Tag / free

by Warren Benedetto

“The Salt Circle” published in Moonday Mag

My weird fiction story The Salt Circle has been published in the latest issue of Moonday Mag. It’s a like a werewolf story, but with slugs. Yeah.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Linda said, wiping at her nose with a soggy, crumpled tissue. “I’m worried about you.”

I extended my eye stalks toward her, giving her what I hoped was a look of indignation. I couldn’t believe she was trying to spin it like it was my fault. “If you didn’t want me to get hurt, maybe you shouldn’t have been so quick to deploy the chemical weapons.”

She waved her tissue with a dismissive gesture. “It’s just a little salt.”

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “A Sinking Feeling” on the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast

The audio production of my underwater horror story A Sinking Feeling is now available to listen to for free on the Ocean Horror Stories: Part 1 episode of the Lunatics Radio Hour. It’s the story of two survivors trapped in an air pocket in a sunken ship at the bottom of the ocean. And they’re not alone.

Content warning: child neglect

My story starts around the 23:00 mark.

by Warren Benedetto

“Arrivals at Hope Station Have Been Indefinitely Postponed” makes Stupefying Stories’ Top 10 of 2024

My dark sci-fi story Arrivals at Hope Station Have Been Indefinitely Postponed is one of the Top 10 Stories of 2024 on Stupefying Stories. It’s framed as an urgent announcement on an interdimensional travel platform.

Attention, Travelers. Due to circumstances entirely within our control—but beyond our collective will to change—all arrivals at Hope Station have been indefinitely postponed, and the Station is now closed. Travelers entering the Station should abandon Hope and proceed to the exits immediately.

This story was published back in February, so I am pleased to announce that—as of July 21—Hope Station has resumed service.

by Warren Benedetto

“Uncle Pumpkin’s Tongue” published in 7th Circle Pyrite

My Halloween horror story, Uncle Pumpkin’s Tongue, has been published in Issue 5 of 7th Circle Pyrite. It’s about a Halloween carnival ride with a sinister secret.

I wish I had warned someone about Uncle Pumpkin. Maybe I could have stopped him. Maybe I could have saved those poor kids. But until recently, I had no memory of the man at all. It was only after the bodies of the missing children were found—one boy still clutching a deflated pumpkin balloon in his shriveled, blackened hand—that I remembered what happened that night. And I realized that one of those kids could have been me.

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “A Piece of the Sky” on The Lost Poetry Club podcast

The audio production of my dark sci-fi story A Piece of the Sky has been released as part of The Lost Poetry Club podcast’s inaugural episode, The Chronicle. Almost all of my stories have been produced as audio versions, and I can confidently say that this is one of the best. It’s not just a narrator reading the story—it’s an actor performing the story as a monologue, and it is extraordinary.

The story is told through the testimony of the surviving member of a two-person asteroid mining crew that picked up an unfortunate souvenir during their expedition.

Content warning: gore

My story starts right around the 38:00 mark.

by Warren Benedetto

Listen to “Troubleshooting Your American” on the Blood & Jazz podcast

My dark sci-fi piece Troubleshooting Your American is now available on the Blood & Jazz Podcast by The Last Girls Club. It’s a user’s guide for any non-corporeal artificial intelligence entity having trouble with its American(TM) model Meatslave.

To ensure proper functioning, it is necessary for your American to remain in a state of heightened emotional distress so that base instincts such as fear, anger, and despair continuously override any rational thought. These negative emotions keep your American compliant and susceptible to the influence of your Algorithm.

This guide will help you debug common issues with your American. Please note that it is normal for Americans to behave erratically from time to time.

Do not contact Customer Service until you have tried these solutions.