Substack spec fiction authors—including profiles and links to fiction and articles
Introducing a media platform for authors that we’ll be using to complement Monster Complex™.
Meet other speculative fiction authors who also use Substack—including several who write horror, fantasy, and related kinds of fiction.
I’m excited to share that there are some big things coming here at Monster Complex™. Among other things, I’ve launched a new author profile over at Substack, a media platform for independent authors. Substack is a media company that offers an online subscription network for independent writers and creators.
The platform is serving growing number of prominent authors, including Salman Rushdie (Midnight’s Children), Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club), and Luke Jennings (Killing Eve). It also works for an expanding number of indie authors.
Having joined Substack myself, the two sites—Monster Complex™ and Substack.com/@MonsterComplex—are intended to complement each other. I find myself thinking about the two sites in terms of what I miss about DVDs: Think of Monster Complex™ as the “movie” and Substack.com/@MonsterComplex as the “bonus materials.”
In the article below, I spotlight several of the speculative fiction authors and look at how they use the platform for their fiction. There are also links to help you meet them directly and read their work online.
By the way, I’ll still continue adding more author spotlights over time! This is one of those big lists that will take a while to get through.
(Original article posted Dec 29, 2023. Revised again April 27, 2024.)
Monster Complex™ uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. (At no additional charge to you.)
About Substack
Substack is a media company, a newsletter platform, and a social network—but also something more. An online subscription network for independent writers and creators, Substack offers the ability to publish to the web, email, and their app simultaneously. The site also offers the ability for users to create podcasts and videos.
If you like to read nonfiction topics, there are lots of categories you can click to keep posted. Which is good for you nonfiction people.
And the site can also work for fiction authors. Unfortunately, at the moment, the Substack authorities don’t seem to understand that “horror fiction” and “Harlequin romances” and “children’s stories” are for COMPLETELY DIFFERENT READERS. As such, the problem at the moment is that the only fiction categories you can click are “Fiction” and “Literature.”
That said, there are a number of tech features available on Substack that have intrigued my interest as a creator. And, fortunately, there do seem to be a number of authors over there who are writing stuff relatively close to the territories that interest me. (And, I would imagine, that would interest you as a Monster Complex™ reader.)
As such, below I am going to be creating an intended master list of authors worth visiting on Substack.
Posted on their About page, the company explains themselves:
“Substack has been called a media company, a newsletter platform, and a social network, but none of those really fit. Substack is something new: a subscription network… As Substack grows to accommodate more writers, podcasters, videomakers, musicians, scientists, and culture-makers of all kinds, we believe that together we can build a new economic engine for culture.”
About serializing fiction
There are a growing number of authors who are now serializing their fiction on the Substack platform. Substack is now one of a few different online publishing and writing platforms today that allow authors a chance to share their novels and other writing as serials.
Serialization is the publishing format where a larger literary work—like a book—is published over time in smaller, sequential installments. Of course, this literary tradition goes all the way back to late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries, when magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals offered novels in scheduled bits and pieces. These included books by authors like Sir Arthur Conan Coyle (including his Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles), Mark Twain, and Charles Dickens. Another noted author was Wilkie Collins, said to have invented the detective novel with The Moonstone.
I’d also like to mention that Edgar Allan Poe serialized his 1842 murder mystery story “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” in three sections. Considered to be the first murder mystery based on the details of a real crime, the separate installments led to the author actually changing the direction of the story as the real-life crime investigation took a surprising turn. The full story behind the mystery is detailed in the compelling book Beautiful Cigar Girl: Marie Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder.
A more modern example is when in 1996 Stephen King serialized The Green Mile. The magical realism story—which relates how a death row supervisor encounters an inmate with healing and empathetic abilities—was originally released in six volumes. It has now been republished as a single volume.
On Substack, there are a growing number of authors sharing their fiction online through the platform. This includes Luke Jennings (who created the Killing Eve series), Salman Rushdie (author of Midnight’s Children), and Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club). The platform also works for an expanding number of indie authors. (We talk about a number of Substack fiction writers below.)
Macabre Monday
Before we get into the list of separate author Substack profiles, I want to call attention to Macabre Monday. This weekly event spotlights participants who write or write about horror fiction. Every Monday, subscribers are shown the latest horror and dark fiction content from participating Substack writers.
Readers can discover the best talent on Substack for horror and dark fiction. Writers can enjoy discussion, competition, collaboration and networking in a community full of writers that are just as passionate for everything dark and scary.
Find out more about Macabre Monday here.
As I continue updating the author list below, I plan to include more bios of those authors from the Macabre Monday group. (To get started, there’s currently a clickable list of their tags below.)
LIST: Fiction authors posting on Substack (this list is a work in progress)
A Portuguese psychotherapist, Rolando Andrade’s newsletter Outside The Therapy Room includes short fiction stories. He also writes essays about psychology and human behavior.
The author is serializing her novel In Judgement Of Others, a dark comedy set in 2017 England about psychosis in the Home Counties. Read it online here: https://eleanoranstruther.substack.com/s/in-judgement-of-others. She posts a new chapter every Sunday, plus there are links in each taking readers easily back to the beginning or forward to the next.
Michael S. Atkinson’s superhero serial Quarks of the Heart recently concluded a 13-episode arc. “In Quarks of the Heart, Meg Atomic must choose between her responsibilities to her cape, her family, and her city, and her growing feelings towards the Malevolent Med-Student, while he is forced to make a similar choice between her and his desire to be accredited by the Committee of Calamity. Hearts, not to mention femurs and the occasional small building, will almost certainly be broken.”
The story is free to read. Find the first episode here!
Bauhaus uses her author Substack blog Let’s Talk About Truth to post short stories and serial fiction. She writes horror, dark fantasy and urban fantasy. She’ll be posting both previously published works and new stuff she’s writing working on. Also worth knowing: She is also doing the “live off grid” thing with her husband, as they are currently living in an RV on 5 acres in the Ozarks.
M.E. Beckley AKA The Chronicler
Author M.E. Beckley writes dark fiction. A fan of my writers H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, and J.R.R. Tolkien, she is building an audience for her debut novel, Shades of Night. Serializing fiction on her Substack publication Work in Progress, the author invites readers to explore her imagination and traverse the path of (possible) publishing. Beckley posts once a week, doing her best to focus on one serial novel at a time and organize them according to the seasons. Once a month, she posts updates. Generally, this will include updates about her work in progress or reflections on writing. As of now, free subscribers have access to it all!
An author known for exploring the intersection of religion, horror, art, and creativity, Matt Cardin’s books have been nominated for the World Fantasy Award and long-listed for the Bram Stoker Award. He has been a panelist and reader at the World Fantasy Convention, the World Horror Convention, Baylor University’s Faith and Film symposium, and other literary and genre conferences.
A college vice president and former professor of English and world religions, Cardin’s works include the weird and cosmic horror fiction collection To Rouse Leviathan; the overview Horror Literature Through History; and the book Mummies Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Mummies in History, Religion, and Popular Culture. He also wrote What the Daemon Said: Essays on Horror Fiction, Film, and Philosophy.
Cardin uses his Substack account for The Living Dark. “This newsletter’s macro-message is about following the creative daemon wherever it takes you by embracing the eternal unfolding edge of mystery. It’s about not plotting the novel of your life, but instead seeing it emerge spontaneously from the darkness of primal creativity in each moment.”
In our interview for the Monster Complex podcast, Cardin and I discussed the relationship between religion and horror, he explains what inspired him to approach these subjects as a scholar, and he distinguished between horror authors who use religious elements intentionally—as opposed to those who just use it as window addressing.
Alex Crow shares a weekly slice of dark fantasy from the world of The Lesser Evil, at The Crow’s Nest. So far, he has shared two novellas and a novellete, with lots more to come in 2024 (and beyond!). He also writes non-fiction, specifically revolving around how learning to remember our hunter-fisher-gatherer ancestry can provide a remarkable sense of empowerment. Every week, I also send a letter with liminality at its heart, with a photo, a piece of fiction, and a mini-essay.
Thirteen years ago, Crow left his job and headed into wilder places, living alone in the woods in a shelter he built himself, from September to December. And on the eve of his 40th birthday, he headed off from Scotland to see more of the world. He hasn’t lived in a majority English-speaking country in more than six years.
Jackie Dana is a speculative fiction author fascinated by herbalism, hermeticism and early modern religion. She weaves fantasy stories grounded in history yet unraveling with intrigue. “As a fiction author, freelance writer, and historian, I enjoy rooting for the underdog and stirring up trouble. Unsurprisingly, my alignment is Chaotic Good.” She's also the brains behind Story Cauldron, a Substack newsletter with an eclectic brew of speculative fiction and random thoughts about storytelling.
Ipfelkofer posts his speculative fiction at Tales from the Defrag, serializing his adventure novella The Chronicles of Samuel Carter and working on his dystopian novel set on Future Earth.
Luke Jennings writes the espionage thriller Killing Eve novels, which inspired the British spy TV show starring Sandra Oh as an investigator tasked with capturing psychopathic assassin Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer). He kicked off the series with four serial novellas that were collected for the 2017 book Codename Villanelle. Follow-up books published include No Tomorrow (Killing Eve #2) and Die for Me (Killing Eve #3).
For his Substack blog, Jennings has been serializing Killing Eve: Resurrection. “In the wake of the Killing Eve TV show, I promised to write a new adventure for our heroines. The novel is being serialised on Substack, and it's free.”
Subscribe for free to follow Villanelle and Eve’s heartstopping new adventure!
In an interview, Jennings talked about why he chose Substack as the place to expand his story:
“I wanted to try something different, and Substack seemed to fit. I like the direct engagement with readers and the civilised feel of the platform. It’s a new way of publishing fiction, but the idea behind it is as old as storytelling itself.”
He mentioned the difficulties of bring published through normal channels—and even the challenges of publishing eBooks.
“The Substack process has a real-time feel that I like. Thrillers are of the moment; they should smell and taste of now. The ease of it is also attractive. I also think readers are much less daunted than they would be by a 1,000-word book. It’s something you can read on the way to work. It’s episode by episode, and people like that rhythm.”
Read the whole interview here.
UPDATE: I’ve now also interviewed Jennings about sharing his new Killing Eve novel FREE on Substack!
HERE: Q&A: KILLING EVE creator Luke Jennings on revisiting Villanelle for the “sheer joy” of it
Jennings talks about the espionage fiction that influenced him, the interesting way that he returned to the Killing Eve characters, and how he’s exploring the author platform Substack. “I hope readers enjoy being part of the Killing Eve community and world.”
Based in Norwich, England, Simon K. Jones writes science fiction and fantasy—much of which is serialized online. He’s currently writing his fourth novel, Tales from the Triverse, serialized weekly via his Substack newsletter. His Watty Award-winning debut novel, A Day of Faces is about youth, revolution and shape-shifting animal people. His follow-up book, The Mechanical Crown (serialized over three years and wrapped up 2019), was selected by Wattpad for their Star program. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jones serialized the YA novel No Adults Allowed, a post-apocalyptic alternative to Lord of the Flies which turned out to be more timely than expected.
Although Jones got a lot of writing posted on Wattpad (including most of the links above), he found he needed to make a change. And ended up with Substack:
“Wattpad has been very good to me, it changed my life in unexpected and positive ways, and I wouldn’t be writing here now if it wasn’t for the years on Wattpad.
[snip]
“The writing was going well, but the ‘author business’ end felt like it had hit a dead end. The indie publishing ebook scene looked far more enticing and rewarding, but weekly serials were (and are) my thing. I needed a different approach.
[snip]
“On Substack, I’m probably never going to hit those massive readers numbers that I found on Wattpad. But that’s fine. It’s not about THE BIGGEST NUMBERS anymore. It’s about high quality interactions. Deeper and more rewarding conversations with readers and writers.”
UPDATE: 8 Questions for... Simon K Jones
From New Zealand, author Hamish Kavanagh is using his Substack page for posting his short stories every other week, with the occasional updates or observations in between. He uses the format to develop new ideas and experiment with style and topic matter. His Substack publication is The Sudden Walk, through which he shares his thoughts documenting the road to getting published, plus discussions on writing, the industry, and short stories for paid subscribers.
For an interview with Macabre Monday, Kavanagh shared his writing inspirations:
To be honest, most actually come from music. Nick Cave, Pink Floyd, Tool. I’m usually listening to music when I write. It helps shape an aesthetic in my head and maintain a certain tone. It’s always got to be the same artist during a given session, usually the same album as well.
In terms of authors I admire, my list isn’t actually very horror heavy. Cormac McCarthy, George Orwell, Joan Didion, Aldous Huxley, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Bram Stoker, Margaret Attwood, David Foster Wallace—I know he’s caught some flack lately, but the writing made an impact.
One of the leaders at Macabre Monday, Jeff Kinnard is a father, husband, freelance writer, tabletop/video gamer, crafter of worlds and lover of nature. He has been writing for almost 15 years. His work on Substack includes Macabre Monday and Choose Fiction.
Kinnard told me a bit about Macabre Monday:
“To me, Macabre Monday means community. It has provided a solid place for people that enjoy horror to hang out! Substack can be a very solitary place, even within your own niche. Macabre Monday allows for anyone to join a fun, active and kind community of writers and enthusiasts. In the case of newcomers it has actually benefitted them by allowing for them to be discovered quickly by people that would like what they write, rather than grinding out their first few subscribers.”
He also told me how he makes use of Substack as an author. You can read our whole Q&A here: Author Q&A: Jeff Kinnard (Macabre Monday)
“Just another aging millennial with way too much to say,” Maribel writes in her bio. “I also podcast, produce my friends' podcasts, and write. I like to make stuff. Too many projects, too little time.” Maribel’s Substack writing includes two newsletters, Stay Free & Crafty (which, lately, she has be using for a writing exercise), Café de Olla (a newsletter about her family). She tells me that these two are “mostly blended memoiresqe type of writing.”
She also helps with Macabre Monday (for which she mostly does operational / organizational tasks), and sometimes contributes to her brother’s newsletter, Red Letter.
Maribel has answered some of my questions about her writing and about her time on Substack. Watch for a link to that Q&A soon!
Known to watch a John Carpenter movie on repeat until people grow concerned, Brian Martinez is a certified horror fiction nut. He has been publishing fiction since 2010—starting with A Chemical Fire, about a drug addict tearing his way through the apocalypse. Since then he has put out like a dozen books and a several short stories, many of which have been adapted to audio and other formats.
On Substack, he is currently serializing his apocalyptic novel Tracking Blood weekly on Mondays. In the book, the world is under attack by a virus that turns people into freaks with blood red eyes and a taste for flesh. They’re fast, they’re hungry, and they don’t ever stop.
“Since serials offer more immediate feedback, it would be cool to see readers comment and get involved as the story progresses,” Martinez told Monster Complex. “It’s always exciting to see people get into a story.”
Read our interview with him HERE: Interview: Brian Martinez on serializing his horror novel TRACKING BLOOD
Telegrams from Bloodstream City is his reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support Brian Martinez’s work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber HERE.
The author of the novel that was adapted into the 1999 movie Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk is a novelist who has published more than a dozen novels, at least three nonfiction books, a couple of graphic novels, and some adult coloring books, plus a number of short stories.
His Substack publication is Chuck Palahniuk’s Plot Spoiler, featuring exclusive fiction “too out-there for prime time,” as well as writing lessons and “lurid” back story.
A writer of (mostly) historical fiction and horror short stories, Leigh Parrish’s Substack publication is Halcyon Horror, featuring “thoughtful horror short stories that are often set in the past.” They are currently available free.
In her interview with Macabre Monday, the author shared what she enjoys most about writing horror ficition:
“Believe it or not, I really enjoy editing. There’s something really satisfying about watching a messy rough draft become a polished story. There are few things I love more than when a story surprises me, and horror is one of the best genres for that. You can’t take anything for granted in a horror story, especially if you’re the one writing it.”
You can listen to the whole interview or read the transcript here.
Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️ (yes, I think the icons might be part of the name)
A daydreamer with an over-active imagination, Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️writes fantasy and sci-fi books that put a twist on the monsters you know and love. (But, she says, “not in a sparkling way.”) Her Substack publication is Twisting the Myths, described as “Revealing the monsters and mysteries hiding in Michigan. Writing fantasy books that enable you to escape the stress of the real world. Sharing art that sparks your creativity.”
In an interview with Macabre Monday, Patricia explains why her fiction is better described as “fantasy” than “horror”:
“I’m actually a giant wuss. I can read horror books, but I can’t watch movies! It gives me nightmares. I dabble in whatever my inspiration brings my way. If it’s speculative fiction, I’ll write it. If it’s sci-fi, I’ll write it. [...] I’ll dabble in horror with shorter stuff, like 100 or 200 word stories. They’re really fun to write because you can take a totally mundane thing and then at the very end, you do a complete 180 and it turns the mundane into something utterly horrifying. I like writing really short horror fiction where you gut-punch someone in the end. It’s so much fun.”
You can listen to the whole interview or read the transcript here.
Author Shaina Read writes the Substack publication Kindling, which she describes as “an experiment in digital storytelling dedicated to the darker side of life.” The newsletter provides explorations into dark fiction, media recommendations, banned book reviews, and original short fiction published weekly.
In an interview for Macabre Monday, she talked about her relationship with—and why she writes—horror fiction:
“I think my real life is like pretty boring, and so there’s something to the excitement of horror. And I’m very bothered by evil, you know... I have a hard time that so many bad things happen in the world. And I think horror gives me a way to kind of examine the dark parts of humanity and human nature.”
Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie often writes fiction that combines magic realism with historical fiction. His works include Midnight’s Children (a fascinating family saga soon to be a Netflix series) and Victory City (the epic tale of a woman who breathes a fantastical empire into existence—only to be consumed by it over the centuries). A Fellow of the British Royal Society of Literature and a Companion of Honour, he often uses his fiction to explore connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Western civilizations, typically set on the Indian subcontinent.
His Substack account is used to publish Salman’s Sea of Stories. He wrote on the About page that the point is to have a closer relationship with readers, to speak freely, without any intermediaries or gatekeepers. “There’s just us here, just you and me,” he wrote. “And we can take this wherever it goes.”
John Ward is a writer and an illustrator painting images for self-published book covers. His Substack publication is Written Ward, where he shares some of the stories that he has written and his thoughts about the intersection between writing and technology. He is also a contributor for Macabre Monday.
Macabre Monday Folks:
While I plan to update and add more authors to the list above, in the meantime here are links to a whole bunch of Macabre Monday people!
Monster Complex™ on Substack
As I continue to figure out the system, the plan is that I’ll begin using Substack to create the official Monster Complex™ newsletter. There will also be additional bonus materials, including plans for serialized fiction and videos and more.
By the way, when you subscribe to the newsletter you also get a free copy of the booklet Dracula Vs… 13 of the Vampire’s Weirdest Fights. Discover the time the Lord of Vampires bumped into that superhero, was pestered by that funny animal, or was locked up by those civil servants. Get the free booklet and access to LOTS of video clips when you subscribe to the Monster Complex™ newsletter!
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