Stories available to read for free until 30 September 2026

Come on in, the water’s lovely!

What, that? No, don’t worry about that. It’s already eaten today. Probably. Sure, the depths are dark and unknowable but we evolved from the sea – we should feel at home in its watery embrace.

I know it feels like tentacles grabbing at your ankles, but it’s probably just kelp or something. Ignore him, splashing over there – he’s just showing off. We’ll keep the shoreline in sight, we’ll be fine. The human body is what, 70% water, anyway? What could possibly go wrong?

These stories come from a range of authors from different countries. The original spelling as submitted by each author has been retained, and therefore some regional variation in spelling is present.

CONTENT NOTE: The stories contain violence, sex and sexual references, themes, general weirdness and language that some readers may find objectionable.

Bigger Fish

by Isabelle Nygren

Keep the Light Burning

by Felix Lilly

Lowest Dark

by S. T. Talbot

Lost Lake

by Troy Tradup

Weekend Getaway

by Jayme Antrim

Home Again

by S. M. Davis

If you like what you read here and want to support the work we’re doing at Kilter & Rammel, we have a Ko-fi account! All donations/tips are very much appreciated, and will be put straight back into the pot for further volumes of Fun in the Dark.

If you fancy a little extra fun, including an introduction by our editor, Alex and a bonus story by our wonderful guest reader, Hokunani Sorci, you can buy the full anthology via the following links:

Amazon UK | Amazon USA | Kobo | Gumroad | Ko-fi