Submissions Deadline: 4th October 2026
Flame Tree Fiction are currently looking for stories to feature in two of their upcoming anthologies: Icarus & Pandora, which are both part of our Myths, Gods & Immortals series.
A few details:
- Stories should be around 2000 to 4000 words.
- Flame Tree pay SFWA rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word.
- Anthologies are published in beautiful, foiled hardback editions, distributed globally.
Flame Tree: Icarus
He is famous for flying too close to the sun, but what else do we know about Icarus? Son of master craftsman Daedalus, he is inextricably linked to the myth of the labyrinth, Theseus and the minotaur. But he does not play the role of hero, merely of a boy who succumbs to hubris, high-flying ambition or weakness in the face of dizzying heights, depending on your interpretation. Mentioned only fleetingly by various classical writers, this character nonetheless possesses strong moral and psychological symbolism that has inspired art and literature throughout the mediaeval, Renaissance and modern periods.
Now it is your turn to investigate and extrapolate his possible stories, whether following his path in the mythological era, reinterpreting him for today’s world or setting him in an imagined future, whether literally ‘Icarus’ or metaphorically so. We seek original stories riffing on the theme.
See here for full Terms and Conditions.
Flame Tree: Pandora
Forever identified with the box – or more accurately, jar – that unleashed all the horrors in the world, Pandora is the archetypal first woman of Greek myth. According to Hesiod, she was the ‘beautiful evil’ that set the precedent for all women to follow. Pandora was devised by Zeus (in punishment on mortals for the gift of fire by Prometheus), moulded from clay by Hephaestus and endowed with gifts from other gods. She herself was presented as a gift – and a curse.
Variously interpreted through the ages as an act of mild naivety, insatiable curiosity, or malicious intent, Pandora’s opening of the jar and the nature of its contents have often reflected attitudes and beliefs of the times. We’re looking for stories that give voice to the character of Pandora, explore wider events, motives and consequences, or imagine alternative settings and modern equivalents.
See here for full Terms and Conditions.
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