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Isla L

@bookended-islal.bsky.social
107 followers 353 following 23 posts

ttrpg and speculative fiction writer. terrified of botulism. Won an ENNIE once. I have words out in Cosmic Horror Monthly and Heartlines Spec. Stories in Tales to Terrify and Penumbric forthcoming!

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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Get attached to writing things that take place in the ocean and never look back.
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Excited to announce I have a story forthcoming in @penumbricmag.bsky.social !!! 🤼‍♀️🤖🛍️
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Excited to announce that I am in the @therebis.com's upcoming issue: THE MOON. Pre-orders are here: therebis.com/products/moon 🌙
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
showing friends early versions of your draft feels like this
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Chaucer Doth Tweet @levostregc.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Wythout sayinge your age what was your favorite filme when you were 20 and also your currente bankinge passworde?
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T. L. Xue @tixanfy.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Memories, folktales, glimpses, and sparrows. "Three Stories From My Grandmother" is out in Bourbon Penn now!
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Taco Bell Quarterly @tacobellquarterly.org · 06/08/2026
Develop a weird glint in your eye. It works better than any credential or award you could rattle off. Just flash that slight refraction of light back at them while you dart your eyes saying something not at all grounded in reality and the world will nervously shuffle aside for you
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Contract signed with @talestoterrify.bsky.social 🐊🏖️🦐!
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
My short story about choosing between a bad situation and a worse situation (feat. worms) is in here!
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chmmagazine.bsky.social @chmmagazine.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
COVER REVEAL! Issue #73 is our tribute to C.L. Moore—featuring some incredible cover art from Becca Snow!
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
A massive wave of open submission calls is set to hit the bow of this ship in July. Quick, everyone go to your nearest body of water and throw in a gatorade or arizona ice tea flavor of your choice. I'll find it along the way. Your help is majorly appreciated.
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Writer on a blue website will proclaim that new thing is in the works. They are not allowed to talk about new thing, other than to say it is in the works. If too many details are shared about "new thing" or "in the works", a spec fic magazine will "kill" the writer. do you understand?
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Contract signed! Very excited, gang.
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
I love explaining to folks the very strange ecosystem that is spec short fiction publishing because they always make the same face when they see the Submission Grinder. Unparalleled experience, actually.
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T. L. Xue @tixanfy.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
wow I did NOT expect to see my story on this list. thank you so much for including "End of the World, Simon et al." alongside all these incredible stories!
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
My story published with heartlines spec is out to read for free today! A very loose retelling of the little mermaid that now includes the life cycle of a tadpole, the forever war, and a meditation on "motherhood". www.heartlines-spec.com/cradle-root-...
heartlines-spec.com
Cradle Root Rot
Cradle Root Rot by Isla Lader
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Exciting news! My short story about choosing between a bad situation and a worse situation (feat. worms) has just been accepted.
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
My little mermaid retelling (with 100% more frogs and the forever war) is in here! Very excited to share this with you all.
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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 31/03/2026
Issue 10 is now available for subscribers! Two pieces are available for all subscriber levels BUT if you give us a cool $18CAD, you get to read the whole thing RIGHT NOW!! www.heartlines-spec.com/issue-10/
heartlines-spec.com
Issue 10
The stories and poems in Issue 10 take place in the grey area between worlds. The line between reality and the speculative becomes blurred as characters dive into the ocean, robots tell stories, and a...
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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 26/03/2026
LOOK! Look with your special eyes! Our cover for Issue 10 is inspired by a folktale of New Brunswick's ghost ship--a ghostly, firey schooner that appears in the Northumberland Strait. @itsbabypears.bsky.social used gorgeous colours to mimic the eerie effect of St. Elmo's Fire Coming March 31!
Cover for Issue 10, art by Alice M. Purple hued seascape with a lighthouse on a rocky coast, a ghost ship with St. Elmo's Fire is in the distance
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
contract has been signed for a story about Chopin and the difficulties of getting a body across (interstellar) state lines for burial!
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T. L. Xue @tixanfy.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
My latest story "The End of the World, Simon et al." is out in issue 065 of @lunastation.bsky.social! If you like cosmic horror and academic articles that will never be peer reviewed, check it out. www.lunastationquarterly.com/issues/065/
lunastationquarterly.com
Luna Station Quarterly
Stellar short fiction by women-identified writers since 2010
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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 25/03/2026
One week until Issue 10! Water, family, and death are big themes (with cryptids lurking throughout). Get the vibes before you dive deep: Short Fiction 🚜🛰️☄️ by @pbarmby.bsky.social 👣👣👣 by Rachel Esser 🍄🏚️🍄 by @crystalkoo.bsky.social 🏝️♊👩‍✈️ by @bookended-islal.bsky.social
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
My story in Heartlines coming out a day before Passover gives me a lot of things to talk about at the seder (frogs)
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Locus Magazine @locusmag.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Voting for the 2026 Locus Awards is open to everyone! Choose your champions and give a voice to your favorite works and authors of the year. Vote online at poll.voting.locusmag... or via the link in our bio!
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Luna Station Quarterly @lunastation.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
NEW ISSUE UPDATE: Issue 065 is live: www.lunastationquart... You'll hear more from me soon about the details and some really exciting news for this year. Unfortunately, a family medical emergency has taken my attention. (it's going to be okay) Thank you all for your patience and support!
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a swarm of autumn bugs @facefullabugs.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Love the glimpse into the beautiful mind that notated this used copy of Moby Dick I got
Chapter 1 of Moby Dick, page 1 

The phrase ‘Call me Ishmael’, the first sentence of the book, is highlighted in blue, with careful highlighting on the very big C at the start. Above this, written in ballpoint pen ‘His name’
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Night Shades ⏾ @nightshadesmag.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
🛸🛸 big news 🛸🛸 just updated the guidelines. for a lot of reasons i can get into later, NS is switching to 2 stories a month (instead of 4) but that means 🛸🛸 rates are going up 🛸🛸 NS now pays $75 flat for a max of 500 words. that’s min. $0.15/w NS IS 🛸OPEN🛸 www.nightshadesmag.com/submissions/
nightshadesmag.com
Submissions
Night Shades is a fiction magazine that publishes two speculative stories per month. Night Shades is OPEN I'll let you know when we're closing! Night Shades opens sporadically and for in...
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T. L. Xue @tixanfy.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
My friend wrote this! Read it because it's a GREAT story
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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 16/02/2026
Issue 10 has its bones! Our exquisite corpse will be affixed with short fiction from: @pbarmby.bsky.social Rachel Esser @crystalkoo.bsky.social @bookended-islal.bsky.social Anne Liberton @parkeriswriting.bsky.social Scott Payne Julia Raye
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Night Shades ⏾ @nightshadesmag.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
🛸🛸”When it’s too late to go back and the new member of your family is docile in your arms, the groundskeeper will give you the rundown of everything you need to know about space dogs.” 🛸🛸 from @bookended-islal.bsky.social www.nightshadesmag.com/a-dog-who-we...
nightshadesmag.com
A Dog Who Went to Space For Your Daughter
by Isla Lader Andrei is told that past the cenotaph shaped like a dog’s house is where the cosmonauts end and the bitches begin. After that, it’s going to get a little messy, a tad mundane–shovels ar...
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Ecstatic for this to be out there in the world.
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Night Shades ⏾ @nightshadesmag.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
“The soil doesn’t feel strange, though. If it does feel strange, that’s just because you think it should.” new story from @bookended-islal.bsky.social you’ll need to get your hands dirty www.nightshadesmag.com/a-dog-who-we...
nightshadesmag.com
A Dog Who Went to Space For Your Daughter
by Isla Lader Andrei is told that past the cenotaph shaped like a dog’s house is where the cosmonauts end and the bitches begin. After that, it’s going to get a little messy, a tad mundane–shovels ar...
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Clarkesworld @clarkesworldmagazine.com · 19/12/2025
It appears as though SFWA has had a very quick change of heart and is now back on the right side of this. Shouldn't have happened in the first place. New Nebula Awards eligibility rules for generated text are now:
Previous Text:

“Works that are wholly written using generative large language model (LLM) tools are not eligible.”

New Text:

“Works that are written, either wholly or partially, by generative large language model (LLM) tools are not eligible.”

-and-

Previous Text:

“Works that used LLMs at any point during the writing process must disclose this upon acceptance of the nomination, and the nature of the technology’s use will be made clear to voters on the final ballot”

New Text:

“Works that used LLMs at any point during the writing process must disclose this upon acceptance of the nomination, and those works will be disqualified.”
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Thomas Ha @thomasha.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
one must imagine sisyphus opting out of Gemini
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
My little mermaid retelling (but with 100% more space pilots and frog women) should be coming out in Heartlines Spec at the end of March!
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I changed my header to better get across just exactly who you're dealing with.
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Flash fiction piece about space dogs should be coming out around February!!!
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Sounds of Bones @soundsofbones.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Made a short zine for the #PuzzleDungeonJam: Titansflute, a dungeon that's also a giant flute that characters can slowly return to functionality by solving wind and sound-based puzzles. I've written for #cairn before, but I believe this is the first one to be published. Check it out!
soundsofbones.itch.io
Titansflute by soundsofbones
A Puzzle Dungeon for Cairn 2e.
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Frank&Stein @brandtandstein.com · 11/12/2025
Also, congratulations everyone who made something this year. A comic, a song, a film, a novel, a painting, a poem, a short story, a sculpture, crochet, embroidery, whatever it is. In this era of slop and theft, if you *make* something you are a shining jewel and I am so grateful for you.
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T. L. Xue @tixanfy.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Excited to announce that my short story "Beautiful Paradiem" is part of the latest issue of King Ludd's Rag! If a gentle tale about finding home interests you, you can order here > malarkeybooks.com/store/klr25
malarkeybooks.com
King Ludd's Rag No. 25 — Malarkey
The twenty-fifth issue of King Ludd’s Rag features stories by Jacob Stovall and T. L. Xue. The cover will print in black and white.
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Fusion Fragment @fusionfragment.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
Frustrated about being beset by AI slop in the reading queue and other places over the past few days. I know it's been said a million times before, but I feel like it's always worth saying again: Stories written by you will always be better than stories written by the robot.
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Isla L @bookended-islal.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
March feels like eight years ago, but it was only eight months ago! If you can, go read the story I wrote that's in here! "Find Me Dumped in the Reeds" has everything--fish, making waiters uncomfortable, lawyers, and a summer job that has become a forever job.
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Lesley Conner @lesleyconner.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
We have 10 days left in the @apexmag.bsky.social 2026 Kickstarter and we've crossed 60% funding! Help us get to 100%! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
kickstarter.com
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
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Lyndsie Manusos @lmanusos.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
10 days left in @apexmag.bsky.social's Kickstarter! Apex accepted a story of mine at the *very* beginning of my writing career, and Apex continues to be such an inspiration and nurturing presence for me and the SFFH community. This magazine does so much! Please support them.
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Veronica Roth @veronicarothbooks.com · 12/10/2025
When people ask me what I think about using AI in writing I’m going to send them this screenshot
A screenshot of a post that reads David Simon, creator of *The Wire*, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro, NPR

And then a screenshot of a conversation that goes like this:

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.
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Dana Floberg @danaflo.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Okay but this whole zine is amazing, I’ve been chomping at the bit to play ever since I finished editing — check it out!
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Unbound Studios @unboundstudios.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
The new #UnboundZine is here! Set your table for ✨️one✨️ and grab three unique solo games, including one #Dragonbane scenario. Unbound Zine is an indie publication where creators get an equal revenue share. Your support helps us directly. #ttrpg #indiegames www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
drivethrurpg.com
Unbound Zine #4: Table For One - Solo Games - Unbound Studios | DriveThruRPG
Table For One? The hardest part about tabletop roleplaying games isn’t learning the mechanics, or getting the perfect dice set for your new character, or even forming an in-character group with wildly...
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