ArtisticWhispers Productions presents

Open Vistas

An anthology series exploring the vast horizons of human possibility, from the great plains to the great galaxies, from the grubby hands to the clenched fists to the grasping claws, from slashing swords to sparkling starships, from the grime and muck of the stable to the splendor and desolation of alien worlds. The human story is one of pressure and tragedy and triumph in our pursuit of Open Vistas.

We are now accepting submissions for the second of our 2022 anthologies:

Fire, Iron, Muck, and Sludge

We know about Conan. We know about Captain Kirk. We know about Frodo and Aragorn and Gandalf, Adama and the Doctor and Captain Jack (Sparrow or Harkness). We know about Sarah Connor and Red Sonja.

But behind every successful barbarian, there’s a swordsmith. Behind every mercenary, there’s a barkeep. After every party at Jabba’s Palace, somebody has to clean up the mess.

Who are these people who keep the streets and castles clean? Who builds the weapons and rivet the warships? Who shear the sheep (or the griffins) whose fur makes the clothing of the arctic adventurers? Who catch the plesiosaurs that feed the pirates who sail the twelve seas of Arcturus Three? Who clean the oxygen recycling systems on the Lunar Base?

We want stories of the gunsmiths, the blacksmiths, the janitors, the garbage men, the midwives, the livestock inseminators, the septic engineers, the taxidermists, and anyone else with crud under their nails. We want to share a day with the blue collar folks that make your fantasy and science fictional worlds work. We want a look behind the curtain at the machinery they man, and how it makes their civilization possible. What are their struggles, triumphs, and heroic journeys? Dig down in the dirt and tell us about the dirtiest jobs you can imagine—and how your world would fall to pieces without them.

To submit your story, email editor @ everydaynovelist.com (be sure to use the phrase “Fire and Iron” in the subject line), or use the form on this page.

For payment and other business details, see this page.