❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
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abigailkemske.bsky.social
❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
@abigailkemske.bsky.social
🚀 Speculative fiction writer from MN

✏️ Apex, The Dark, Flame Tree Press, Nature: Futures, The Saturday Evening Post & more

🌿 sometimes moss

✨HWA, SFWA, Codex

AbigailKemske.com 🌳 https://linktr.ee/abigailkemske
Pinned
💫 Here’s a list of my award eligible stories from this year! 💫

(Had to update/repost this because of the surprise last minute publication!)

See my website or LinkTree for more info on these stories. Contact me if you’re a voting member and need a copy.

Thanks for reading!
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
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a computer generated image of a person 's brain with a lot of lights coming out of it
Alt: person's head rotating, their brain glowing and blasting out lights and mathematical equations
media.tenor.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
This link will be live next hour, from 10–11am ET, for the full hour.

havehashad.submittable.com/submit/34844...
Submissions open Thursday, Feb 12, 10–11am ET (for a full hour!) 🧨 🎆

Open to all genres, 800 words max, one piece only.
Gotta be one or the other of these, ideally both:
* about magic and beauty and wonder
* speculative/fantastical/absurdist autofiction

www.havehashad.com/hadposts/tac...
February 12, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
Friendly reminder for HWA members that there are 3 days left to vote on the Preliminary Stoker Ballot!

bramstokerawards.horror.org/front-page/t...
The 2025 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot Announced – The Bram Stoker Awards
bramstokerawards.horror.org
February 12, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
Eight original short stories published last year. All at wenwenwrites.wordpress.com/publications... but a favorite was in @trollbreathmag.bsky.social "Saltwater Mother" magazine.trollbreath.com/saltwater-mo...
February 12, 2026 at 1:27 AM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
With all the SFFH awards open now, I made a new Awards Eligibility section on my Linktree with links to all of the polls/websites and included who is able to participate and when each deadline to vote is. And, of course, links to my own eligible stories, in case you wanted to vote for them. 😊
Catherine Tavares | Instagram | Linktree
Speculative Fiction Author
linktr.ee
February 12, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
It’s that time of year! I’m in my second year of Astounding eligibility, and I also published nine eligible short stories in 2025. If you only have time to read one, I hope you’ll consider “Handsomest Gentlest,” a love letter to my very good dog. You can find all nine here: m-r-robinson.com/fiction/
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Hugo Awards!

Emails are going out to eligible nominators (those who became a member of LAcon V by January 31, 2026, or were a member of the Seattle Worldcon 2025) about how to set up their LAcon V virtual convention account.
February 12, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
It’s Hugo Nominating time again 👀👀👀
2025 eligibility post

just one thing published this year as I work on a few larger projects but it is a good one!

all signal boosts appreciated
February 11, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Hugo Award Nominations are open! Here's a reminder of all the things I published this year. This is also my first year of eligibility for the ASTOUNDING AWARD! 🤩 💙💫
February 11, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Another day under 🧊 MN…
This is the aftermath of an ICE kidnapping a few blocks from my home in St. Paul—an hour ago. A quiet street full of broken glass and at least three wrecked cars. The target of the kidnapping was taken away by ambulance. He was on a stretcher and covered by a sheet, though a cop said he was alive.
February 11, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Just sent off my demon story on its first submission. This marks my 40th short story I've tracked on the Submission Grinder. FOURTY! Reaching lots of milestones lately. 🤩

19 of these stories have been/will be published. 🤯

So many more to finish. 🫠

Back to work. 👩‍💻
February 11, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
So psyched to have my first story in @apexmag.bsky.social!

“The Island of Sea Turtles and Blood,” is a horror (and very toxic love) story about a remote island where everything is delicious and perfect.

www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...
February 11, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
It's time for your periodic reminder that we count on subscriptions to keep the lights on.
clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
Thank you.
February 11, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
It's alive! Some (dis)assembly may be required. You'll see what I mean. Find #Penumbric's February issue at www.penumbric.com/currentissue... and the pdf at www.penumbric.com/currentissue...

#magazine #cover #scifi #fantasy #horror #art #poetry #fiction
February 10, 2026 at 6:15 PM
I did it! I finally finished my demon story! I originally wrote this as flash, but after some feedback decided to lengthen it and now it's just under 4,000 words. And I LOOOOVE it. Hopefully I still feel like it's done tomorrow so I can send it out.
February 10, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
wild how fast people move on and pretend ICE isn’t still here doing exactly the same thing they were doing back when outrage was sparkly and new.
February 10, 2026 at 10:29 AM
For my friends outside of MN, things are not yet better here. The news may have moved on but 🧊 has not. Please keep standing with us. We need you.
February 9, 2026 at 11:00 PM
S👀N!!!
Cover teaser!

We're pleased to have Teresa Galusaurus back with us, and this design is so vibrant and strange and hilarious and we cannot wait to share the whole thing with you! (Well, technically we can. That's why we're giving you a teaser.)

Issue 6 is coming 2/14/26! Get ready...
February 9, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
Get ready to experience the thousands of spindly legs of gratitude, everyone!
Would you rather have one REALLY BIG thank you note? Or thousands and thousands of itty-bitty ones? We know that's a tough choice, so we've let the brood make it for you.

"The Brood Thanks You for Your Service" by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️ will be in issue 6 on February 14th. Do watch your step.
February 8, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Oh I can’t wait!! And I’m so glad I went with this photo. 🤣😈
Would you rather have one REALLY BIG thank you note? Or thousands and thousands of itty-bitty ones? We know that's a tough choice, so we've let the brood make it for you.

"The Brood Thanks You for Your Service" by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️ will be in issue 6 on February 14th. Do watch your step.
February 8, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Really hoped to wrap up my demon story today, but I just figured out a piece of the story that's missing and is important for the story I'm trying to tell. It will probably add at least another 500 words. 🫠

I just hope there are no structural changes to come.
February 6, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
I have a cat story! Well a cat is in it. It's a little sad and set in a dystopian central PA setting.
“Before I had to watch the movie, I had a cat just like this one.”

-from "I’ve Seen the Movie" by Jennifer Jeanne McArdle (@mcardlejeanne.bsky.social), in Dec's #Penumbric at www.penumbric.com/currentissue... and pdf www.penumbric.com/currentissue...

#shortstory #scifi #dystopia
February 5, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by ❄️ Abigail Kemske ❄️
FINALLY SOME PROGRESS! Who are the clowns running this joint anyway? Wait hang on [listens to earpiece] WHAT??
The Circus is Back in Town!!!

Thank you for being patient with us as we got our act together for Issue 6. We could not be more excited for this TOC, jam packed with hilarifying misadventures, coming to you this Valentines Day! Gird your loins and get ready to laugh! Aaaaah!
February 5, 2026 at 12:59 AM
There is still time to read and vote for your favorite 2025 Apex stories!!!
CORRECTION: the Apex Reader's Choice Awards are open until Feb. 14th! 🗳️

We apologize for the confusion and thank you for your patience. Please direct complaints to the headless chickens in in charge of the calendar (it's us, we're the headless chickens 🐔)

www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...
February 4, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Awe, yeah! Get ready for some fun!! I’ve got a flash piece in this. Coming soon. 🖤😈🖤
The Circus is Back in Town!!!

Thank you for being patient with us as we got our act together for Issue 6. We could not be more excited for this TOC, jam packed with hilarifying misadventures, coming to you this Valentines Day! Gird your loins and get ready to laugh! Aaaaah!
February 4, 2026 at 12:41 AM
Elmer Benson was the 24th governor of Minnesota (1937-1939) and also happens to be my husband's great-grandfather. Here is a thread of his most pertinent quotes to current times:

🧵1/6
February 3, 2026 at 6:39 PM