Portfolio of SJ's short stories

Neon Fly (2021)

Published in Chlorophobia by Ghost Orchid Press, an anthology of eco-horror, edited by A. R. Ward.




Hag Stone (2021) & Stealing Their Future (2021)

Published in Trapped, an anthology of horror edited by Dorothy Davies.


We Still Don't Use The Garage (2021)

Short story, winner of the Secret Attic short story contest.

Published by Secret Attic - now closed.

Reprinted by Bandit Fiction.

How to Read a Woman (2022)

Published by Gravestone Press (2022) in Eyes.

Reprinted in That is too Wrong! By Black Hart Press (2022).

Warm Hugs (2021)

Published by Bristol Noir Magazine online.

Empty Nest (2021)

First published by Horla Horror (now closed).

Reprinted by Gravestone Press (2021) in Previously Used.


Sick Girl Screams (2021)

Published online by Punk Noir.


Every Cloud (2021)

First published by Bandit Fiction online.

Reprinted by Gravestone Press (2022) - date tbc.

Love Letters (2021)

Published by Black Petals online.


Such a Gripping Read (2021) & The Halloween Party (2021)

Both published by GSP in Dipping into Blood.


Visiting Grandad (2021)

Published by GSP in Monstrous Tales Volume 1.

Lamb in Wolf's Clothing (2021)

Published in Trapped, edited by Dorothy Davies.

Roped Off (2021)

Published by Ellipsis Zine in Life Safari. Paperback available here.

One Hot Deadly Month of Summer (2022)

Published by Fiction4All in Monstrous Tales Volume 3 - Sept 2022.

Garden Path (July 2022)

Published by The Vanishing Point - The Vanishing Point volume 4.

Joy (2021)

Winner of the 2021 Tortive Lit 1001 word story Chiasmus Competition.


Published on Horror Tree by Trembling With Fear.

The Russian Doll Ban (2022) & The Hole (2022) & Thick Skin (2022)

Published by Gravestone Press in Rainy Days Volume 1 - date tbc.

Gurgle (2022)

Published by Gravestone Press - date tbc.

One Lie for One Soul (2021)

Published by Castaigne Publishing and Gravely Unusual Magazine in In the Shadow of the Horns - an anthology of black metal horror.

Labourers Wanted (2021)

Published by Brigids Gate Press in Musings of the Muses.

Ghosted (2022)

Published by Brigids Gate Press in a Medusa-themed anthology of horror Sarpendon's Daughter- date tbc.

Love Spells Changes (2022)

Published in Changes by Gravestone Press (2022).

Juliet, Juliet (2022)

Published by Ghost Orchid Press in Beyond the Veil.

The Beauty Parlour (2021)

Runner up in HG Wells Short Story contest (2021).

Published in HG Wells short story competition anthology Mask.

Reprinted by Timber Ghost Press in Dead Stars and Stone Arches, available for pre-order now.

Escher's Tree House (2022)

Published by Ghost Orchid Press in A Very Ghostly Christmas - December 2022.

Diving Boots, Land-Locked Town/Christingle Service (2022)

Published in Dark Secrets by Madhouse Books - date tbc.

Black Metal in a White Room

Published by Gravestone Press in Hunted - Aug 2022.

Reprinted by Sunbury Press in The Darkened Doorstep - date tbc.

This Echo Chamber Life (2022)

Published by Penumbric Speculative Fiction - date tbc.

I Pull My Blanket Up Tight Beneath My Chin (2022)

Published by Night Terror Novels in Nerve Janglers: Thirteen Tales of Terror (coming soon).

A Piece Missing (2022)

Published by Dark Matter Magazine in their 2022 Halloween edition (coming soon).

https://darkmattermagazine.com/authors/s-j-townend/

The Haze-On Lady (2022)

Published in Freedom by Gravestone Press (June 2022).

The Cool Kids (2022)

Published on www.anotherealm.com - coming soon (Halloween 2022).

5 things that will outlive me (2021)

Published online by Hash Journal

It's Not All About The Five Knuckle Shuffle (Sept 2022)

Published by Three Cousins Publishing and West Mesa Press in Are You A Robot?

All the Parts of a Mermaid that I Can Recall (2023)

To be published by Dark Matter Ink / Dark Matter Magazine in Monstrous Futures (date tbc).