Dear reader,

The leaves are turning, the weather cooling, and haunts begin to populate the air. Candyce Byrne has turned in a fabulous fall issue with just the right number of ghosts, nostalgia, and fear to get us in the mood for October—without ever forgetting that the tech future belongs to NewMyths every bit as much as mythical fancy.

In Southern California, fall also means fire season. I wrote “Fire Bugs” after the Cedar Fire destroyed over six hundred homes in my hometown—a third of the total. Although my family lost neither home nor barn, the fire swept across our family farm, turning its orchards and fields into a Mordor-like wasteland. You will find it in the fiction section. Writing the story was cathartic. Its satirical humor helped secure the Cedar Fire firmly in my past, while teaching careful readers about some of the obstacles undermining efforts to take preventative action. 

“Fire Bugs” also marked a major turning point in my career, as I used it as my application story to the six-week residency at the Odyssey Writing Workshop. I look at Odyssey as the pivot when I went from being a skilled amateur to a “semi-pro.” After that program, I sold every short story that I wrote save one. (“The Constitution” was patriotic at a time when patriotism wasn’t cool. It did, however, win an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future Award.)

Things have come full circle, as Odyssey’s director Jeanne Cavelos has announced that Odyssey will publish an anthology in partnership with NewMyths. Submissions will only be open to past or current Odyssey students. We haven’t worked out all the details yet, but we do know 1) it will be a themed anthology, and 2) submissions will open on January 1, 2026.

As always, thank you for your support. Stay strong!

Scott T. Barnes—editor and founder