Tractor Beam
tractorbeamearth.bsky.social
Tractor Beam
@tractorbeamearth.bsky.social
Bringing Sci-Fi down to Earth 🌎🍂✨
A new ~*soilpunk*~ quarterly publication
Bodies, the Halloween mini-issue, out now on Substack! 👻🕸🪦

🧑‍💻 Website: tractorbeam.earth
💌 Newsletter: tractorbeamearth.substack.com
📱 IG: www.instagram.com/tractorbeam.earth
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Hey Bluesky! 👋

We're Tractor Beam, a quarterly fiction publication dedicated to soilpunk: radical visions of hopeful futures built from the ground up. 🌍 ⬆️
Bury yourself in the final story of Bodies, Tractor Beam's Halloween mini-issue! 💀🥭✨

"Fruiting Bodies," written by Emily Yang and illustrated by our community through our first open call is available to read now on Substack.

tractorbeamearth.substack.com/p/fruiting-b...
Fruiting Bodies
What do the mangoes remember?
tractorbeamearth.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:59 AM
In "What Transcends From Rot," written by Ciarra Havon (@ciarrawrites.bsky.social), Duella, a transition doula, works with Caiden, as he transitions from life to death and processes his body into the soil, planting new seeds for his community.

Read the full short story, out now on Substack! 🦴🪱🎃✨
What Transcends From Rot
Can the Earth forgive?
tractorbeamearth.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Happy Halloween soilpunks! 🎃🪱🍂

It’s officially rotting season. Here lies our inaugural mini-issue, Bodies, a collection of three short stories on death and decomposition, illustrated by our community through our first open call.

Read the first story, "The Caretakers," by Geoff Dupuy-Holder here:
The Caretakers
When I'm gone, who will compost me?
tractorbeamearth.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Trick or treat soilpunks! 👻

Meet Sophie Strand, guest editor of Tractor Beam's forthcoming Halloween mini-issue, Bodies. Sophie is a poet, writer, and self-identified compost heap based in the Hudson Valley who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology.
Introducing Bodies, A Hauntingly Soilpunk Mini-Issue
Guest Editor Sophie Strand on death, decay, and becoming food
tractorbeamearth.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:21 AM
The deadline for our #opencall is around the corner! 👀✍️🍄🎨

We're seeking original art for our first-ever mini-issue on Substack, centered on death, decomposition, and bodies.

Read our latest newsletter to find out how you can submit:
tractorbeamearth.substack.com/p/want-to-il...
October 17, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Want to illustrate for Tractor Beam? ✍️🍄🎨

We're seeking original art for our first-ever mini-issue on Substack, centered on death, decomposition, and bodies!

Read our latest newsletter to find out how you can submit: tractorbeamearth.substack.com/p/want-to-il...

#opencallforart #soilpunk #scifiart
Want To Illustrate For Tractor Beam?
Read this to learn how! ✍️
tractorbeamearth.substack.com
October 12, 2025 at 2:59 PM
We're digging deeper with Lana, Tractor Beam's Co-Founder, Co-Editor-in-Chief, and potted tomato plant in another life! 🍅🌱✨ Watch here: www.instagram.com/p/DPbqeGmjuoR/

You can learn more about Tractor Beam by visiting the link in our bio and stay tuned to meet the rest of the team... 👀🚜🛸🪱
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www.instagram.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:24 PM
In "The Undercity," a man forges a new relationship with his neighbor and her three young sons against the backdrop of a city-wide composting initiative, while mourning his husband.

Read the final story in Tractor Beam Issue 3, written by Michael Zahniser and illustrated by David Huang! 🍄🪱🌃✨
The Undercity | Tractor Beam
Gone or everywhere?
www.tractorbeam.earth
October 2, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
Resistance is fertile in this powerful piece! "Sporesong" is visually and lyrically stunning 👌🍄✊️
The penultimate story in Issue 3 of Tractor Beam is out now: "Sporesong" written by Genesis Whitlock and illustrated by Olivia Twist!✨

Can a single spore seed a revolution? 🍄🌱💥 Read to find out...
www.tractorbeam.earth/story/spores...

#comic #soilpunk #TractorBeamSomethingsRotting #climatefiction
Sporesong | Tractor Beam
Can a single spore seed a revolution?
www.tractorbeam.earth
October 1, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The penultimate story in Issue 3 of Tractor Beam is out now: "Sporesong" written by Genesis Whitlock and illustrated by Olivia Twist!✨

Can a single spore seed a revolution? 🍄🌱💥 Read to find out...
www.tractorbeam.earth/story/spores...

#comic #soilpunk #TractorBeamSomethingsRotting #climatefiction
Sporesong | Tractor Beam
Can a single spore seed a revolution?
www.tractorbeam.earth
October 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
Spec fic writers! Hope you'll consider submitting to @tractorbeamearth.bsky.social's open call for issue 4, due 10/15. They pay $1000 for each accepted piece, have a beautiful website, and a great social media presence. More info + submit: form.asana.com?k=65SA73Wqwg...
September 30, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
In a change of pace, I’ve written a hopeful climate fiction piece about survival, psychedelic mushrooms, ecoterrorism, and popcorn. It’s free to read in @tractorbeamearth.bsky.social ‘s latest issue!

#soilpunk #tractorbeam #clifi #sporror

tractorbeamearth.substack.com/p/joy-is-the...
Joy is the Present Tense of Survival
What are the odds of popcorn germinating?
tractorbeamearth.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:08 PM
In "Joy is the Present Tense of Survival," a bontanist on a return to earth mission learns about the past through an intellegent fungal network "The Ochre". He begins to suspect that The Company might not be telling the whole truth...at least not about the popcorn. 🌳🍿💥

#soilpunk #fungi #shortstory
Joy is the Present Tense of Survival | Tractor Beam
What are the odds of popcorn germinating?
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
A briny blast of soilpunk (with extra punk), and a masterclass in character, setting and voice. Love this!
Henry wants to upload his consciousness to his desktop game. He just needs to get through a couple of weeks on this cold beach first...

"Sandbag Squidward," written by Ashlee Lhamon and illustrated by Hisham Akira Bharoocha is available to read now on Tractor Beam! 🌊🌾🦺🌾🎮

#soilpunk #climatefiction
Sandbag Squidward | Tractor Beam
"Why beaches?"
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 29, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Henry wants to upload his consciousness to his desktop game. He just needs to get through a couple of weeks on this cold beach first...

"Sandbag Squidward," written by Ashlee Lhamon and illustrated by Hisham Akira Bharoocha is available to read now on Tractor Beam! 🌊🌾🦺🌾🎮

#soilpunk #climatefiction
Sandbag Squidward | Tractor Beam
"Why beaches?"
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 29, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
Just finished reading this short story about the negotiation between man and nature that needs to happen. Some really interesting ideas and a great punk rock main character. #shortstory #solarpunk #speculativefiction
Check out the latest story from SOMETHING'S ROTTING, written by Rodrigo Culagovski (@culagovski.net) and illustrated by Claire Merchlinsky: www.tractorbeam.earth/story/dead-m...

And subscribe to our Substack (link in bio) to be the first to receive the rest of the stories as the drop on site! 💌
Dead Man’s Switch | Tractor Beam
A quarterly publication of soilpunk fiction: Radical visions rooted in soil
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 28, 2025 at 11:05 PM
After setting up shop in a small, swampy town, two friends make a discovery that helps them communicate in an age of censorship and oppression...

Read the new comic, "Swamp Press," written and illustrated by Jules Kang Sharpe, live now on Tractor Beam! ✏️📰💫

www.tractorbeam.earth/story/swamp-...
Swamp Press | Tractor Beam
A quarterly publication of soilpunk fiction: Radical visions rooted in soil
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 28, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
In the shadow of the Reserve of Persisting Complexity, a rag-tag community finds that webs are stronger than walls...

I'm thrilled to introduce my Grubbers to the world, with such beautiful illustrations by Manon Cezaro!
Read the new short story written by Sarah Royston (@sarahkat.bsky.social) and illustrated by Manon Cezaro, live today on Tractor Beam! 💫

And subscribe to our newsletter (link in bio) get the last half of Issue 3's stories in your inbox as they drop on site 💌

#soilpunk #TractorBeamSomethingsRotting
Grubbers | Tractor Beam
Why'd you leave?
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 27, 2025 at 4:23 PM
In "Grubbers," an older woman living in a mushroom-farming refuge outside the city walls meets a recent runaway on the eve of a friend's birthday party. She spends the day collecting the ingredients for a soup, to make a surprise worth remembering. 🍄🍜🧅💥

#climatefiction #shortstory #fallreading
Grubbers | Tractor Beam
Why'd you leave?
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 27, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
"Trees [...] never fully trusted humans. Their chemical-trace sign for us includes the ideas of movement, fire, seeds, and danger."

Gorgeous, mind-bending mycelial writing from @culagovski.net 🍄🌱💚
A troubled young woman is brought into a covert community, dedicated to connecting with a planet-wide, cross-species mushroom-based communication system and learns to go deeper than she ever thought possible... 🍄🌏💫

#soilpunk #climatefiction #mycology #TractorBeamSomethingsRotting #shortstory
Dead Man’s Switch | Tractor Beam
A quarterly publication of soilpunk fiction: Radical visions rooted in soil
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 26, 2025 at 8:45 PM
A troubled young woman is brought into a covert community, dedicated to connecting with a planet-wide, cross-species mushroom-based communication system and learns to go deeper than she ever thought possible... 🍄🌏💫

#soilpunk #climatefiction #mycology #TractorBeamSomethingsRotting #shortstory
Dead Man’s Switch | Tractor Beam
A quarterly publication of soilpunk fiction: Radical visions rooted in soil
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 26, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
Hi, can I interest you in some fantasy written by a nonbinary author? With trans and intersex characters? Not based on a franchise by a transphobic author!

Dragonfall, Emberclaw, and my rewritten debut, Pantomime, are out now, and I could very much use some help getting the word out about them. 💖
September 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Traveling by moonlight, a group of moths act as celestial messengers to tell the physical world of soon-to-be-departing spirits, continuing the cycle of life and death. 🪰🌝🪰

Read "Sphinx," written and illustrated by Liana Jegers, out now on Tractor Beam!
Sphinx | Tractor Beam
Where do we start the story?
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Tractor Beam
An absolutely beautiful story of life and loss and dignity by Verdell Walker in @tractorbeamearth.bsky.social

“I changed my mind about my homegoing. I don’t want to be buried in a box or burnt up. I want to go back to the soil, like God intended.”

www.tractorbeam.earth/story/dresse...
Dressed to Bloom | Tractor Beam
A quarterly publication of soilpunk fiction: Radical visions rooted in soil
www.tractorbeam.earth
September 24, 2025 at 5:55 PM