ACT OF GOD
A Disaster Horror Anthology
There is no monster in a flood. No motive in a wildfire. No malice in an earthquake… and no mercy, either. That’s the horror of natural disasters: the ground opens, the water rises, the sky takes on an ominous hue, and none of it is for you or against you. It simply doesn’t know you’re there.
Wicked Shadow Press is looking for fiction that lives inside that indifference and doesn’t flinch from it. Floods, quakes, wildfires, blizzards, volcanoes, storms that haven’t been named yet, sinkholes opening under houses that stood for hundreds of years…
The submission deadline is July 30, 2026.
Feel free to come up with your own storyline or get started with one of our WRITING PROMPTS:
- During renovations of a decrepit Gothic mansion in an English countryside, a massive quake opens up a sealed-off underground section, with secrets buried aeons ago.
- After Mrs. Williams lost her family and house to a tornado, she waits out every storm alert in her town’s storm shelter, replaying the night she lost it all, over and over again in her head.
- As Vesuvius erupts, a man who believes himself to be the worst person in Pompeii, tries to escape the city by bribing, murdering and stomping his way out. But can he outrun the fire & lava?
- The legendary pirate believes that the map to the fountain of youth is correct, but they must traverse the treacherous devil’s triangle, where ships are swallowed whole by a storm that is rumoured to be alive!
- A poacher chasing a baby deer accidentally sets off a wildfire when he fails to stub his cigarette properly. As the fire fumes and rages, trapping him, he blames it all on the baby deer and vows to hunt it even if the fire ends up consuming him.
- A sudden solar storm, causing a long blackout, communications collapse and grotesque auroras in the sky, coincides with the apocalyptic predictions of a cult leader, causing chaos in their commune.
All subgenres welcome. The story must feature a natural disaster in a prominent manner.
WE ARE ACCEPTING
Short Stories: (between 1500-8000 words) Please send no more than ONE fiction
Flash Fiction: (between 100-1500 words) Please send no more than TWO flash fictions
We are considering TRANSLATED WORKS as well. Submission of translated works must be accompanied by a statement declaring that the translator has obtained the author’s permission and their publisher’s, if required.
Simultaneous Submissions are welcome but the author must inform us by e-mail as soon as the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere. Pieces cannot be withdrawn once Wicked Shadow Press informs the author of its acceptance for publication.
We consider reprints but generally do not publish them unless they are exceptional. Please mention in the mail body in case your submission is a reprint.
At present, we are unable to pay our contributors. Each contributor shall receive a COMPLIMENTARY DIGITAL COPY of the anthology as soon as it publishes.
Manuscripts should directly be sent to WickedAnthology@gmail.com
Please write Submission for ACT OF GOD in the subject line of your submission email.
Please submit your files in the following formats: .doc /.docx /.txt. DO NOT submit PDFs.
Wicked Shadow Press uses non exclusive rights to publish in its anthologies. Authors are free to republish their work anywhere else once it has been published.
Please submit only original pieces. Wicked Shadow Press or the editor/s of the anthology shall not be responsible for any disputes arising due to plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Each piece MUST be attached with a short bio of the author, preferably within 100 words, and if possible, a photograph of the author to go along with publication.
NOTE: We typically reply within a month after receiving submissions. However, replies can be delayed under unforeseen circumstances.
