2026 has been a year of literary festivals, novel editing, and short story publications. I made a triumphant (?) return to Clarkesworld and Strange Horizons, two magazines that first published me 7+ years ago.
“The Universal Human Happiness Program” (in Clarkesworld) and “Endless Requiem” (in Strange Horizons) couldn’t be more different, but I thought it would be interesting to compare their publication journeys..
The Concepts
“The Universal Human Happiness Program” is a high concept science fiction story that asks the tough questions:
- Who gets to choose what is best for humanity?
- Is it okay to place everyone in a lie if that keeps them happy?
In “Endless Requiem”, I tackle magical realism for the first time. The quasi-omniscient POV is my attempt to integrate an understated narration style with some, ah, extreme decisions from the characters.
Story Creation and Publication Journey
I first conceived of “The Universal Human Happiness Program” back in 2017 (maybe even earlier—just don’t have that timestamped). Its themes of virtual space versus reality, artificial intelligence, and environmental devastation have only grown more prescient since. This year, I finally gave myself the kick up the butt needed to write it. Penning a story is, by definition, distilling it from an ephemeral concept with endless possibilities into the concrete result of specific choices. This is one of my most treasured ideas, so I was always a little worried about actually committing it to paper.
So imagine my delight when it sold to Clarkesworld, the very first place I submitted it to. A little peek behind the curtains: among my paid, non-invite publications, this has only happened four times. But hey, I did believe in this story a lot. If you can only read one story from me this year, read this one.
If “Endless Requiem” were a movie, it would probably be described as a troubled production. The very first draft dates back to 2009. I submitted it five times, was duly rejected, and placed the story in cryo-sleep for 11 years. Then I rewrote it and started submitting it again. 11 submissions later (one of each year of cryo-sleep?), it sold, just as I was starting to despair about it being too weird to be accepted.
Since my first publication with them, the entire Strange Horizons editorial team has changed. What hasn’t changed is, apparently, their penchant for publishing my darkest and most unconventional stories. I remain grateful.
From the Vault
If you liked either of the above stories, you might also enjoy:
- The Last Fugu House of Shimonoseki: A story set in the same universe as “The Universal Happiness Program”, before Dreamscape took over entirely.
- Skyscrapers in the Sand: My first publication with Clarkesworld.
- The Palace of the Silver Dragon: My first publication with Strange Horizons. Maybe the only story with more messed up characters than those in “Endless Requiem.”
I have one more literary event to attend next weekend. After that, I will compile a post about all the festivals, conventions, and events I attended this year, and a rundown of all my publications in 2026.