“Roots. The point of origin, the source of life. Buried in earth and history, they are links to the unseen. Roots can crack stone and carry messages; they can bind us to solid ground or trip us up and send us sprawling. The 2025 Parsec Short Story Contest welcomes science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that include all types of roots: family legends, genetic inheritance, plant-like aliens, root directories, symbiotic mycorrhizal systems . . . you get the idea.
Convey the theme through setting, plot, characters, dialogue; the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing.
Please note: We do not wish to see stories written by AI! We trust you to honor this request. Any submissions known to be created using AI will be automatically disqualified. (Use of spell check and voice-to-text dictation tools are unobjectionable.)”
More info: https://parsec-sff.org/short-story-contest/
Founded by three publishing professionals in 2015, Littsburgh showcases Pittsburgh as a hub of literary talent and activity while serving as a resource to foster further collaboration and connection within Pittsburgh’s vibrant literary community.
Littsburgh is a passion project and has been since inception.
Because we’re self-powered, we’ve been able to continue promoting literary Pittsburgh without having to compromise our vision or our mission — and without having to close up shop because of lack of funding. Our goal is for Littsburgh to be here for the long haul… and we’re only getting bigger and better every year!
As our audience has grown, however, so have our operating costs: hosting is increasingly expensive, spreading the word about literary Pittsburgh to our readers via social media channels requires paid “boosts,” and we’re investing literally hundreds of volunteer hours into the site every year.
With a small donation, one time or (even better!) recurring, you can help ensure that Littsburgh continues to grow and thrive.
Help us spread the word about literary Pittsburgh!
PITTSBURGH, PA (March 2025) – The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books will turn a new page this year, with an Read more
Loretto, PA. March 10, 2025 — The WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® is pleased to announce Deep and Wild: Read more
ALL SKATE: True Stories from Middle Life is a series of musings from one mid-life woman, wife, and mother on what Read more
Johnstown, PA – Mark your calendars! The Learning Lamp proudly presents the return of the Children’s Book Festival, celebrating its Read more
What inspired you to write Good in Theory? My inspiration for Good in Theory came from so many different places. Read more
"The first annual Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl will be happening May 10 - 18, 2025. The crawl will cover nine Read more
"We believe that art brings people together. The Bridge Literary Arts Center is dedicated to the prosperity of literature, language, Read more
"The Writers Association of Northern Appalachia (WANA) will host its fall conference September 19-20 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Read more
"Gregg Hurwitz is the author of the New York Times-bestselling Orphan X novels. Critically acclaimed, his novels have been international Read more
"Thom Palmer’s richly imagined first novel offers a hilarious yet bittersweet examination of food, art, and love..." From the Publisher: "When Read more
The WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® recently announced the shortlist for its Book of the Year. "This year's shortlist Read more
The 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference is coming your way! Registration is now open for the three-day conference at the Pittsburgh Read more
From August 7 – 10, PulpFest will be returning to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Read more
About the Author: Israel Centeno was born in 1958 in Caracas, Venezuela, and currently lives in Pittsburgh, he is a Read more
"Our annual flagship conference, this year featuring keynote speaker Sarah Elaine Smith, poet and author of the acclaimed novel Marilou Read more
“I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down and neither will young readers. Girl power at its finest.” —Sharon G. Read more
From Judith R. Robinson, a Pittsburgh poet and artist who was recently awarded 1st prize for her poem “A Stream Read more
From the Publisher: "When a mysterious woman blackmails Vic and Em into leaving our world through The Door in the Read more
A Thrilling Lost Chapter of Mob Rule From the Publisher: "Western Pennsylvania’s New Kensington was in the grips of Mafia Read more
"To those of us who have always suspected that our cats understand our words more than they let on, The Read more