Space and Time: Jan 2027 No. 157: Read the Hidden Script Space & Time Free Tip Jar Option

Submit November 2–9, 2026, for publication in January 2027.
Theme: Read the Hidden Script

Submit during November for publication in January. Space & Time reads submissions two months ahead of the issue month.

Submission window: November 2–9, 2026
Deadline: November 9 at 11:59 p.m. Rio time (UTC-3)
Publication issue: January 2027, No. 157

Read the Hidden Script

Who wrote the rules your characters live by? What happens when they imagine another way?

For our January issue, we’re seeking speculative flash fiction and poetry that explore the hidden scripts shaping identity, belonging and possibility. These might be inherited beliefs, assigned roles, family expectations, social systems or stories so familiar that nobody thinks to question them.

Imagine a different interpretation, an unexpected choice, or a world in which those rules can be rewritten. It can be a prophecy someone refuses to fulfill, a machine that exposes an invisible assumption, a monster who discovers another role beyond the one humanity assigned it. It’s up to you to reimagine it.

Bring us horror, science fiction, fantasy and work that crosses those boundaries. We welcome wonder, unease, humor and difficult questions. We don’t require a lesson, a happy ending or a complete transformation. We want work that makes another possibility imaginable.

This issue begins We Can Write It, our shared 2027 exploration of agency and transformation. Through our Recognize, Reimagine, Build and Become framework, we’ll explore how we can write/right our own stories of transformation, then help shape the world we share. Space & Time brings these unified themes into Reimagine, through speculative fiction and poetry.

The world is a rough draft. Write it better.

What to submit

• Speculative flash fiction of up to 1,000 words.
• Poetry of up to 35 lines, in any form or style.
• One story or poem per submission.
• Work with a strong voice, atmosphere and imagination. Experimentation and genre-blending are welcome.

We also welcome submissions in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian for English translation.

Manuscript preparation

Please use standard Shunn electronic manuscript formatting and include your name and email address in the manuscript.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw it promptly through Duosuma.

Payment and contributor copies

• Fiction: $10 flat per accepted story, up to 1,000 words, paid upon acceptance.
• Poetry: $5 per accepted poem.
• Contributors receive a digital copy of the issue.
• Each magazine contributor may purchase one print contributor copy at cost.

Payment is made through PayPal. Where PayPal is unavailable, alternative arrangements may be considered by agreement, including promotional credit. Contributors are responsible for providing a viable payment method.

Rights

Space & Time purchases first print and electronic publication rights. All rights revert to the author after publication.

How to submit

Submit through Duosuma: https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/space-and-time-nDoUw

More information: spaceandtime.net