Farthest Star Publishing announces submissions for a new anthology

Farthest Star Publishing is thrilled to announce our next anthology project—an invitation to explore the unknown, ignite your imagination, and push the boundaries of speculative fiction. We're calling on storytellers once again to bring us their most daring, thought-provoking, and unforgettable tales. Whether your vision lies among the stars, beneath the earth, or within the deepest recesses of the human mind, this is your moment.

Call for Submissions – SMOKELESS: Worlds Without Gunpowder

A trigger is pulled. Nothing happens.

A war begins—without cannons, without gunfire, without explosions.

SMOKELESS invites you to craft stories set in worlds where gunpowder never existed or has mysteriously ceased to function. How has history diverged? What new weapons and strategies take the place of bullets and bombs? What forces—scientific, magical, or cosmic—are responsible for this shift?

We’re seeking gripping science fiction, fantasy, and horror tales that embrace the challenge of a world without combustion-based warfare. Whether it’s near-future militaries forced to fight with bow and blade, a steampunk society built on clockwork propulsion, an urban fantasy where magic is the fuel, an Eldritch horror that’s hands-on, or a dystopian world where a sudden loss of firepower alters the balance of power overnight, we want to see how characters and civilizations adapt to a world gone SMOKELESS.

Stipulations for Submission

For your story to be considered, it must adhere to the following prohibitions:

❌ No gunpowder – Firearms, artillery, and gunpowder-based weapons cannot function or have never existed.

❌ No high explosives – TNT, dynamite, plastique, and other combustion-based explosives are off-limits.

❌ No atomic power – Fission and fusion are not part of this world.

❌ No internal combustion – No gas-powered engines, no diesel, no jet fuel.

What We’re Not Looking For

Certain sub-genres won’t be a good fit for SMOKELESS, particularly those set in time periods or settings where explosives wouldn’t be expected:

⚔️ Sword & Sorcery – Worlds where magic and melee combat dominate without need for an absence of gunpowder.

🛡️ Medieval Fantasy (Arthurian-style) – If it looks like traditional medieval Europe, it’s not quite right for us.

🌿 Folk Horror (Ancient & Medieval Settings) – If the setting predates gunpowder naturally, there’s no contrast to explore.

📜 Historical Science Fiction (Pre-Renaissance) – We want worlds where gunpowder should exist but doesn’t, or where its loss is a crisis.

What We Want

Stories that take this premise and run with it. What does warfare, policing, crime, rebellion, or even industry look like without combustion-driven power? What hidden forces could be responsible for a world SMOKELESS? Your story could be a political thriller, a desperate survival tale, a mind-bending mystery, or an existential horror piece. The only limit is your imagination.

Light the fuse—if you dare.

Submissions start Sunday, April 13, 2025 and continue until August 1, 2025. Check our Submissions page for details on how to submit!