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The Icarus Writing Collective
@icaruswritingcollective.com
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🏺 literary magazine retelling myths + classics
🏹 bringing the "then" to our "now"
🖋️ Issue 04 is out!
https://www.icaruswritingcollective.com/currents 🌊
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With our latest issue having set sail, it's time for the big announcement. Introducing our nominations for the upcoming Pushcart Prize. ⭐️

If you haven't read these stories, and more, in Issue 04: Currents yet... What are you waiting for? Dive in. 🌊

www.icaruswritingcollective.com/currents
A gradient background starting at pale yellow to a deeper gold, with light blue paper scraps in the corners. It looks like waves onto the shore. The headline reads, "The Pushcart Prize. Nominations from The Icarus Writing Collective's Issue 04: Currents." In blue text, the nominations are: "To have, to hold. by Julian. My Trust Must Be by Natalie Zutter. Buckwheat Flower of the Ocean by Vy Lieu. A Song of Silence for the Mother of Grendel by G. J. Brillante. To the Sea and Stars by Rian Moneypenny. The Somewhere Blues by Richard M. Ankers." Below the text sits The Icarus Writing Collective logo, a pair of wings in front of a yellow sun.
January 13, 2026 at 5:49 PM
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Our FINAL (😭) teaser for Issue 04 is here! If you love this snippet from Solstice Lammarre's (@sollylamarre.bsky.social) flash fiction piece, "Stolen Skin," you can read the full thing now at the link in our bio!
Blue ocean background with a stream of bubbles in the background. To the left of center, white text reads: “He looks down at his hands, pale and tinged blue, the color of a drowned corpse, with webbing linking his fingers together. He despises his hands, just like he despises her.” The quote is from the flash fiction story “Stolen Skin” by Solstice Lamarre. Blue ocean background with a stream of bubbles in the background. A dark square with white text covers the center that reads: “Solstice Lamarre (they/them) is a French, non-binary aroace writer. They write queer, neurodivergent stories in various genres, but always come back to themes of monstrosity, found family, and all sorts of queer love. Their work has previously appeared in Unthinkable: A Queer Gothic Anthology. When they’re not writing, they work as an English teacher for French teens, read an unholy number of books, play video games they never finish, and cuddle with their cat.”
January 9, 2026 at 1:53 AM
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We hope you've been enjoying all of these teasers and the stories in Currents! Today we're highlighting Leonie Jacobs' flash fiction piece, "Where am I?" Read it now at the link in our bio! 🌊
Black and white image of a woman sitting on some rocks by the water. Over the woman is a brown square with white text that reads: “You are just a son. Your mother’s greatest creation. While I am her thieving damnation.” The quote is from the story “Where am I” by Leonie Jacobs. Black and white image of a woman sitting on some rocks by the water. Over the woman is a brown square with white text that reads: “Leonie Jacobs (she/her) is a 23-year old writer from the East of Germany. When she is not at university or at work she likes to dabble in different literary genres. Her writing has appeared in iamb as well as Troublemaker Firestarter.”
January 8, 2026 at 2:58 AM
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Today’s teaser is from Robin Zubek’s flash fiction piece, “Queen Jurata and the Amber Palace”. Start some new year reading with some of our pieces such as this one in Issue 04: Currents, on our website now! 🌊
Deep blue underwater image of deep long seaweed plants with faint sunlight in the right corner, the image has white text over it. The text says, “She did not die in battle, and she could not die naturally. Jurata died as peacefully as a god has ever died.” The quote is from the story “Queen Jurata and the Amber Palace” by Robin Zubek. Deep blue underwater image of deep long seaweed plants with faint sunlight in the right corner, the image has white text over it. The text says, “Robin (they/them) is a UK-based Polish writer who seeks to put the experience of second generation immigrants into words. Their stories explore loss, longing, and the feeling of never quite being home. When they aren't writing, Robin reads, paints, and goes on long walks to collect wildflowers.”
January 7, 2026 at 3:28 AM
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We’re back with another short fiction teaser, this time from Taylor Catalana’s story “What the Sea Goddess Said.” You can read it NOW in Issue 04: Currents at icaruswritingcollective.com
Greyscale background image of a lightning storm over the ocean with a woman swimming in it. A grey-blue rhombus is in the center with white text. The text reads: “Clever girls, House-defying girls. Girls who, for their troubles, for their sacrifice, were then cruelly abandoned by those same heroes.” The quote is from the story “What the Sea Goddess Said” by Taylor Catalana. Greyscale background image of a lightning storm over the ocean with a woman swimming in it. A grey-blue square is in the center with white text that reads: “Taylor Catalana (she/her) is a museum professional who received her graduate degree in art and theology from Kings College London. Her forthcoming debut novel will be published in Fall 2026. She currently lives with her dog in Brooklyn, New York.”
January 5, 2026 at 11:04 PM
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Today’s teaser is from Richard M. Ankers’s flash fiction piece, “The Somewhere Blues”. Start some new year reading with some of our pieces such as this one in Issue 04: Currents, on our website now! 💙🌊📖
Deep blue underwater image with faint sunlighting. There is a faded overlay photo of someone swimming underwater towards light, both have white text over it. The text says, “I open my eyes wider than golf balls and take in every photon of diffuse light. True, they fill mostly with blue, but it comes in many shades, and I'm familiar with them all.” The quote is from the story, “The Somewhere Blues” by Richard M. Ankers. Deep blue underwater image with faint sunlighting with white text over it. The text says, “Richard M. Ankers (he/him) is the English author of The Eternals Series, Britannia Unleashed and co-author of The Poetry of Pronouns Books 1 & 2. Richard has featured in Daily Science Fiction, Love Letters To Poe, Starspun Lit, and feels privileged to have appeared in many more. Richard lives to write.”
January 3, 2026 at 5:10 AM
icaruswritingcollective.com
Today’s teaser is from Richard M. Ankers’s flash fiction piece, “The Somewhere Blues”. Start some new year reading with some of our pieces such as this one in Issue 04: Currents, on our website now! 💙📖🌊
Deep blue underwater image with faint sunlighting. There is a faded overlay photo of someone swimming underwater towards light, both have white text over it. The text says, “I open my eyes wider than golf balls and take in every photon of diffuse light. True, they fill mostly with blue, but it comes in many shades, and I'm familiar with them all.” The quote is from the story, “The Somewhere Blues” by Richard M. Ankers. Deep blue underwater image with faint sunlighting with white text over it. The text says, “Richard M. Ankers (he/him) is the English author of The Eternals Series, Britannia Unleashed and co-author of The Poetry of Pronouns Books 1 & 2. Richard has featured in Daily Science Fiction, Love Letters To Poe, Starspun Lit, and feels privileged to have appeared in many more. Richard lives to write.”
January 3, 2026 at 5:09 AM
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Happy New Year!! 🎆🎉🍾Today’s teaser is from Zenia deHaven’s short fiction piece, “Red River”. Remember to ring in the New Year with our most recent issue, Issue 04: Currents, on our website now!💙
Wave currents transparently faded over an underwater volcano. A faded overlay of a woman in water, all of it has white text over it. The text says, “Her ethereal form attracted greed, jealousy, and ire that could fill the depths of Tartarus and then some. The poets conveniently left that part out.” It is a quote from the story, “Red River” by Zenia deHaven. Wave currents transparently faded over an underwater volcano with white text over it. The text says, “Zenia deHaven (they/them) is an author of short stories and essays. Their work has been published in Fruitslice, As Alive Magazine, SIEVA Magazine, and NoVA Prism. When they're not writing, they enjoy video games, group exercise classes, and petting their dogs.”
January 2, 2026 at 1:00 AM
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Today’s teaser is from Sirius’s short fiction piece, “The Lights of a Hunting Party”. Please enjoy it! Ring in the new year with some new reading such as all the pieces in Issue 04: Currents, on our website now! 📖💙🌊
Underwater image of two people swimming towards each other, one swimming down and the other swimming up, there is white text over it. The text says, “Once he hit the water, he would be safe. He could swim. And this man was here to help him.” It is a quote from the story, “The Lights of a Hunting Party” by Sirius. Underwater image of two people swimming towards each other, one swimming down and the other swimming up, there is white text over it. The text says, “Sirius is the author of The Dread South series, the Draonir Saga, and The Gentleman Demon series. When they are not writing, they are doting on their beloved dogs and spreading false prophecies.”
January 1, 2026 at 4:30 AM
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Good morning! We have another teaser today from sumedha’s flash fiction piece, “Eternity is Terribly Dull Without Company." We hope you enjoy it! Remember you can read this and other amazing pieces in Issue 04: Currents, on our website now! ✨📖🌊
Dark ocean under the night sky, faded overlay of a woman flicking her hair from underwater, white text over it. The text says, “Humans thought themselves eternal. They bottled stars, dug holes through their own planet’s ribs, stitched their world with wires so taut it snapped in an instant.” The quote is from the story “Eternity is Terribly Dull Without Company” by sumedha. Dark ocean under the night sky with white text over it. The text says, “sumedha is a queer, brown storyteller and researcher. Her work wanders through cultural memory, mythology, and history, while asking how identity is shaped, fractured, and remembered across time. Her work explores the porous borders between self and the collective as well.”
December 31, 2025 at 3:28 PM
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Today, we hope you dive into Ginny McSheehan’s ( @ginnysquillpen.bsky.social ) Flash Fiction piece, “The Drowning of Loki”. You can find other wonderful pieces such as this in Issue 04: Currents, out now and live on our website! 🌊💙📖
Dark Blue ocean wave image underwater image with a faded overlay of someone’s body floating in water, both have white text over it. The text says, “Another child, another loss. Another testament to my mistakes and all I could not do.” The quote is from the story “The Drowning of Loki” by Ginny McSheehan. Dark Blue ocean wave image underwater image with white text over it. The text says, “Ginny McSheehan (she/her) is a queer pagan storyteller with a lifelong love for history and folklore. During the summer and fall, she can be found at Nyr Jorvik Viking Village, where she teaches Viking history through inclusive historical reenactment, and tells the stories of the Norse gods and goddesses. She holds an MFA from Emerson’s Popular Fiction and Publishing program and is querying her second novel. Her contact info can be found at solo.to/ginnysquillpen.”
December 30, 2025 at 7:07 AM
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Today, we hope you dive into Rian Moneypenny's Short Fiction piece, "To the Sea and Stars" ⭐️ You can find this duplicity story and so many more wonderous, watery works in Issue 04: Currents, out now and live on our website!
A graphic poster showcasing a teaser for Rian Moneypenny's "To the Sea and Stars" depicting a blue crashing wave along a dark coast, and behind the white text, a photo of a man breaking through the water. The text from Rian Moneypenny's story reads, "Buck lived two lives, and one needed to end. The similar blue and water iconography in the first image, minus the face breaking through the water. The white text reads, "Rian Moneypenny (he/him) works at Fern Montessori School in Taylors, SC, and lives in Campobello, SC. He received his BA from College of Charleston with a concentration in creative writing and is in the process of receiving his MFA from Converse College. His work has been featured in Ode to Dionysus, Livina Press, Persephone Literary Magazine, and Wild Willow Magazine.
December 29, 2025 at 3:37 AM
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Today's teaser comes to us from Jules Leclerq and his story "The Sea Bride.” Remember to dive into the new year with some new stories such as this one that you can read it NOW in Issue 4 Currents! 📖💙🌊
Ocean water with rocks on the upper left side with white text over it. The text says, “the ocean breathed against the rocks, and I took my first step towards the door. Toward the shore. Toward whatever waited for me in the dark.” The quote is from the story “The Sea Bride” by Jules Leclerq. Ocean water with rocks on the upper left side with white text over it. The text says, “Jules Leclerq (he/him) is an amateur writer and visual artist.”
December 27, 2025 at 11:22 PM
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Today we have a teaser from K. Martin's short story "Dans Sœur!" You can read it in full in Issue 04: Currents, which is out now!!!
Image of the shore of a beach with white text overlaid a blue square in the middle. The text reads: “They won’t realize that you understand the price you paid. That you’re exchanging a gilded cage for a wider enclosure—but this one, at least, will be of your choosing, not an accident of your birth.” The quote is from the story Dans Sœur by K. Martin. Behind the quote is a graphic of two whales next to each other. Image of the shore of a beach with white text overlaid a blue square in the middle. The text reads: “K. Martin (she/her) is a queer disabled writer of colour from Canada with a Bachelor’s degree and gold medal in Faculty of Arts from WLU. She's published poetry in ImageOutWrite Vol. 5, short fiction with Torquere, and erotic fiction in NSP's Erato and Duck Prints Press’s Many Hands anthologies. When not writing, she's on Tumblr as @queerfictionwriter, or talking about writing over on Patreon.com/K'sCorner.”
December 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
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Today's teaser comes to us from Bella Vedder and her story "Phantom of the Brine.” Remember, you can read it NOW in Issue 4 Currents! 💙📖🌊
Teal and blue tinted ocean waves with a photo of a Greek head statue that is damaged and missing his eyes, there is white text to the right. The text says, “He was enthralled by the mere shadow of the unearthly being, who had tugged at the folds of his heart and drew him up out of the mouth of the sea, whose face he had hardly seen.” The quote is from the story “Phantom of the Brine” by Bella Vedder. Teal and blue tinted ocean waves with white text over it. The text says, “Bella Vedder is a homeschooled junior in high school who writes epic fantasy fiction. Her debut novel, Of Fallen Crows and Wolves, is forthcoming with Trilogy Christian Publishing. She is a Junior Editor for Polyphony Lit Magazine and finds inspiration in medieval history, fantasy literature, and the landscapes she dreams of exploring.”
December 25, 2025 at 1:16 AM
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Hope you all are doing well! 💙 Today’s teaser comes to us from Ocean and his story “Iris the Rainbow”, you can read it NOW in Issue 4 Currents. 🌊
Blue and pink tinted ocean waves with a black and white heart over it that has white text over it. The white text says, “Trespass not my precious heart.” It is from the story “Iris the Rainbow” by Ocean. Blue and pink tinted ocean waves with white text over it. The white text says, “Ocean is a disabled poet, novelist, and visual artist living in the Pacific Northwest. His poetry, essays and fiction are known for their resuscitation of the mythic and their contribution to literary animism. His visual arts, informed by proto-language and asemia, have shown internationally. For selections of his work, navigate to: www.mirrorflower.org.”
December 24, 2025 at 2:34 AM
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Water you up to readers? 🐋 Waiting for another teaser? Well here it is! Today, it’s D.J. Clark’s short story piece, “Sovereign and Spice and Everything Nice.”
An ocean view with storm clouds over it, lightning striking the water in the distance with white text over it. The text says, “It was sovereignty and prophecy; fate. Like the end was assured but without the blame of fault. As if bidden by the gods themselves.” The quote is from the story “Sovereign and Spice and Everything Nice” by D.J. Clark An ocean view with storm clouds over it, lightning striking the water in the distance with white text over it. The text says, “David Clark is a writer drawn to stories of liminality and epic myth. A longtime reader of science fiction and fantasy, a non-practicing pagan, and registered nurse, he aspires to craft stories that are both inclusive and mythic in scope.”
December 23, 2025 at 3:18 AM
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Happy day after publishing day! We have another teaser from Vy Lieu’s flash fiction piece, "Buckwheat Flower of the Ocean." 🌊
Calm evening ocean waves image a faded overlay of buckwheat flowers, both have white text over it. The text says, “A buckwheat flower cannot stay in the ocean, let alone salt water, if it is to bloom.” The quote is from the story “Buckwheat Flower of the Ocean” by Vy Lieu. Calm evening ocean waves image with white text over it. The text says, “Vy Lieu (they/them) is a Viet-American writer based in NYC. Their work has previously appeared in Variety Pack and The Hemlock Journal. If they are not stuck in a narrative or making art, they are paying compliments to their cat, Layton. Catch them on Instagram @tvy.lieu.”
December 22, 2025 at 4:31 AM
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🌊 The tide is coming in, which means the fourth issue of The Icarus Writing Collective is finally here! 🩵

Read it for free on our website or consider purchasing a copy to support the magazine 🔱

www.icaruswritingcollective.com/currents ⬅️
A blue poster announcing the launch of The Icarus Writing Collective's fourth issue. The blue background is broken up by a section of transparent water texture and squiggly waves. On top, the text reads "read online | order print" while in the center in large white bold font reads "Issue 04 Currents is out!" in all caps. Below the center design reads, "www.icaruswritingcollective.com/currents"
December 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM
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Hook, line, and sinker for this next teaser! 🐠 This time, from Julian's flash fiction piece, "To have, to hold."
Dark Blue ocean wave image with an underwater image of a faded overlay of someone swimming deep into the ocean, both have white text over it. The text says, “I believed in kraken, sirens, the like. It wasn’t hard to believe that the stories that had been told had to come from some form of truth.” The quote is from the story “to have, to hold.” by Julian. The repeated image of the previous. Julian's bio reads, "Julian (he/him) is an anonymous, unpublished, fantasy author who simply enjoys creative writing."
December 20, 2025 at 6:16 AM
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What’s all the comm-ocean? 🐟 Another teaser! This time from Natalie’s @zutsuit.bsky.social short fiction piece, "My Trust Must Be."
Mint green underwater image with white text over it. The text says “Two truths and a lie: You might’ve heard me called ‘Lady of the Lake’ in the lab; that’s because I’m always finding the shit everyone else seems to lose. There is a protein in my brain that has already spelled my doom; one day I’ll wake up and never be able to go to sleep again, an insomniac until I die. I love the water.” The quote is from the story “My Trust Must Be” by Natalie Zutter Mint green underwater image with white text over it. The text says “Natalie Zutter (she/her) is a playwright and pop culture critic living in New York. Her nonfiction work has been published at Reactor (formerly Tor.com, where she was previously a staff writer) and in their collection Rocket Fuel, as well as NPR Books and Lit Hub. Her SFF short plays have been performed at geek theater festivals in New York City and elsewhere; her immersive romantasy play Garters premiered at Chicago's Otherworld Theatre Company during Pride 2024. She has been a writer-in-residence with the Amtrak Residency and is an alum of Viable Paradise 2025. Find her online @zutsuit (Bluesky/Instagram) and @nataliezutter (Twitter).
December 19, 2025 at 4:31 AM
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We have another beautiful teaser that you are shore to like! 🌊Today, it’s from G.J. Brillante’s short fiction piece, “A Song of Silence for the Mother of Grendel.”
Black and white image of rocks next to water with a paint stroke shaped photo of a woman underwater, both have white text over it. The text says “What honor is there to be had when your title is ‘Monster?’” The quote is from the story “A Song of Silence for the Mother of Grendel” by G.J. Brillante Black and white image of rocks next to water with white text over it. The text says “G.J. Brillante is a warrior of words (aka a writer) and a bookdragon with a BA in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She has had a short story and a poem published in a zine. When she's not wandering in faraway worlds, she can be found playing with her dogs or crocheting. To read more of her work, you can visit her Instagram at gjb.creates.”
December 18, 2025 at 3:43 AM
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Whale hello there! 🐳 We have another teaser for you all today, this time from Muze’s (@muzetrigger.bsky.social) flash fiction piece, "Rain."
Blue ocean wave image underwater image with a faded paint stroke shape of a woman swimming in the ocean looking behind her, both have white text over it. The text says “What a question. To ask if it would all be over, if you would be welcomed and embraced, if the depths were really as pure as the sun made them seem or as dark as the rain whispered.” The quote is from the story “Rain” by Muze. Blue ocean wave image underwater image with white text over it. The text says “Nathan Chu (Muze) (they/them) is a fiction editor at the Portland Review and a grad student at Portland State University. When not writing, reading, or sleeping, they enjoy cooking, flailing around on the bass guitar, and practicing Japanese. They have words in Space Wizard Press, the House of Long Shadows, and Fiction on the Web. You can find them on Bluesky @muzetrigger.bsky.social where they post the fantasy flash series #DiaryOfNana.”
December 17, 2025 at 1:55 AM
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We’re thrilled to announce The Icarus Writing Collective Issue 04 publishes THIS SATURDAY 12/20! To kick off the celebration, here is a teaser of the flash fiction piece “Under the Water of the Lake” by Edward Daschle.
Green underwater image with white text over it. The text says “But it was more than the chill of his skin and the strange way he was talking, it was his smell too that triggered something deep in me. He smelled not of sweat, as I might’ve expected, but of the lake, of the reeds and mud.” The quote is from the story “Under the Water of the Lake” by Edward Daschle Green underwater image with white text over it. The text says “Edward Daschle (he/him) is a queer writer living in Maryland. He has attended Clarion Workshop and Disquiet Workshop, and earned his MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland, where he now teaches. His stories appear in Apex Magazine’s Robotic Ambitions anthology, After Dinner Conversation - “Best of 2023” anthology, and Washington Writers’ Publishing House among other venues.”
December 16, 2025 at 2:16 AM
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Issue 04: Currents is well into development 🌊 While we're aiming for a mid-December publication date, we thought we'd step back for a moment and share some of the books we turned to for inspiration for this issue!
The Sea Gives Up the Dead by Molly Olguín, published by Red Hen Press. "Historical fiction, horror, and fantasy tangle together in a queer garden of love, grief, and longing." Editor's Rating 4 out of 5 Stars Treasury of Folklore: Seas & Rivers by DeeDee Chainey and William Winsham, published by Batsford. "Watery hopes, fears, and dreams are shared by all peoples where rivers flow and waves crash." Editor's rating 3.5 out of 5 stars. The Slavic Myths by Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak, published by Thames and Hudson. "...experyly weave together the ancient stories with nuanced analysis to illuminate their place at the heart of Slavic tradition." Editor's rating 4.5 out of 5 stars. Katabasis by R. F. Kuang, published by Harper Collins. "Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld." Editor's rating 4 out of 5 stars.
November 26, 2025 at 4:36 PM