There’s been a great response to our call for submissions for the upcoming Legendary Creatures issue, but we still have plenty of room for more stories and poems, so if it has fur, feathers, scales, slime, and/or a shiny exoskeleton, send it our way! We are particularly interested in finding one or two more flash fiction pieces to include. Check out the full guidelines, then submit.

For inspiration and a sense of our peculiar tastes, see one or more of our previous special issues (e.g., the Lovecraft Issue, the Novella Issue, the Poetry Issue.) The deadline is midnight on June 1.

You will be . . . you will be.

There’s no denying the world can be a scary-ass place. Earthquakes, tornadoes, serial killers, mimes, the impending zombie apocalypse, existential angst, Spongebob-fuckin’-Squarepants—the list goes on and on. So this month, we’ve assembled a team of superheroes to kick-punch your greatest fears right in their cold, cold hearts:

Tropophobia (fear of change): “The Many Incarnations of Blazer Chief,” Elise Matthews – POW!

Ablutophobia (fear of washing): “How to Wash a Magic Carpet,” Lauren O’Donnell – SPLOOSH!

Arachnophobia (fear of spiders): “With Spider,” Kelly Magee and Carol Guess – BAM!

Thanatophobia (fear of death): “Relics,” Valya Dudycz Lupescu – ZORK!

Teratophobia (fear of abnormality): “The Dog with the Rhinestone Eyes,” Mary Renzi – BORT!

We’re tremongously excited to introduce a couple of brand-new voices alongside some seasoned pros (whom we’re also thrilled to include, natch). I guess what we’re trying to say is that it is a truth universally acknowledged that any writer whose story appears in this issue must be in possession of some mad skillz.

This month’s delightful cover art is by Morgan Carver; it tackles siderodromophobia (fear of riding on trains) – TOOT!

Read it online or download the PDF.

What an interesting smell you’ve discovered!

“Spring,” as an insipid marquee announced to me this morning, “has sprung.” Also, “Our Sk8ing Classes Are Wheelie Gr8,” according to a different local sign composed by a more imaginative poet.

Speaking of good imaginations, we’re pleased to cram the cruelest month with random acts of creativity from four talented writers. Betsy Streeter—whom you may remember as the artist behind the March issue’s scary-elegant cover illustration—kicks things off with a laugh-out-loud-then-wonder-if-you’re-a-bad-person story, “Del, We’re Sorry, Please Stop.” After that, Charlie Fiset’s “Natural Birth” will change the way you look at eggs forever. You may want to enjoy “Them Oranges,” a heart-pounding tale of hunger by Nicole Wolverton, with a glass of fresh-squeezed juice. Last up is Ben Pullar’s “The Stangler Fig Slide,” a fanciful tale with as many twists as its eponymous attraction. (Notice I didn’t say “titular,” because that sounds like a word frat guys would use on Spring Break.) Read, ponder, share with friends. And definitely check out this month’s cover art, Isabella Petty’s starkly evocative “Anguish.”

Read it online or download the pdf.