect match if they weren’t both competing for the favor of an eccentric professor.
By
on . Romantic comedy. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Dawninger
Serialising the second of three novellas from the world of The Shattered Moon.
By
on . Post-dystopian future-historical romance. New instalments released twice weekly, for free.My First Kisment Christmas
Judy is coming home to Sunnydale, Texas for Christmas. Pregnant and widowed, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday with her aunt and uncle.
That is until she comes across a stranded cowboy with a trailer full of horses. The cowboy is none other than her high school sweetheart whose heart she crushed when she left for college.
Now that boy is a man with all the love he had for her years ago. He has three days to convince her that his love is real before she heads back to the East Coast.
Is three days enough time to rekindle the love they shared?
By
on . Contemporary western romance / cowboy romance. New instalments released weekly (Sundays), for free.Pawfect Partners
When ultra-competitive, high achieving Ava Barratt and Greyson Bertram meet, it’s not love at first sight. Sure, they’re both on the cross country team, excel in multiple honors classes, and love the rescued dogs at the local animal shelter where they both volunteer. But Greyson thinks Ava’s charm is fake; Ava thinks Greyson’s jokes are exasperating. Then the shelter falls into dire financial straits. Now they must work together to raise the funds to save the shelter before the crochety landlord, Ava’s grandfather, forecloses on the property.
By
on . Romance, rom/com. New instalments released weekly, for free.A Sweet Disruption
A cake lover, a cat dad and a crazy stalker.
Liana Aymes is thrilled to find out that after trying for four semesters, she finally made it into the highly sought after tales and folklore lecture! The first lesson brings many interesting things with it, one of them being her charming seatmate, Arthur Leroy, who seems to have a liking for colorful pencils even though his wardrobe suggests the complete opposite. After being paired up for a class project, flirty banter soon makes the sparks fly between them. But when Arthur's crazy obsessed stalker shows up out of the blue, the two of them are faced with problems much more grave than a pending deadline. Heart warming characters, a charming book cafe, fluffy cats, a few too many slices of cake and a dangerously obsessed stalker. What more do you need?
Cozy tea, books, fluffy cats, lovable characters and a bit of thrill - that’s all part of my upcoming romance short novel A Sweet Disruption!^^ (release in November 24th 2024)
By Nika on
. Romance. New instalments released weekly, for paid members.Trainwrecks
A romantic mid-2000’s nostalgia sitcom that follows six Seattle-adjacent best friends from 2004 to 2015.
By
on . Contemporary romance. New instalments released twice-weekly, with one paid bonus chapter on Fridays.Turning - A Werewolf Romance
An experienced werewolf, Ryder, teaches her newly-turned boyfriend how to control his emotionally-driven shapeshifting and exposes him to the world of werewolves hidden in plain sight. This character-driven story features a passionate couple tackling a world in which everything changes. (Contains explicit content)
By
on . Romance. New instalments released biweekly, for free.The Woman of Delven
Serilaising the first of three novellas from the world of The Shattered Moon.
By
on . Post-dystopian future-historical romance. This serial is now complete, so all instalments are available to read, for free.Science Fiction
The Adventures of Seeker and the Serpents
A big, awkward dog joins a badass troupe of monkey-aliens on a series of intergalactic adventures, where they quickly learn that their brand of heroism is all that stands between society and its annihilation. Also, dog jokes!
By
on . Sci-fi adventure. New instalments released weekly, for free.Alien Night Club
A man is abducted by aliens and taken aboard a mothership where he is installed as the host of a nightly show in a posh intergalactic supper club. Stream-of-consciousness monologues, pithy observations, intergalactic cable reviews, and pseudo-hilarious stand-up comedy are also on the menu. Please join us!
By
on . Sci-fi, comedy. New instalments released weekly, for free.American Visidramas, feat. Unofficial Katy and the Starseeds
Being the misadventures & stories of Unofficial Katy, mischievous SF writer who is actually a Paschat, a feline extraterrestrial from Sirius in human disguise.
By
on . Sci-fi and humour. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Buchanan Brothers and the Botanical Bandits
Two brothers must discover the reason behind the thefts of inventions in their advanced 1900s city.
By
on . Alt-Historical Science Fiction. Fully published, so all instalments are available to read, for free.Captain’s Away!
It’s one thousand years in the future. The Earth is a distant memory. And the Doucettes have seen better days.
It’s certainly not every day your space station is blown to bits beneath you in the opening volley of a senseless war. In the aftermath of this attack on their home, the Doucette family find themselves careening from one fantastic space adventure to another as their lives are upended in ways they can barely comprehend.
Technologist Yolande Doucette must fix the starship Beausoleil before its crew goes insane. Both Yolande and her husband Bertrand mourn their son, Alain, lost in the devastating attack. They pray that their seventeen-year old daughter, Marie-Josée, recovers from a mysterious illness while Marie-Josée herself, unaware that her body lies comatose, is forced to impersonate the captain of the Beausoleil. Meanwhile, the stuck-up daughter of the grieving emperor responsible for all this mayhem is kidnapped by a rude robot on a secret mission.
Hostile aliens, rebellious robots, murderous despots and more all stand in the Doucettes’ path as they try against all odds to reunite as a family while doing their best to help Akkadia win the war. Will they succeed?
Read the exciting space adventure Captain’s Away! to find out!
By
on . Sci-fi (space opera). New instalments released weekly, for free.The Chronicle of Cyborg Joe
Cyborg Joe was kicked out of rigorous military training after developing one too many human emotions. He has since been pastured as a librarian at Stonewall University to live a quiet, closeted, boring life. All this changes when his roommate begins dating Samantha Rodriquez and a series of events catapult the Chronicle Crew into the world of strange mystery solving.
By
on . Mystery science fiction. New instalments released weekly to monthly, currently for free though likely to be a mixture in the future.Cloudfall
With her identity stolen and unpayable debts mounting, Shay McLaren follows her recently deceased father to work on a research station on Venus in the hope of unravelling the mystery of his death and achieving salvation for herself — a sci-fi tale of murder, intrigue and unlikely friendships on an alien planet.
By Tony McCann on
. Sci-fi. New instalments released fortnightly, for free.Containment Protocol
A secret government project opens portals to other universes. Lieutenant Booker leads a platoon of tanks through to a world where dinosaurs and cavemen roam. Large, aggressive local fauna aren't Booker's only problem. There's a stone-age blonde who has her sights set on Booker!
By
on . Sci fi. New instalments released weekly, for free.Cosmosaic
A fragmented sci-fi narrative of hubris, displaced existence, and humanity's absurd defiance against certainty. Seven interconnected stories. One cosmic mistake.
By
on . Absurdist sci-fi. New instalments released weekly, for free.Destination Europa
The R.G. Leifr, flagship of the FSS colonisation fleet, is en route to Europa with a hundred and twenty souls on board — crew and colonists preparing to pioneer humanity’s most ambitious settlement project yet. Yet as Jupiter draws closer, tensions are rising and strange things are beginning to happen. Habitat engineer Aquilla O’Neill has to navigate the fraught relationship between Earther and Martian factions, as well as his own mission — and his own broken heart. Can he find the answers he needs, and will the Leifr arrive at its destination?
By
on . Sci-fi. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Edge of Existence & Where to Find It
In a galaxy overrun by corpos choking on their own greed, fascist bootlickers, blissed-out space hippies, and not enough -tosh, indie journalist Tracy Lawrence has always prowled the edge, Chasing the kind of stories that leave editors sweating and advertisers bailing, she's no stranger to risk. But when her old college buddy-an expert in conspiracies and stellar cartography (with grass potent enough to make you see sounds)-drops a bombshell, Tracy's life takes a sharp swerve. He claims to have found the coordinates to the myth: the legendary Casino at the Edge of Existence. With nothing but her modded Smith-Corona, a starship that's practically a deathtrap with a surf drive, and a starmap that demands rare cosmic crystals to unlock its secrets, Tracy dives headlong into an interstellar odyssey. Along the way, she'll tango with outlaws, hustlers, joyriding mystics, and bureaucratic nightmares, uncovering truths so strange even the galaxy's most abstract thinkers would cry foul. This trip could score her fame, fortune, and enough -tosh to finally chill out-or it could shred her to stardust in the cold cosmic void. But hey, if Tracy wanted a quiet life, she wouldn't have blasted off into the unknown. On a crash course with destiny, she's fuelled by her wits, her words, and a glorious disregard for anything resembling common sense.
By
on . Sci-fi (Space Opera), Comedy. New instalments released bi-weekly, for free.The Evil Plot
In this chaotic parody of the superhero genre, Alexis O'Connor is the improbably unlucky protagonist who is continually dragged into adventures she wants no part of. Caught between her conflicting loyalties to her business mogul boss and the superhero found family that keeps trying to adopt her against her will, all she wants is some peace and quiet. But when the nation's greatest heroes start vanishing like cookies at a Christmas party, Alex begins to realize she might just be their only hope.
By
on . Science fiction. New instalments released weekly, for free and paid subscribers.The Fall Years
The Fall Years is a multivolume serial covering a difficult time in human history. In this alternate history, WW1 and 2 have blurred together into a Long War that appears to be without end. Things are set to change though as the Maxim Front move to shift the balance of power into the favour of the Soviet Imperium. Their plan was to take over both the Moon and Mars colony, but little did they know, this isn't their war to win. Other forces are making their move and with first contact now established, humanity, now truly knows it is no longer alone in the universe.
By
on . Sci-fi. New instalments released weekly, for free.The First Mann on Mars
In the grand and bewildering tale of human achievement, certain moments stand out as testament to our species' boundless ambition, resourcefulness, and occasionally, breathtaking stupidity. This is the story of Derek Mann—billionaire, professional napper, and accidental pioneer—who became the first Mann on Mars not by merit, intellect, or even a vague sense of direction, but because his best friend owned all the spaceships and thought it might be amusing. What follows is a journey through space, incompetence, and an AI named Barry, in an adventure so improbable, it could only be written by Mark Watson…
By
on . Comedy sci-fi. New instalments released ad hoc, for paying members.God Waters
A single playthrough of an RPG video game called God Waters, about a young ethnographer living on a small remote island, in a technofeudal suburban neighborhood full of quirkly, deeply cybernetic inhabitants.
By
on . Science fiction. New instalments released weekly, for both free and paid subscribers.Hoppers
All Gulliver wants to do is make people laugh, but the deck is stacked against him when a domineering Dad grooms him for a Wall Street career by sending him to comedian conversion therapy.
Gulliver writes fiction using a tool that his therapist invented to bring out alter personas of patients with multiple personality disorder. His body serves as a placeholder for alter personas who write realistic characters, but robot authors still get all the book deals and writers room gigs. Meanwhile, Gulliver's day job robot boss mocks and exploits his human frailty.
When the persona hopping tool is hacked, Gulliver has a mission—foil a government plot to hop the citizenry into subservient lackeys. He encounters cops who detain blacks as shapeshifting space lizards, an incel street gang called the Loud Boys, and a community of dissident comedians where wisecracks are mandatory, in the face of a nationwide irony ban.
By Keith Patterson on
. Satirical sci-fi. New instalments released every Sci-Friday, for free.INGRESSION
On a drowned yet parched future world, a young woman is forced into a dangerous journey whilst seeking a cure for her body’s fatal flaws. The key to her survival lies with friends old and new, a mysterious mentor, and a deadly secret she struggles to hide within her mind. But it will take far more than a desperate plan and an irrelevant man to escape her limited lifespan. So when an enigmatic artefact promises to aid her quest in exchange for her innermost thoughts, she must risk making the ultimate sacrifice to save both herself and those she loves.
By
on . Sci-fi. New instalments released twice-weekly (Mondays and Thursdays), free for mail subscribers (Act 2 onwards paywalled after 3 days).Joy City Blues
A journalist is trying to solve a murder in a cyberpunk future city.
By
on . Science fiction. New instalments are released weekly, for free.Magnitude
A near future First Contact thriller where the protagonist has information others would not like to be known.
By
on . Sci fi thriller. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Pattern Mafia
Ed the Ted is an ancient motorcycle mechanic and part time fence to the criminal gangs of the East End of London. Ed loves pints of London Pride, Southend-on Sea and British engineering, the three things that have never let him down. What he doesn’t like is weird bollox, and that includes sentient pattern-forming matrix’s from the beyond.
By
on . Sci fi and crime. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Pearl Crucible - A Dardana Fenek Mystery
In Aulis, capital of the distant world Iphigenia, Dardana Fenek is a detective with more secrets than clients. Stumbling into a high-stakes murder investigation, she finds herself in a race against time to make her career—or end her life.
With her loyal partner Barsina—an indentured clone girl won at cards—she finds conspiracies reaching from grimy Aulis markets to a desert archeological dig. Complicating matters is the handsome and dutiful Ensign-Captain Mardonios, whose attraction to Dardana is matched by his dedication to justice.
As the clock ticks and a household of servants faces execution, Dardana confronts corrupt officials, a ruthless madam, and her own mysterious past to unveil the truth about a fifteen hundred-year-old painting.
In a society where clones are property, and women second-class citizens, can a detective with everything to lose solve the case of a lifetime? Or will Dardana's third run be her last?
By
on . Science fiction, detective, romance. New instalments released daily, for free, except for spicy chapters which are paywalled.Quibble
49371. Long ago, the transhuman Infinite stripped Earth of resources to build arks for interstellar travel, leaving the planet ravaged. Now, cursed with longevity, unaware they’re enslaved to technology, and awaiting transcendence to the few remaining arks, transhuman Ones inhabit an underground night world ruled by the surreally powerful Zeros and the AI Unity, their god.
Clear-sighted, Quibble sees what no One should see — people’s shadows in the dark. Raised by heretics, she chafes at Unity’s religion. But now she doesn’t want any part of heresy or her preternatural gift. She only wants to find her mother Quiddity, vanished without a trace.
Venturing aboveground with the heretics’ help, Quibble discovers a bewildering new world. She falls in love with Definition, a fragile woman beset with grief. When her gift of sight ignites a war among the Zeros, Quibble is hounded by the phantom-like, similarly gifted Asuja, the messiah of a fascist vision for the Ones’ future. To prevail, she must find her own powers in her unique grasp of reality and human nature. But when Asuja reveals what became of her mother, Quibble’s loyalties are confused as she struggles to learn the most elusive human trait — the ability to forgive.
An adventure, a love story, a dystopian warning, and a meditation on transhumanist disembodiment, QUIBBLE asks what a technological singularity will mean for humanity’s survival — and exactly what will survive.
By
on . Science fiction. New instalments released weekly, with the first 60% (roughly 120K words) for free and the rest for paid members only.Rotterdam P5S
Set in 2507, Rotterdam Platform 5 South (P5S) is humanity’s answer to surviving in a world where water levels have risen dramatically, and most land has disappeared. The human race and robots now live on massive platforms anchored to the ocean seabed.
P5S is officially home to 250,000 people and robots, all citizens of the United European Soviet Socialist Republics (UESSR). It’s one of many platforms that now form the State of the Netherlands.
The UESSR was the response to a new world order, dominated by four superpowers. Alongside the UESSR are The New Americas, The Middle Kingdom and Tiger Asia. The UESSR and Tiger Asia are communist states, while The Middle Kingdom is an absolute monarchy, and The New Americas a fascist regime.
The superpowers do not permit free movement of people and rarely communicate with one another.
Border disputes are frequent and often deadly, but full-scale wars are considered too costly—both in terms of hardware and manpower. Most of the world’s attention is consumed by the ongoing struggle to adapt to a deteriorating and unpredictable environment.
The UESSR, modelled on the former USSR, is comprised of what was once the Russian Federation. Citizens are divided into two classes: party members and proletarians. The former live a privileged life; the latter exist in servitude to the state.
Amidst all this, a policeman named Harry Box, a member of the proletariat, serves as the head of the Police Unit - Bots, responsible for the RBots (robots) and HBots (humanoids). Formerly known as the Sanitizers, who once enforced strict control over the mechanicals, they are now tasked with a more understanding form of policing, handling robot indiscretions and harm inflicted on them by humans.
By
on . Crime sci-fi. New instalments released 3 x weekly, for free.SEARCH
SEARCH is a science-fiction, mystery and thriller series that follows the McNair family as they uncover Scotland's untold secrets and investigate the shady organisation behind it all, The Wells Foundation.
By
on . Science Fiction. New instalments released weekly, for free.Target 10
Join Reby, Jemy, and RJ on a thrilling space adventure as they search for alien treasure in a dangerous and cutthroat galaxy. The Cooperative Region is a patchwork of worlds, each with its own set of challenges and rewards. For the crew of the Demption, it’s the perfect place to make a fortune as taries—scavengers who find and sell ancient artifacts.
Siblings Reby and Jemy have both lost everything and are desperate for a second chance. Together, they hope to find the evidence Jemy needs to prove his theory about non-human civilizations and restore his academic reputation. But as they journey to their next target, they must also confront their own personal demons and the dangers that come with seeking out elusive treasures.
With the help of their talented yet troublesome life-long friend RJ, the trio sets off on the Demption, a souped up freighter equipped for long voyages. But when they arrive at their destination, Target 10, they quickly realize the risks they’re taking maybe be greater than they ever imagined.
Reminiscent of beloved sci-fi tales like Firefly, Target 10 is a thrilling and action packed space adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
By
on . Science fiction. This serial is now complete, so all instalments are available to read, for free.Through the Stars, Darkly
The Imperium reigns over thousands of worlds, but it is crumbling under the weight of its own excess. Aliens watch, tensions mount, wars spread... Val would know, as her ship is sucked through a space rift, into the heart of a battle. A battle she has no business being in.
Meanwhile, a scientist, somewhere in the heart of the Imperium, discovers a source of energy ten times more powerful than any ever found before...
What does it all mean?
By
on . Space opera. New instalments released weekly, for paid members only (though the first book, 75 chapters, is free).Vigilance
Vigilance is an ongoing fiction series set in an alternate history World War II that takes you from the back alleys of the United States to the front lines of Europe and beyond. Vigilance features modern takes on classic heroes, with hard-boiled detective Mickey Malloy smashing spies, American soldier Lucky Ford taking the fight to the fascists’ front door, high-flying ace Hercules Chen fighting ninjas and assassins in the skies or blade-on-blade, and the discordant privateers aboard The Black Prince only coming together when there are kriegsmarine ships to sink. Join them and the rest of the Office for the Cataloguing of Unusual Occurrences as they seek to rid the world of the Axis and their dieselpunk creations. If fast-paced, two-fisted action is what you crave, take a shot of Vigilance. There is over seven novels' worth of content available as of January, 2025, with new chapters and short stories coming out every week.
By
on . Sci-fi. New instalments released weekly, for free.WAYBOUND
In the far future, two interstellar superpowers are locked in a renewed cold war that only a few decades earlier briefly went hot. Tensions have since died down-- but the astropolitical landscape is only as stable as the policy and policymakers that drive it, and calls from the hawks in both Sol and ε Eridani threaten to tear down the tenuous détente. As memories of the Maybe War of 2470 fade, both the United Nations and the Federated Minervan Republics are doomed to repeat the mistakes of yesteryear on a far more colossal scale. While yesterday's war was undeclared, contained, and brief, there are no illusions that tomorrow's war will stay contained to the Frontier and the contested Cetan Triangle. A Fools' War is brewing.
Yet until the dogs of war barked their furious chorus in 2523, billions of people across a hundred worlds lived, died, sought out strange new frontiers, shouted at basketball refs, and chased hopes, dreams, and visions, against this fragile backdrop.
This is their story. This is the story of their world. This is the story of how everything fell apart, told through the eyes of the people who were there.
By
on . Science fiction, anthology. New instalments released on an ad hoc basis, for free.Without A Tether
A fictionalized version of me, travels back to the year my parents met to live among them as their friend, and tell the story of my life through a time-traveller's perspective. It's kind of a science fiction autobiography.
By
on . Sci-fi. New instalments released weekly, for free.Speculative
Beasts of the Field
When Judith Temple, full-time software developer and part-time psychic detective, agrees to help Sheriff Tim Morrissey find a missing college student, she is confident that her psychic vision will bring the case to a close. The only problem is that Judith’s vision seems to be…wrong. Contending with skeptical police, hostile locals, and her own complicated emotions about the county sheriff, Judith must make sense of her visions and conflicting information about the case to find the missing girl before the trail goes cold.
By
on . Speculative / paranormal mystery. New instalments released weekly, for free.Breaking, Blooming Mind
Aconia has the perfect life that is anything but, and that becomes apparent six months into her marriage. Traumatized and hurt, things go sideways and that's when the real story begins.
By
on . Weird/speculative fiction, thriller, romance. New instalments released at least monthly, for free.Down in the Holler
Judith Temple, a hyper-logical software developer, has little patience with uncertainty and imprecision, but the apparently psychic visions she’s experiencing have turned into something she can no longer ignore. When Judith finds herself drawn into a decades-old missing person cold case in rural Kentucky, she must learn to use both her analytical mind and her newfound ability (skill? gift? curse? delusion?) to find the mysterious woman reaching out to her.
By
on . Speculative / paranormal mystery. New instalments released weekly, for free.The Hanahaki Club
Hassie, Remi, Emery, Merryn and Taran have one thing in common—they’re all reluctant members of an unpopular club: The Hanahaki Club—a weekly support group for losers in love. Each member has the same rare genetic flaw that means their unrequited love is killing them—literally, slowly and beautifully—as hanahaki flowers fill up their lungs.
With all five of them under the age of twenty-one, they’re much too young to die over something so common and embarrassing; so, somehow, together, they must figure out how to go from losers in love to survivors.
The options are simple, really. Find love. Fight it. Forget it. Or fail… and fall to it.
By PJ on
. Speculative romance. New instalments released fortnightly, for free.The Prince’s Pawn
After an American girl is outed as a telekinetic, a powerful prince makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
By
on . New instalments are released weekly, for free (though a voluntary donation can be made).Purple Flowers
Free-spirited Shannon runs away to LA to escape her stifling routine, but her overbearing father isn't about to let her ruin her life without a fight.
By
on . Speculative fiction. New instalments released monthly, for free.Searching the Shadows
When small town waitress Bailey discovers her coworkers’ mutilated bodies, her boring-but-normal life is shattered. To make matters worse, a wildlife documentary crew arrives soon after…but it’s not typical flora and fauna they’re filming. Bailey quickly finds herself in the center of a weirdly wild world she never knew existed, and may never find her way out of again!
By
on . Speculative fiction. New instalments released weekly, for paid members with the first ten chapters free.Thriller
Cold War Stories
1990's NYC Espionage Spy thriller. An Army Ranger recruit who finds out he cannot join the service due to medical reasons is recruited by a CIA. His task, find Russian agents posing as defectors after the fall of the Soviet Union. Based on a true to life events.
By
on . Thriller. New instalments released weekly, for free.Departures
Wilder Thorne has lived with a supernatural ability to know the exact date when every person he touches will die. He’s lived with this curse since he took a mind-altering ayahuasca trip in his early twenties while backpacking through South America. It’s only the date and he’s never been wrong. He’s never been able to prevent a single death in 45 years despite his best efforts. How does he live with this curse? Is it possible to use his power to ease the suffering of others and transform his curse into a blessing? Juniper, the love of his life believed so, but she’s been gone almost thirty years and he’s close to giving up.
By
on . Supernatural, thriller, romance. New instalments released weekly, for free.Foreign Exchange Rate
Zack discovers the way that the rural Canadian bank he works at stores the rare foreign currency and makes a decision that forever changes his life.
By
on . Contemporary crime thriller. New instalments released twice monthly, for free.Haggard House
Haggard House is not what it appears.
Raised in malevolent Haggard House, Adam discovers a method that allows him to lead the pious life he was commanded to live, while also pursuing the forbidden young woman of his dreams. Yet as Adam matures, his method begins to cause unintended consequences, threatening his mind, his relationships, and laying wreckage to everything he believes to be true.
By
on . Historical psychological thriller. New instalments released 2 x weekly, for free.The Inevitable
The second in the Headcase series: a psychological thriller that plunges you into the dark underbelly of professional athletics. It's a story of ambition, betrayal, and the demons that lurk behind the bright lights.
By
on . Psychological thriller. Everything is free, paid subscribers, for $30/year, get a free copy of Chris’s first book and his endless gratitude. Free subscribers get the first 7 chapters of his first book for free too, and also his endless gratitude and appreciation!Juniper Falls
Small-town mystery thriller with bold, stylish take on modern America.
By
on . Small-town mystery thriller. New instalments released five times per week, for free.Tales from the Defrag
One rainy Sunday morning, Doctor Samuel Carter answers a phone call that would change his life. Curious, he joins a secret expedition to Egypt to “find what no one else could,” only to stumble from one mishap into the next. Upon his return to London, not quite himself, his whole world starts to unravel.
By
on . Archaeological thriller. All instalments have been released, and are free to read.The Velvet Room Conspiracy
The Velvet Room Conspiracy follows journalist Charlie Lewis as she goes undercover in The Velvet Room, an exclusive nightclub, to investigate her best friend Bianca’s disappearance. Drawn into the club’s web of secrets, power, and wealth, Charlie finds herself entangled with its mysterious owner, Wesley Remington. As she uncovers dangerous conspiracies tied to The Velvet Room, Charlie must navigate her growing connection to Wes and the risks of exposing the truth in a world where nothing is as it seems.
By
on . Romantic thriller. New instalments released biweekly, for free.What to do about Katrina
Katrina turns up at the British Embassy in Paris claiming to be from a utopian parallel world. Of course they think she's just mad, until a startling discovery changes MI6's opinion from dismissive to suspicious...
By
on . Speculative fiction & dark mystery / thriller. New instalments released weekly, with Episode 1 Act 1 free and the rest for paid members.Welcome to Telling Their Tales!
If you’re new here, I’m Holly and I’m passionate about sharing medieval history that’s about more than just kings and battles. I also am a big supporter of everything to do with serialised fiction and historical fiction, on and off Substack, with a series of ‘How-Tos’ and testimonies on these genres coming to Telling Their Tales super soon!
Connection and relatability are two of my key words here on Substack, and I can’t wait to uncover these hidden stories with you. I’m currently a PhD student (Medieval Archaeology), and I’m delighted to be here to serve and support you.
Paid membership starts from just over £4 per month, and includes access to our cosy history book club, exclusive instalments of my serialised novels, an ebook of short historical fiction stories, and the ability to pose your own questions in chat to our worldwide readership.
Ready to uncover the hidden tale of a favourite medieval person, place, or event? Join our Scriptorium membership to unlock your own research article or short story, created in collaboration with your very own ideas.
Want to connect with more History writers?
Join us over on the Society of History Writers, the only Substack community dedicated to sharing the history writing of its members to a global readership.
Thanks for the mention! ~ Correction, my novel is called Juniper Falls, not Juniper Blues 😊🙏
Oh I thought your list was just for historical fiction (so my alternate history romantasies wouldn’t apply). How do we add ourselves to the list?