May 2025

One of these years, we'll finish reading the January fiction submissions before we post our May update. But that year is not 2025. At this point, only 11 stories remain unread, 14 have been read by one editor but not the other, and 11 have advanced to our short list. Special thanks to John Nadas, who's helped us out with reading this time around!

From the short list, we'll be able to accept 5 stories--unless our Patreon funding increases by $16/month between now and when we make our selections. Then we'll be able to accept 6. So now is a good time to subscribe! For only $3/month, you get early access to all our fiction content, and for $10/month, you also get it in convenient eBook form (or you can choose higher or lower support levels). Plus, all Patreon subscribers are welcome to join our Discord, where we host monthly chats for our authors and supporters.

We have finished editing the two stories we plan to publish here in May and June (and which are already available on our Patreon page!). Apart from their more-or-less contemporary settings, perhaps the one thing they have in common is a particular focus on belief: what do you believe to be true, and who or what will you put your faith in?

In May, E.L. Mellor's "Catherine Wheels" introduces us to a New England family challenged to re-examine what they thought they understood, in response to one member's supernatural gifts. Then, in June's story "The Watcher Awakens", David A. Hewitt brings us a humorous take on Hollywood, as a self-interested young woman starring in her first feature film tries to duck out of becoming a real-life action hero. 

We were sorry to learn that author Laurel Amberdine has passed away. Her story "Ascension" appeared in the original Mysterion anthology, and although we don't think we ever had the opportunity to meet her in person, we enjoyed working with her on edits. Our sincere condolences to all her friends and family! From everything we've read, it's clear that she will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her.

Those of you who live in the Boston area might be interested in an event that a friend of ours is helping to organize. It has nothing at all to do with Christianity (as far as we know!), but it is science fiction-focused. Hugo Award-winning author Hao Jingfang ("Folding Beijing") has a presentation on Chinese science fiction at the Robbins Library in Arlington on Friday, May 16th (2:00-4:30 pm). Kristin really liked Hao's award-winning story, so if your science fiction preferences overlap with Kristin's (Mysterion stories, for instance!), you might also enjoy Hao Jingfang's work.

In cat news, Maxwell has rediscovered his tent, and is enjoying it for the last few weeks before it gets too hot to be comfortable. Marie keeps trying to fit herself into ever smaller boxes.

We had been hoping to have the new anthology out by now, but are still waiting on cover design. Next month! (Hopefully!) Everything except the cover is done, and it includes all the stories we published here on our website in 2020 and 2021. And, as an additional incentive to sign up for our Patreon, subscribers who contribute at least $5/month will get a free copy of the eBook (and eBooks of the first two anthologies), and those who subscribe at the $25/month level will get a copy of the paperback edition, mailed to them (plus copies of the first two anthologies, for new subscribers).

Thanks for reading, and be sure to come back on May 26th to check out E.L. Mellor's story! (We always have a new story on the 4th Monday of the month.) And don't forget that we'll be open to submissions again on July 1st.

---

Support Mysterion on Patreon!