We at Inked in Gray Press are excited to announce a new anthology in collaboration with AJ Van Belle!
STELLAR PARALLAX: HUMAN HOPE IN GRIMDARK WORLDS.
Let’s not sugarcoat it — things are rough, and we don’t know what the next year or even month will bring.
This is why we need stories in which hope shines through the darkness. Give us your grimdark in space, in a near-future dystopia, in a far-future galaxy, or in a sci-fi version of the present day.
This anthology will feature gritty sci-fi in which the personal message is hopeful while the external world is dark. We want world-building that’s vivid, immersive, and believable, with the focus on the characters’ direct experience. Sweeping spans of time and vast civilizations aren’t necessary here, nor are nifty tech or clever political machinations — but feel free to include any of these if they serve the story.
Regardless of scale or time period, show us the characters’ sensory perceptions, physical experience, and emotional arc. Sci-fi is a genre uniquely equipped to allow expression of character growth because it lets us explore universal human experience within specific, sharply imagined futures.
STELLAR PARALLAX will sit at the place where seemingly impossible circumstances meet the inventiveness of human agency, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
ANTHOLOGY DETAILS
Submission Details
Submission Period: April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025
Theme: All stories should have a message of hope whilst surrounded by darkness
Parameters:
- Please include all trigger warnings, even if only mentioned and not described on the page (ie: References to alcoholism, but character does not drink on the page).
- Absolutely NO AI
- Please give us diversity! Mental health rep! Fat rep! Visible and invisible disabilities! Anything and everything!
- Stories can blend any sub genre of science fiction.
Who Can Submit: **International submissions accepted. **
Submissions must be in English. See further story guidelines below before submitting.
Word Limit: Between 2K and 7K words
Genre: Science Fiction
Age: Upper YA & Adult
Payment: $50 per piece
Rights: First edition exclusive anthology rights for the first six months of publication
**All Submissions and anthology communications will be managed by Dakota Rayne and AJ Van Belle. Initial confirmation, acceptance emails, and publication-related emails will come from Inked in Gray Press.
The anthology will be printed and published by Inked in Gray Press. Inked in Gray Press is considered the publisher and sponsor of the anthology.
Submission Guidelines
- ONLY previously unpublished works
- One submission per author
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know if the work is accepted elsewhere
- Include as attached .doc (or .doc compatible format) please for ease of visual accessibility.
- NO AI-written stories (ProWritingAid/Grammarly usage okay)
What to Include with Your Submission *Please read carefully*:
- A 3 – 5 sentence bio with social media links
- Short blurb
Have a story ready? Click below to submit **Portal below opens April 1, 2025 and closes June 30, 2025
Questions? Email Kota at: contact@inkedingray.com
Happy writing! We can’t wait to read all of your stories!
About
AJ
Van Belle
An on-sub multi-genre novelist, AJ is represented by Lauren Bieker of FinePrint Literary. AJ’s short fiction and essays have recently appeared in Sand, Salt, Blood: an Anthology of Sea Horror, If There’s Anyone Left, Heartlines Spec, Mine: An Anthology of Body Autonomy Horror, and others. With a PhD in biology, AJ draws on their science background for world-building inspiration in their fiction.
AJ was a first reader for Apparition Lit for the two years, has edited novels for a small press, been a technical editor in PR, and taught undergraduate writing and science courses at Boston University and Babson College. They are a literary agent at the Booker Albert Agency.