At Length is a series where we surface posts by writers on Substack that are not only worth reading, but worth returning to again and again. We pick a theme and recommend a few posts that speak to that theme in a memorable way. Our goal is to shine a spotlight on emerging writers and introduce readers to more independent writers who are hiding in plain sight.
This week we invited Elle Griffin, the author of The Novelleist, to curate At Length. Substack has a growing number of fiction authors who are serializing their books. Elle is closely tracking this trend and serializing her own novel on Substack. She shares a selection of her favorite fictional stories, and why she chose them.
Join us: Elle Griffin and the Substack community team will host a Spotlight On: Fiction event for writers on Wednesday, June 30th.
Sasha Chapin
The Very Modern Vampire, Chapter One
Imagine Interview with a Vampire meets the Andy Samberg movie Palm Springs – that’s what this campy vampire novel by Sasha Chapin feels like! Not only does the author mingle vampire lore with modernity, but it’s also rich with the sort of irreverent philosophy of existence that can only come from being alive 750 years. Read more.
K.B. Bailey
Something Deep: A Subnautical Thriller
Something Deep is set in a utopian future and there’s a strange mystery afoot. In the first chapter, we meet a scientist who has been accepted to work in a prestigious underwater lab at the bottom of the ocean – only the head scientist is something of a loose cannon, and his motives aren’t as altruistic as they seem. Read more.
Zoe Harrington
The Water, Humming: Chapter One
The Water, Humming follows a little boy playing with his mom's jewelry at the bottom of a swimming pool, but we soon realize something about the family dynamic isn't quite right. Read more.
Mike V.
The Weirdy Wordy No. 22: May 26th
The Weirdy Wordy is the official newspaper for the fictional town of Oddland. Each issue is filled with (somehow relatable) absurdity that will make you laugh out loud. The May 26, 2021 issue chronicles a heating malfunction which caused the city’s underground bunker to become flooded with popcorn, the banning of spellbooks after a recent wave of “wizard-crime,” and the institution of “home cubicles” for a better working from home experience. Read more.
Join us: Elle Griffin and the Substack community team will host a Spotlight On: Fiction event on Wednesday, June 30th.
Have you read a post by a fellow Substack writer recently that you enjoyed? Let us know!
Fiction, At Length: Vampires, Scientists, and Wizards