SF/F/H zine of Nebula nommed/winning & Hugo-nommed fiction, Ignyte-winning Submission Grinder, Long List Anthology. 

Diabolical Plots was founded by David Steffen in 2008 to serve as some kind of web presence as he started to get his foothold as a writer, publishing a variety of nonfiction content like interviews, reviews, convention reports, and more. 

Anthony Sullivan joined forces with David in 2009 and helped (among other things) to revamp the website. Diabolical Plots started publishing original fiction in 2015 and continues to publish original fiction. 

In 2020, Diabolical Plots published “Open House On Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell which was nominated for the Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards, among others. 

The ultimate ranking of the world's liveliest indie literary magazines, curated by author and editor Charlie Fish. These are the passion projects; the kaleidoscopic cutting edge.

FISH List of Lively Indie Literary Magazines 2025

FISH List of Lively Indie Literary Magazines 2026

Looking for balance between prestige and accessibility? These magazines are competitive but attainable for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writers.

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Looking for a balance between prestige and accessibility? These literary magazines are in the sweet spot — competitive but attainable for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writers.

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Explore the all-time most competitive fiction literary magazines. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

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Explore the most competitive fiction literary magazines this year. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

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Uncover the most competitive literary magazines this year. These are the publications where getting published is a significant achievement for any writer.

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Explore the all-time most competitive speculative fiction literary magazines. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

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Explore the most competitive speculative fiction literary magazines this year. These magazines are revered in the fiction world for their editorial rigor.

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Check out the all-time most popular fiction literary magazines. These publications have a long-standing reputation for quality fiction.

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Check out the all-time most popular speculative fiction literary magazines. These publications have a long-standing reputation for quality speculative fiction.

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Looking for a balance between prestige and accessibility? These speculative fiction magazines are in the sweet spot—competitive but attainable for writers.

Speculative Fiction Magazines in the Sweet Spot

Looking for a balance between prestige and accessibility? These speculative fiction magazines are in the sweet spot — competitive but attainable for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writers.

Diabolical Plots

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