Azure Arther
LightNews LightNews
litgalz.bsky.social
Azure Arther
@litgalz.bsky.social
340 followers 52 following 78 posts
I read, write, teach, mom. WOTF winner, children's author, poet, playwright, novelist. Editor for Tales and Feathers, first reader for Augur. Stories somewhere.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
litgalz.bsky.social
Azure Arther @litgalz.bsky.social · 11d
It's my first time leading editing. The process was so eye-opening and amazing. I won't restate the editor's note but yall. Yall...I am so proud of each and every one of these stories and the authors who wrote them.

Come meet some new reads.
Reposted by Azure Arther
augursociety.bsky.social
Augur Issue 8.2 is NOW LIVE! 🎊 & you can find 2 FREE pieces on our site!

Discover...
🔥 an elemental aftermath of an affair
🦖 a monstrous hymn of awe and destruction
🍯 devastation dripped in honey and rain
& so much more!

🔗 Starting reading here: augursociety.org/augur-issue-...

🧵
An illustration of a field on a sunny day and here’s a clothing line with yellow and red sheets flowing in the wind, and behind them are two people, one with purple wings touching hands. with a blue overlay. At the top of the image reads: “Read it Now” in a yellow banner and underneath reads: “Augur Issue 8.2.” Bellow is the link to the website: http://www.augursociety.org. In the middle of the image is a book with the cover art of Issue 8.1. There are 6 arrows around the book pointing to blurbs from some of the pieces that read: elemental aftermath of an affair, toxic love festers through shed skin & wet sheets, young love, rusted metal, & shattered sunlight, monstrous hymn of awe & destruction, old age drama between two languages, and devastation dripped in honey and rain .
October 30, 2025 at 10:14 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
My copy arrived today. 🤩 I am in this anthology...TWICE.

www.flametreepublishing.com/afrofuturism...
Afrofuturism Short Stories
<p>The National Museum of African American History and Culture defines Afrofuturism as exploring Black identity, agency, and freedom through art, acti
www.flametreepublishing.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:42 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
Eeeeèee.
willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · 10d
Excerpt reading: Azure Arther’s “Do The Bop Bop” by Ken Nderitu.

While analog horror is usually associated with found footage on grainy VHS tapes, @litgalz.bsky.social skillfully manages to evoke the same feeling on the page with this short.

Listen here:
November 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
It's my first time leading editing. The process was so eye-opening and amazing. I won't restate the editor's note but yall. Yall...I am so proud of each and every one of these stories and the authors who wrote them.

Come meet some new reads.
October 31, 2025 at 12:04 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
Went rowing today. Was lovely. Taught a poetry class today. Was exquisite. Ate fresh fruit and pizza and pastries and Chipotle. Was greedy.

Such a gorgeous Saturday.
September 14, 2025 at 2:40 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
YOU HAVE THREE DAYS LEFT.
augursociety.bsky.social Augur Society | Augur Issue 8.1 is NOW LIVE ! @augursociety.bsky.social · Sep 12
Haven't gotten your subs in yet? 👀

We're STILL OPEN for submissions from marginalized creators until SEPT 15th!

Don't self reject‼️
augursociety.bsky.social Augur Society | Augur Issue 8.1 is NOW LIVE ! @augursociety.bsky.social · Aug 5
Got a short story, flash fic, or poem sitting in your drafts? 👀📖

Submissions for Augur Magazine Issues 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3 AND @talesfeathers.bsky.social Vol 5 are ✨ OPEN! ✨

Visit augursociety.org/submissions/ to read our guidelines and submit!
September 12, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Azure Arther
augursociety.bsky.social
If you've got a novella or novelette, sent it our way! 📚

Our first ever novella and novelette call is STILL OPEN until SEPT 15th!

Visit augursociety.org/press-submis... to read the guidelines and submit!
augursociety.bsky.social Augur Society | Augur Issue 8.1 is NOW LIVE ! @augursociety.bsky.social · Jul 7
HEY SFF WRITERS 👋✨

We want your books.

So we can acquire them.

And print them.

For our ✨🪶 SOON TO BE LAUNCHED PRESS 🪶✨

Submissions are open until August 30. 12.5k-40k words.

Guidelines are live on our site, found down-thread.

Pass it on 👀
Augur press novella and novelette submissions now open! Be a part of augur press’ debut line up. We’re looking for works from 12,500-40,000 words to launch as print books in 2027-2029. Canadian & international authors welcomed. Open July 6-August 30. Guidelines at augursociety.org/press-submissions.
September 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
Also...uh...READ THIS.
willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · Aug 13
In "Do The Bop Bop", @litgalz.bsky.social crafts a chilling slow-burn horror where cheerful childhood comfort turns sinister, and a tense fight for survival warps the familiar into the unrecognisable.

Read the full story in Issue 2 of WTBAP magazine: willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/07/10/d...
Excerpt from “Do The Bop Bop” by Azure Arther, featured in Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine: Issue 2. Displayed on a beige background with abstract storm-cloud effects, decorative grid corners and the WTBAP logo. The excerpt reads: I crouched in front of the television and turned it off. Back on. Still frozen. I tried to change the channel, but every click just showed Bop Bop, mid-gyration, mouth open, fangs showing, large pink tongue out. His furry arms were wide and slightly above his head, with one fake paw holding his top hat. The freeze had caught the exact moment that the live studio lights glinted off his black claws. Bop Bop was creepy, but little kids loved him and his stupid songs, Davey included. Foreword from Olivia Kidula for “Do The Bop Bop” by Azure Arther, published in Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine: Issue 2. Set on a dark teal background with orange and turquoise accents, the WTBAP logo and stylised quote marks. The text reads: Another new writer to our pages, Azure Arther, brings us a horror story, “Do The Bop Bop”, one that is nothing like we’ve published before. While analog horror is usually associated with found footage on grainy VHS tapes, Arther skillfully manages to evoke the same feeling on the page with a short that may cause parents to take a second look at just what their children are watching, especially when it seems like the world as we know it is ending. Bop Bop!
August 30, 2025 at 4:24 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
Can we talk about our first issue of 2025?! ARE YOU READY? Even if I hadn't edited a story in this issue, I would still be screaming because. It's. So. Good. Get ready for a ride.
augursociety.bsky.social Augur Society | Augur Issue 8.1 is NOW LIVE ! @augursociety.bsky.social · Aug 30
🪶Augurians! Augur Issue 8.1 is NOW LIVE! 💫

Check out...
🤖 A disaster relief delivery robot
🧟 Touring a mall in a zombie apocalypse ⭐️ A love letter from a star
& plenty more!

& you can read two FREE pieces on our site NOW!

🔗 Link to Issue 8.1: augursociety.org/augur-issue-...

🧵
An illustration with a purple overlay of a tree with a hologram of a man and a young child in the middle of it. There are two people and two robots looking at the hologram. At the top corner and bottom corner, there are purple electrical lines with bulbs at the end. At the top of the image reads: Available now. Augur Magazine 8.1." Bellow is the link to the website: http://www.augursociety.org. In the middle of the image is a book with the cover art of Issue 8.1. There are 6 arrows around the book pointing to blurbs from some of the pieces that read: ghostly dance of vengeance. Losing language among the stars. Shared memories in sacred intimacy. Stealing bottled memories from the rich. Delivery robot saves the day. Mall tour in a zombie apocalypse.
August 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
Sooooo pretttyyy.
July 22, 2025 at 2:50 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
I have a poem in this anthology and I couldn't be more excited. @gravesidepress.bsky.social really did their thing with this one.

geni.us/gatheredhere
Gathered Here Today: An Open Casket of Art and Poetry
Get it now:
geni.us
July 20, 2025 at 2:20 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
I am so excited to be in this lineup of international authors. So. Cool.

Thank you @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social for giving Bop Bop such an amazing home. And that cover is phenomenal.
willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social Will This Be A Problem? @willthisbeaproblem.bsky.social · Jul 15
We're excited to announce that Issue 2 of Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine is now live and free to read on our website!

This issue brings back familiar voices alongside striking debuts, showcasing speculative fiction in its different forms:

willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/will-this-be...
Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine Issue 2
Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine : Issue 2. This edition features speculative fiction from Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the USA.
willthisbeaproblem.co.ke
July 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
How many times have I done this?!

...yes.
July 14, 2025 at 2:53 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
Just a little light reading for the weekend. Doing all graphic novels for the next week or so. Because yes.
July 5, 2025 at 8:38 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
Bruh. The skill, the storytelling...I was trapped, hooked, and enthralled. Damn this was good.

But @catvalente.bsky.social I need Jolene's story something terrible. I'll be thinking about her for a long time coming.
catvalente.bsky.social Catherynne M. Valente @catvalente.bsky.social · Jul 1
I HAVE A NEW SHORT STORY OUT!

I’ve been struggling with whether to spoil the premise by saying the five words that would DEFINITELY get you to click.

So I won’t now, just go read it & be surprised.

At 2pm I’ll post the five words. ;)

www.uncannymagazine.com/article/when...
When He Calls Your Name - Uncanny Magazine
There’s nights in the deep end of summer so hot and thick and wet you can feel the dark wrinkling up your fingers like bathwater—and my last night breathing was one of those. 2 a.m. came to ring my be...
www.uncannymagazine.com
July 2, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Azure Arther
strangehorizons.bsky.social
Our Fund Drive is still live! This year's AfroSurrealism Special Issue was funded through a stretch goal during last year's Kickstarter!

Here's some more from that issue:

luminaries
by Adebe DeRango-Adem

Let Sleeping Hyenas Lie 
by Rutendo Chidzodzo

Read at the link in our bio!
POETRY by Adebe DeRango-Adem luminaries  Quote "a piebald sparrow       on a barbed wire wearing its short-lived     freedom thin" 30 June 2025 Strange Horizons FICTION Quote "The taxidermy head scared her last night when she checked into her presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Johannesburg. Mai Alfred makes a mental note to tell the staff to take it out tomorrow. She cannot imagine spending another night sleeping with the hideous creature." Let Sleeping Hyenas Lie by Rutendo Chidzodzo 30 June 2026 Strange Horizons
July 2, 2025 at 10:09 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
Such an apt story choice for our current existence. Y'all see the talent exuding from these 100 words? Whoa. @eggandcressida.bsky.social
apexmag.bsky.social Apex Magazine and Book Company @apexmag.bsky.social · Jun 24
"A young woman, dressed in rugged clothes, huddles in the rubble." 🐎🏚️

New drabble fiction today by @eggandcressida.bsky.social: "The Fifth Horseman"

Read it here: www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...
A graphic featuring the text: "The Fifth Hourseman (Drabble Fiction) by Cressida Roe" next to the illustration on Apex's Issue 149 cover, a queen in a black dress standing beside a black wolf in a field at dusk.
June 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
Story Day! BUT LET'S MAKE IT WEIRD. Did I forget to tell yall I won a slot on this year's Brave New Weird TOC? BUY IT. Thank you, @tenebrouspress.bsky.social

store.tenebrouspress.com?utm_source=s...
Tenebrous Press - The Home of New Weird Horror
Independent, award-winning publisher of Horror/Sci-Fi/speculative books, magazines and merchandise. Hail the Tenebrous Cult.
store.tenebrouspress.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Azure Arther
matthewmitchell.bsky.social
shamelessly reminding y'all I won a damn award while selflessly (bravely) asking you to read this outstanding collection of new weirdos
tenebrouspress.bsky.social Tenebrous Press @tenebrouspress.bsky.social · Jun 23
Holy cow, BRAVE NEW WEIRD is out tomorrow?! We've been so busy plotting & planning & juggling, & with Alex's visit last week, we nearly forgot!

25-ish of the best independently published New Weird stories from 2024, plus thoughts & prayers from both of us.

Get it here:
store.tenebrouspress.com
cover art by Matt Blairstone, featuring an illustrated Weird Monster cereal box; neon green skeleton with coral erupting from its forehead, eating a bowl of Weird stuff that sure don't look like cereal
June 23, 2025 at 7:58 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
Pantsers know this space intimately. I am such a farmer.
June 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
I am so excited to be in this Flame Tree anthology! Originally in @unchartedmag.bsky.social and @nightlightpod.bsky.social
I can't wait to hold it in my hands. Yaaasa.

blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-goth...
Afrofuturism Short Stories | Successful Submissions & Selected Stories
We’re pleased to announce the authors included in our upcoming anthology: Afrofuturism Short Stories!
blog.flametreepublishing.com
June 23, 2025 at 4:52 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
June 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Azure Arther
edebell.com
Quick #Juneteenth check. Are you subscribed to @fiyahlitmag.bsky.social? Could you afford the $15.99 for a year of excellent stories to give you joy and fuel?

1) "I can afford $15.99" = click 👇🏻!

2) "I can but I'm too busy to read more" - Buy a gift sub! Go on!

fiyahlitmag.com/product-cate...
Black Power fist over burning golden-yellow flame
June 19, 2025 at 1:25 PM
litgalz.bsky.social
I absolutely loved the opportunity to write this story (and a micro-essay!). It couldn't be in a better publication. Crepuscular gives fantastic micro fiction for the busy speculative reader and I'm here for it. Happy Juneteenth, yall.
crepuscularmag.bsky.social Crepuscular Magazine @crepuscularmag.bsky.social · Jun 19
Crepuscular welcomes Azure Arther with the special release of a Juneteenth story, free to read immediately!

www.patreon.com/crep...
Black woman in center smiling with voluminous hair. Small flower and pink bat. Text Azure Arther
June 19, 2025 at 11:56 AM
litgalz.bsky.social
Me and my kid. Let's watch something!
Me and my kid. Oh there's...a Lego...documentary about...Pharrell?
Me and my kid: 👀
It's. So. Good.
June 10, 2025 at 2:11 AM