Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
@prisoner187.bsky.social
Zambian. Some times writer, all times reader. Impractical dreamer on the eternal journey. Living through apocalypse while learning to smile.
Work in Omenana magazine, Ubwali Literary Magazine & WTBAP?
My short stories: https://linktr.ee/Mwenya_S_Chikwa
Work in Omenana magazine, Ubwali Literary Magazine & WTBAP?
My short stories: https://linktr.ee/Mwenya_S_Chikwa
Pinned
Ubwali Literary Magazine
www.ubwali.com
Check out my new short. Planet hopping nomad meets terrestrial nomads when she falls out of a strange sky and gets stranded. Has dance as a form of long distance communications and space altering baobabs (sort of).
www.ubwali.com/you-can-alwa...
www.ubwali.com/you-can-alwa...
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Are you forgetting something? How about now? Read "A Botanist's Guide to Memory and Forgetting" by E. M. Linden and try to remember why you thought you had forgotten...
A Botanist’s Guide to Memory and Forgetting - Small Wonders
Plants that wipe memories are illegal, and for good reason. Too much potential for misuse, or just miscalculation.
smallwondersmag.com
February 17, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Are you forgetting something? How about now? Read "A Botanist's Guide to Memory and Forgetting" by E. M. Linden and try to remember why you thought you had forgotten...
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Story day! My story "Piglet Delivers" is now available to read online in Apex Magazine! I am so excited to share this strange story of my heart with the world. If you grew up with Milne's books about the Hundred Acre Wood, you might feel (somewhat) at home. www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...
February 17, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Story day! My story "Piglet Delivers" is now available to read online in Apex Magazine! I am so excited to share this strange story of my heart with the world. If you grew up with Milne's books about the Hundred Acre Wood, you might feel (somewhat) at home. www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Would you like someone to read you a good story? You’re in luck! This week, Story Hour’s guests are Kemi Ashing-Giwa and Meg Elison! Join us Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. PST! @kashinggiwa.bsky.social @megelison.bsky.social
www.storyhour2020.com
www.storyhour2020.com
February 17, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Would you like someone to read you a good story? You’re in luck! This week, Story Hour’s guests are Kemi Ashing-Giwa and Meg Elison! Join us Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. PST! @kashinggiwa.bsky.social @megelison.bsky.social
www.storyhour2020.com
www.storyhour2020.com
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
My heart leapt into my throat when I saw this. This is the first real piece of reader art I’ve ever seen. I’m struggling to express how much this means to me. Thank you.
Fen & Alekhai from The King Must Die by @kashinggiwa.bsky.social. I love friendship focused sff!!
#art #TheKingMustDie
#art #TheKingMustDie
February 17, 2026 at 8:13 PM
My heart leapt into my throat when I saw this. This is the first real piece of reader art I’ve ever seen. I’m struggling to express how much this means to me. Thank you.
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
We're eager to follow up the success of last year's Black Isekai issue with more exploration of structure.
Our 40th issue is your opportunity to delve into MAGIC SCHOOLS!
More info on each coming soon. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us!
Our 40th issue is your opportunity to delve into MAGIC SCHOOLS!
More info on each coming soon. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us!
February 13, 2026 at 10:02 PM
We're eager to follow up the success of last year's Black Isekai issue with more exploration of structure.
Our 40th issue is your opportunity to delve into MAGIC SCHOOLS!
More info on each coming soon. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us!
Our 40th issue is your opportunity to delve into MAGIC SCHOOLS!
More info on each coming soon. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us!
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Happy Friday y'all! We'll be posting more about our 2026 themed issues, but here's a sneak peek to get your ideas percolating for the upcoming submission windows:
Summer: Black Kishōtenketsu
Fall: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars
Share with a friend who you know will eat this up 🍽️
Summer: Black Kishōtenketsu
Fall: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars
Share with a friend who you know will eat this up 🍽️
February 13, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Happy Friday y'all! We'll be posting more about our 2026 themed issues, but here's a sneak peek to get your ideas percolating for the upcoming submission windows:
Summer: Black Kishōtenketsu
Fall: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars
Share with a friend who you know will eat this up 🍽️
Summer: Black Kishōtenketsu
Fall: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars
Share with a friend who you know will eat this up 🍽️
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
'We are so cold 🥶💔
We are so cold 🥶💔
We are so cold 🥶💔
Freezing rain, long nights, no shelter.
Our children are wet and shaking, and donations have stopped 😢
We urgently need €250 for a tent to protect my children.
Any help can save lives 💔🙏'
We are so cold 🥶💔
We are so cold 🥶💔
Freezing rain, long nights, no shelter.
Our children are wet and shaking, and donations have stopped 😢
We urgently need €250 for a tent to protect my children.
Any help can save lives 💔🙏'
February 8, 2026 at 5:19 PM
'We are so cold 🥶💔
We are so cold 🥶💔
We are so cold 🥶💔
Freezing rain, long nights, no shelter.
Our children are wet and shaking, and donations have stopped 😢
We urgently need €250 for a tent to protect my children.
Any help can save lives 💔🙏'
We are so cold 🥶💔
We are so cold 🥶💔
Freezing rain, long nights, no shelter.
Our children are wet and shaking, and donations have stopped 😢
We urgently need €250 for a tent to protect my children.
Any help can save lives 💔🙏'
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Heba has a message!
We're going through a tough time and trying to get back on our feet.
Your support helps us keep going and secure the essentials.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports us
We need $100 a day 🤍 Support link ⬇️
gofund.me/c3bf6fb78
We're going through a tough time and trying to get back on our feet.
Your support helps us keep going and secure the essentials.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports us
We need $100 a day 🤍 Support link ⬇️
gofund.me/c3bf6fb78
February 7, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Heba has a message!
We're going through a tough time and trying to get back on our feet.
Your support helps us keep going and secure the essentials.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports us
We need $100 a day 🤍 Support link ⬇️
gofund.me/c3bf6fb78
We're going through a tough time and trying to get back on our feet.
Your support helps us keep going and secure the essentials.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports us
We need $100 a day 🤍 Support link ⬇️
gofund.me/c3bf6fb78
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
My Top 10 African Short SFF Stories of 2025
Hey y’all! If you've been following this blog you probably know exactly what this is. At the start of every year, I make a list to highlight the African speculative fiction short stories I read and enjoyed the most from the previous year. This year,…
Hey y’all! If you've been following this blog you probably know exactly what this is. At the start of every year, I make a list to highlight the African speculative fiction short stories I read and enjoyed the most from the previous year. This year,…
My Top 10 African Short SFF Stories of 2025
Hey y’all! If you've been following this blog you probably know exactly what this is. At the start of every year, I make a list to highlight the African speculative fiction short stories I read and enjoyed the most from the previous year. This year, again, the list appears not on this blog but returns to the pages of Reactor…
wtalabi.wordpress.com
February 8, 2026 at 8:46 AM
My Top 10 African Short SFF Stories of 2025
Hey y’all! If you've been following this blog you probably know exactly what this is. At the start of every year, I make a list to highlight the African speculative fiction short stories I read and enjoyed the most from the previous year. This year,…
Hey y’all! If you've been following this blog you probably know exactly what this is. At the start of every year, I make a list to highlight the African speculative fiction short stories I read and enjoyed the most from the previous year. This year,…
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
To click, to peruse, to share: storybundle.com/translation
February 8, 2026 at 4:39 PM
To click, to peruse, to share: storybundle.com/translation
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Human writing
Human design
Human translation
Human pain
Human joy
Human hope
Human experience
Human insight
Human collaboration
Human perseverance
This is all the real deal.
I hope people will feel the love put into this, on so many levels, and let the light of these stories shine.
Human design
Human translation
Human pain
Human joy
Human hope
Human experience
Human insight
Human collaboration
Human perseverance
This is all the real deal.
I hope people will feel the love put into this, on so many levels, and let the light of these stories shine.
February 8, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Human writing
Human design
Human translation
Human pain
Human joy
Human hope
Human experience
Human insight
Human collaboration
Human perseverance
This is all the real deal.
I hope people will feel the love put into this, on so many levels, and let the light of these stories shine.
Human design
Human translation
Human pain
Human joy
Human hope
Human experience
Human insight
Human collaboration
Human perseverance
This is all the real deal.
I hope people will feel the love put into this, on so many levels, and let the light of these stories shine.
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
ICYMI, our general submission window is open this entire month!
We want stories and poetry with a strong voice and a sense of adventure, stuff that makes us feel things, stuff that lets us use our hearts and our brains and leaves us wanting more!
Guidelines & schedule:
www.havenspec.com/submit/
We want stories and poetry with a strong voice and a sense of adventure, stuff that makes us feel things, stuff that lets us use our hearts and our brains and leaves us wanting more!
Guidelines & schedule:
www.havenspec.com/submit/
February 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM
ICYMI, our general submission window is open this entire month!
We want stories and poetry with a strong voice and a sense of adventure, stuff that makes us feel things, stuff that lets us use our hearts and our brains and leaves us wanting more!
Guidelines & schedule:
www.havenspec.com/submit/
We want stories and poetry with a strong voice and a sense of adventure, stuff that makes us feel things, stuff that lets us use our hearts and our brains and leaves us wanting more!
Guidelines & schedule:
www.havenspec.com/submit/
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Distraught, enraged, and tired. An author cc’d @fiyahlitmag on an email to The Writing Atlas, a site dedicated to “cataloging short stories.” There are 130 FIYAH stories listed with (presumably) AI summaries. Some have LINKS to a Dropbox folder. Our issues aren’t publicly available for scraping.
February 7, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Distraught, enraged, and tired. An author cc’d @fiyahlitmag on an email to The Writing Atlas, a site dedicated to “cataloging short stories.” There are 130 FIYAH stories listed with (presumably) AI summaries. Some have LINKS to a Dropbox folder. Our issues aren’t publicly available for scraping.
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
The first story from Issue #13 is now free to read!
Jude Kar's "The Coffinmaker" is a surreal trip through the final days of Caspian - a coffinmaker, an artist - as he attracts the ire of the camel-headed locals and raises questions about what we leave behind when we're gone.
Jude Kar's "The Coffinmaker" is a surreal trip through the final days of Caspian - a coffinmaker, an artist - as he attracts the ire of the camel-headed locals and raises questions about what we leave behind when we're gone.
"The Coffinmaker" by Jude Kar - Seize The Press
We buried my little brother inside a condom. Mom was upset; she didn’t appreciate the philosophy behind my work. After the funeral, I was ousted from the house. I moved to a small Turkish island in th...
www.seizethepress.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:34 PM
The first story from Issue #13 is now free to read!
Jude Kar's "The Coffinmaker" is a surreal trip through the final days of Caspian - a coffinmaker, an artist - as he attracts the ire of the camel-headed locals and raises questions about what we leave behind when we're gone.
Jude Kar's "The Coffinmaker" is a surreal trip through the final days of Caspian - a coffinmaker, an artist - as he attracts the ire of the camel-headed locals and raises questions about what we leave behind when we're gone.
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
'WAIT. Don’t scroll. Take 5 seconds and breathe with him. My son Hamoud urgently needs surgery to place a device that helps him breathe. Every delay is dangerous. Please help save his life. Even $1 or a share can give him a chance to breathe again.🙏🥺🙏💔'
February 5, 2026 at 7:52 PM
'WAIT. Don’t scroll. Take 5 seconds and breathe with him. My son Hamoud urgently needs surgery to place a device that helps him breathe. Every delay is dangerous. Please help save his life. Even $1 or a share can give him a chance to breathe again.🙏🥺🙏💔'
Always a stacked list of brilliance. Can't believe there was a Zambian sff story in Omenana I missed. I'm slacking. 🤣
2025 was another great year for African short fiction! Author @wtalabi.com recommends 10 highlights across science fiction, fantasy, and horror, from "magic-for-wealth schemes" to an unsettling religious organization (in space). And if there's some ties in there...? We're not complaining.
Ten(ish) of the Best African Speculative Short Fiction Stories of 2025 - Reactor
Here are some of the speculative fiction gems that may have flown under the radar in 2025...
reactormag.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Always a stacked list of brilliance. Can't believe there was a Zambian sff story in Omenana I missed. I'm slacking. 🤣
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
2025 was another great year for African short fiction! Author @wtalabi.com recommends 10 highlights across science fiction, fantasy, and horror, from "magic-for-wealth schemes" to an unsettling religious organization (in space). And if there's some ties in there...? We're not complaining.
Ten(ish) of the Best African Speculative Short Fiction Stories of 2025 - Reactor
Here are some of the speculative fiction gems that may have flown under the radar in 2025...
reactormag.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:22 PM
2025 was another great year for African short fiction! Author @wtalabi.com recommends 10 highlights across science fiction, fantasy, and horror, from "magic-for-wealth schemes" to an unsettling religious organization (in space). And if there's some ties in there...? We're not complaining.
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Once again if you are not currently following @shingai-be-like.bsky.social , do so now
2025 was another great year for African short fiction! Author @wtalabi.com recommends 10 highlights across science fiction, fantasy, and horror, from "magic-for-wealth schemes" to an unsettling religious organization (in space). And if there's some ties in there...? We're not complaining.
Ten(ish) of the Best African Speculative Short Fiction Stories of 2025 - Reactor
Here are some of the speculative fiction gems that may have flown under the radar in 2025...
reactormag.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:19 AM
Once again if you are not currently following @shingai-be-like.bsky.social , do so now
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Hideous licensing agreement from Red Ogre Review, but what really jumps out at me is the moral rights waiver
Red Ogre (@ogre.red) gets rights to your work upon *submission*.
And those rights are ridiculous. They can change your work, not credit you, use your work for advertising, or put it in an anthology.
Don't submit to this one, folks.
And those rights are ridiculous. They can change your work, not credit you, use your work for advertising, or put it in an anthology.
Don't submit to this one, folks.
February 4, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Hideous licensing agreement from Red Ogre Review, but what really jumps out at me is the moral rights waiver
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
If you missed it, a little while ago I talked to @mynachang.bsky.social about my new book and a few other things too. Check it out!
mynachang.com/2026/01/15/r...
mynachang.com/2026/01/15/r...
Review * Interview * P.A. Cornell
P.A. Cornell’s novelette, Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl, will be released on February 3 by Stars and Sabers Publishing. I’m a big fan of P.A.’s short stories so I was excited to get a look at …
mynachang.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:04 PM
If you missed it, a little while ago I talked to @mynachang.bsky.social about my new book and a few other things too. Check it out!
mynachang.com/2026/01/15/r...
mynachang.com/2026/01/15/r...
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
So we're definitely celebrating FIYAH's cover art for Black History Month! Feast on this absolutely legendary run from @gdbee.bsky.social to set off year one 🥰 Of course you're following Geneva already, and this is your reminder to scoop up a print, her graphic novel, and more: gdbee.carrd.co
February 4, 2026 at 4:28 PM
So we're definitely celebrating FIYAH's cover art for Black History Month! Feast on this absolutely legendary run from @gdbee.bsky.social to set off year one 🥰 Of course you're following Geneva already, and this is your reminder to scoop up a print, her graphic novel, and more: gdbee.carrd.co
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Recent Zimbabwean lit from Carnelian Heart Publishing 🇿🇼🫶🏽
February 2, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Recent Zimbabwean lit from Carnelian Heart Publishing 🇿🇼🫶🏽
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
And our direct submission link - aanpress.com/submissions....
air and nothingness press - submission information
the air and nothingness press was created to explore book arts and graphic design with an emphasis on limited edition hand-made livre d artiste books and editions of poetry, fantasy and science fictio...
aanpress.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:40 PM
And our direct submission link - aanpress.com/submissions....
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
☕⭐🌍
Hard SF submissions are open for Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity.
✔️ All 3 elements required
✔️ 2k words max
✔️ Pays $0.08/word
🚫 No AI
📅 March 1–31, 2026
🔗 horrortree.com/taking-submi...
Brought to you by @aanpress.bsky.social
#HardSF #WritingSubmissions
Hard SF submissions are open for Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity.
✔️ All 3 elements required
✔️ 2k words max
✔️ Pays $0.08/word
🚫 No AI
📅 March 1–31, 2026
🔗 horrortree.com/taking-submi...
Brought to you by @aanpress.bsky.social
#HardSF #WritingSubmissions
February 2, 2026 at 8:30 PM
☕⭐🌍
Hard SF submissions are open for Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity.
✔️ All 3 elements required
✔️ 2k words max
✔️ Pays $0.08/word
🚫 No AI
📅 March 1–31, 2026
🔗 horrortree.com/taking-submi...
Brought to you by @aanpress.bsky.social
#HardSF #WritingSubmissions
Hard SF submissions are open for Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity.
✔️ All 3 elements required
✔️ 2k words max
✔️ Pays $0.08/word
🚫 No AI
📅 March 1–31, 2026
🔗 horrortree.com/taking-submi...
Brought to you by @aanpress.bsky.social
#HardSF #WritingSubmissions
Reposted by Mwenya S. Chikwa - Future Ancient 🇿🇲
Proud to be here for another Black History Month! Show some love to the Black creators who've been a part of FIYAH for the past decade:
go.bsky.app/VSHmC2p
go.bsky.app/VSHmC2p
February 1, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Proud to be here for another Black History Month! Show some love to the Black creators who've been a part of FIYAH for the past decade:
go.bsky.app/VSHmC2p
go.bsky.app/VSHmC2p