FEBRUARY 2026
We’re now publishing quarterly!
Illuminations of the Fantastic will now be publishing 4 issues a year.
Writing opportunities
We currently have several writing opportunities open:
The Sonnet Corner is open to all who wish to try their hand at the form.
The Short Alliterative Poem — for the lovers of medieval alliterative poetry, this is a unique opportunity.
Short Stories — we will be opening submissions for our Fall and Winter issues. TBA.
All the rules and relevant information can be found on our About page here.
Preview of Issues 18 - 21 …
Issue No. 18 — Feb. 15th, 2026
— Philip J. Palacios, Nathan Gilmore, and Samuel J. Stephens offer three spooky tales for your enjoyment.
Issue No. 19 — April 2026
— a splendid bouquet of fantasy and science fiction tales by new and returning writers.
Issue No. 20 — July 2026
— Medievalist Eleanor Parker’s essay explores Tolkien’s fascination with the Battle of Maldon; we continue the epic verse journeys of Stephens, Poss, Carpenter, and Taylor.
Issue No. 21 — November 2026
— a bouquet of tales in a variety of styles by authors new and returning.
Editorial Staff’s Favorite Short Stories
SAM’S STANDARD AND RARE FINDS LIST
"The Million Pound Note" by Mark Twain
"The Young Man With the Tarts" (Suicide Club #1) by Robert Louis Stevenson
"The Garden of Smoke" by G.K. Chesterton
"The Queen of Spades" Alexander Pushkin
"The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane
"The Turkish Bath" by Anthony Trollope
"Mrs. Brumby" by Anthony Trollope
"A Foreign Office Romance" by Arthur Conan Doyle
"Leaf by Niggle" by J.R.R. Tolkien
"The Tale of Satampra Zeiros" by Clark Ashton Smith
PHILIP’S 10 FAVORITES LIST
“Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Dunwich Horror” H. P. Lovecraft
“The House of Sphinx” by Lord Dunsany
“Kaleidoscope” by Ray Bradbury
“Come Lady Death” by Peter S. Beagle
“The Griffin and the Minor Canon” by Frank Stockton
“Chess Story” by Stefan Zweig
“N.” By Stephen King
“The Corner Shop” by Lady Cynthia Asquith
NATHAN’S STANDOUTS LIST
“Just Lather, That’s All”— Hernando Tellèz
“Sandkings”— George RR Martin
“Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman”— Harlan Ellison
“The Most Dangerous Game”— Richard Connell
“The Nine Billion Names of God”— Arthur C. Clarke
“I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”— Harlan Ellison
“The Cats of Ulthar”— H.P. Lovecraft
“Dagon”— H.P. Lovecraft
“The Half-Skinned Steer”- E. Annie Proulx
“Terrarium”— Diana Massengale
DIANA'S HARDFOUGHT LIST
“The Sandkings” by George RR Martin
“The Ballad of the Sad Cafe” by Carson McCullers
“The Hunter's Wife” by Anthony Doerr
“The Child” by Octavia Butler
“Valentine” by Tessa Hadley
“On the Ride to Heaven” by Roald Dahl
“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl
“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury
“Fairness” by Chinelo Okparanta
“Bitterblooms” by George RR Martin
Most Read IF Stories Of All Time (2020—2025)
MOST READ NON-FICTION PIECES — TOP 10
Lang’s Dr. Mabuse: Two Film Reviews — film review and analysis
Tolkien’s Sigurd and Gudrun Sources — Tolkien / literary essay
An Inklings Christmas — literary essay / Tolkien / C.S. Lewis
MOST-READ FICTION & SHORT STORIES — TOP 10
MOST READ POETRY — TOP 10
