Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

SFFH Author

Hello! I'm Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, an ace/aro & ADHD/autistic non-binary author from Minnesota.I'm the author of several short story collections and the novella The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt. I've had short stories published in such fine venues as Lightspeed, Fireside, Nightmare, Apex, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Escape Pod, Uncanny, and more. "This Is Not A Wardrobe Door" was a Nebula Awards finalist story in 2017, and in 2025, I was part of the writing team who won the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing for A Death In Hyperspace. I've had multiple stories reprinted in several different Year's Best anthologies, including Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by John Joseph Adams & others.Some of my interests include anything about robots, dinosaurs, video games (yell with me about Mass Effect, Dishonored, DOOM, Dragon Age, and many more!), photography, and spoiling my goblins cats. They are frequently the subject of social media posts.

Feel free to contact me via the web form; if you'd like to receive updates, writing thoughts, and freebies, sign up for my newsletter as well.Pronouns: they/them/theirs.Thanks for stopping by!

Looking for the [RECORDED] Anthology Guidelines? 👀 ⬇️

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

Bibliography

Current list of published short fiction available online or in anthologies.

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

About

a white non-binary person with short hair is holding a small orange and white kitten with enormous ears, who is draped over their shoulder [Tater Tot as a baby]

Merc Fenn Wolfmoor is an ace/aro ADHD/autistic non-binary author from Minnesota.Merc is the author of several short story collections and the novella The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt. They have had short stories published in such fine venues as Lightspeed, Fireside, Nightmare, Apex, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Escape Pod, Uncanny, and more.They have been a Nebula Awards Finalist and have had short stories reprinted in several Year's Best anthologies.They are part of the Chipped Cup Collective, of which Robot Dinosaur Press is an imprint division.Merc also enjoys creating book covers.Pronouns: they/them/theirs.
Honorifics: preferably none, but Mx. or Mr. are acceptable if necessary.They are currently not agented. Any rights requests or queries may be directed to Merc either via the contact form or by emailing mercfennwolfmoor [AT] gmail [.] com

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

Contact

Please use this contact form for questions or comments. If you are querying about rights availability, please note that in the subject line. Thank you!

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

Thank you

Your message has been sent.I appreciate hearing from you!

BOOKS

Books are available in ebook and print formats. Click on a title to get information and purchase links!

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© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

cover art for THE WOLF AMONG THE WILD HUNT (a wolf-headed man kneels in a creepy forest) with the text in red and white

Skythulf wants to live. Raised in the fight pits, trained to kill or be killed, he yearns for freedom that's out of reach. He's a scythewulf: a wolf-shifter considered neither fully man nor beast, his life worth nothing to his keepers…until Brennus, knight-champion of Saorlland, rescues him from certain death and offers him a new life.When he mistakenly kills a corrupted nun, Skythulf has one chance to redeem himself and restore his honor. He must run with the Wild Hunt: an age-old trial of blood and courage, where every step hides peril and carnage. If he survives, he will be pardoned. If he fails, Brennus will die brutally at his side.Few have ever returned from the fae-haunted land, where horrors unnamed dwell beside the enchanted and the damned. There is no rest, no relent, and no mercy.In the Wild Hunt, you run or you die.

The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
The Scythewulf Chronicles - Book 1
$6.99 USD | $16.99 USD
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-949936-28-5
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-949936-29-2
Robot Dinosaur Press (2021)

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

Friends For Robots

In this upbeat, positive collection of SFF short stories from Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, author of So You Want to Be A Robot, you'll find hope, humor, friendship—and of course, robots.Have you heard the one about...
...a neural network who wants humans to drink more water?
...a person stranded on Mars with only an obsolete robotic toy?
...a cyborg caught in a time loop with a frightened ship?
...a self-aware mech who doesn't want to be a weapon anymore?
...an AI sent into the deepest part of the ocean—and finds a god?You'll also meet entrepreneurial barbarians, an astronaut making first contact, a boy who might have (accidentally) started Armageddon, magical birds, a bot who wants to tell jokes, and more.Whether you're a robot or not, come make some new friends. :)

Friends For Robots: Short Stories by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
$6.99 USD | $16.99 USD
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-949936-30-8
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-949936-37-7
Robot Dinosaur Press (2021)

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

The Lawless: A Triptych

TRUST IN THE LAW
A Good Citizen follows all the Laws set forth by the benevolent Government. Trust the authority of the State. Questions are against the law.BELIEVE IN THE LAW
The Government cares about you. The Government wants you to be happy. Do not deviate from the Government's prescribed conditions of happiness.OBEY ONLY THE LAW
Never question the Law, for that leads to anarchy. Always obey, lest you be found undesirable. Undesirables do not deserve life. And you, Good Citizen, want to live, don't you?* * *The Lawless: A Triptych collects three interconnected dystopian SF stories, plus a bonus flash fiction piece about the unsettlingly probably near-future United States.

The Lawless: A Triptych by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
$3.99 USD | $13.99 USD
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-949936-36-0
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-949936-46-9
Robot Dinosaur Press (2022)

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

Good Monsters And Friends: Stories

Making friends with monsters is easy—bring them cookies!A young man must find a new reality to live in when his disappears. Birds team up to right the wrongs of classic literature. An android raises baby dinosaurs after the human world ends. Grandma reveals how she invented intergalactic diplomacy...and more.Good Monsters and Friends collects 33 stories about astronauts and cats, dragons and witches, portals and quests, ghosts and robots, and, of course, all the monsters and their buddies.

Good Monsters and Friends: Stories by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
$2.99 USD | $12.99 USD
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-949936-44-5
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-949936-45-2
Robot Dinosaur Press (2022)

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

© 2026 Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. All rights reserved.

PRESS KIT

This will be a press kit, including bios of different lengths

Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, author photo

SHORT BIO

Merc Fenn Wolfmoor is a queer non-binary writer from Minnesota, where they live with their two cats. Merc is the author of several short story collections and the novella, The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt. They have had short stories published in such fine venues as Lightspeed, Fireside, Nightmare, Apex, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Escape Pod, Uncanny, and more. Visit their website: mercfennwolfmoor.com or follow them on Bluesky: @mercwolfmoor.

MEDIUM BIO

[medium bio]

LONG BIO

[long bio]

[RECORDED]
a found media anthology!

I adore "found footage" horror. I want more found media fiction in my life. That's why I'm editing [RECORDED] — an anthology of found media fiction, to be published in 2026.I'm seeking stories (any genre, horror strongly preferred), told as found media; think stories written as emails, as transcripts from videos, as social media posts, forum threads, audio recordings, whatever. I love it all.No generative AI submissions. Show me your human weird.Want some inspiration? Check out the recommended reading list at the end of this post!

SUBMISSIONS

READING PERIOD: JUNE 15th - 30th 2026Replies will be sent after the reading period closes; you should hear back by the end of July. Please wait to query about your submission until end of July if you have not yet heard back by then. Submissions sent outside of the window will not be read.EMAIL: [will be listed once the reading period opens]FORMAT: Please include your story as an attachment (.rtf, .doc, or .docx only); do not paste the story in the body of the email. No PDFs.
Don't stress the format of the story itself. I prefer a legible font, but as long as I can read it we're good.You do not need to include your mailing address or legal name (if different than your pen name), or your phone number. I'm not going to call or text you.SIM SUBS & MULTI SUBS: Simultaneous submissions are fine! Just let me know if the story is picked up elsewhere as soon as possible.Authors may submit a total of two (2) stories (though I will only accept one per author); please send each submission in a separate email.SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN TO ALL WRITERS (18 or older). I would especially love to see work from newer and/or unpublished writers! (However, I cannot accept stories from persons under 18 years of age. Sorry.)Please don't self-reject!

GUIDELINES FOR [RECORDED]:

LENGTH:
500 words - 3,000 wordsStories must be original and written in English.No reprints will be considered (including Patreon, your blog, audio-only venues, and limited print runs).Translations from other languages into English for the first time are cool! Please make sure the translator and original author are both included in the submission email, and that the rights for translation into English are available. (The payment fee is the same for original English works, and will only be sent do one person—whether translator and original author wish to split the fee is up to those parties.)I'm flexible on the upper end of the short story word count, but the longer the work over the 3k threshold, the harder the sell. Payment remains the same.Genres: horror, science fiction, fantasy, noir, weird—I have a preference for speculative but will read anything as long as it's about found media!I'm looking to buy approximately 5 flash fiction length pieces, and around 10 short story length pieces.

PAYMENT:500 -1,200 paid at a flat rate of $50USD per story.
1,201 - 3,000 words paid at a flat rate of $150USD per story.
Payment will be sent upon acceptance and the return of a counter-signed contract. I can utilize PayPal or Venmo, and I will cover any transaction fees.

RIGHTS:I'm seeking exclusive first world-wide English language print rights for three months upon publication (in order to publish the anthology digitally and in print); non-exclusive print rights to keep the story in the anthology after that, while the book is in print; all other rights belong solely to the author.Author retains full copyright of their own story.You can view a sample contract here.The publication date for the anthology is planned for October 2026. Authors will receive (1) ebook copy and (1) print copy when [RECORDED] is published.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Use the email address (above) when the submission window opens. You will not get an automated reply; please do not query about your submission unless you have not heard back after the end of July.Cover letters should be simple at to the point—don't summarize your story. You can address them to "Dear Merc" or "Dear editor" or skip the greeting entirely. It's all good. (Don't address me as "ms/miss/mz," however.)In the subject line, please use this format: SUBMISSION: (Story Title), Author Name — with the actual title of your story and your name, of course.In the body of your email, list the story title, length, and include your name and email address.If you are an unpublished author, feel free to note that too! (Credits are fine if you wanna list them, but they will not influence the decision in any way.)

WHAT DO I WANT?

I wanna see weird formats and interesting takes on "found media" — not really looking for standard prose (i.e. a traditional narrative told in first, second, or third person without any kind of additional "found" artifacts) or epistolary-only style works (i.e. a single letter or diary entry) at this time.While I am strongly biased towards horror, any genre is fair game.Here's some things I DO want (followed by some I don't)...

YES, GIMME!

  • Weirdness! I love weird and unhinged ideas.

  • Creepy! Hell yeah. Go for it.

  • Unusual formats? Absolutely. Do note that it needs to be able to work in print (ebook too), but I can absolutely work with you on strange formatting if it serves the story.

  • Other things I dig (but are by no means necessary):

  • - cursed books/movies/art

  • - weird animals (including deer)

  • - unsettling underwater settings

  • - "lost" TV episodes (just make up the show it's from)

  • - glitchy or haunted video games

  • - creepy music/sounds.

  • I also absolutely dig campiness, so don't be shy in leaning into that if it suits your story!

NOPE

  • No excessive gore/violence for the sake of it. We're not doing extreme horror here.

  • No rape/sexual assault on screen. Preferably not at all.

  • No erotica or explicit sexual material. This isn't the market for it.

  • Not interested in stories that focus on exploitation of minors in any form.

  • No child abuse or graphic violence towards children.

  • No fanfiction (i.e. works derived from copyrighted properties or IP).

  • No actual video, audio, or other media content. I will not open any attachments with embedded media.

IT DEPENDS...

  • IF your story contains harm/violence against animals, please include a content note at the start of your document.

  • Real-world bigotry exists but if it features in your story (racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, etc) please denote that in your document or cover letter. It's not an automatic "no", but I'd rather be forewarned—each story will be listed with content notes as applicable in the final anthology.

  • If your idea really, really works as interactive (like hyperlinked or CYOA type "go to page X" type formatting), you're welcome to query me about it. Remember that there will be a print (paperback) version, so no actual hyperlinks will work. But if you have something that otherwise fits, I'm willing to consider it! Email me at the submissions address and use the subject line OTHER FORMAT QUERY. (You're also welcome to just send it as a submission with a note, if you like.)

working cover for the found media anthology, [RECORDED], showing an old-fashioned film camera with gradients of colorful, glitchy overlays

TO SUM UP...

Reading period: JUNE 15th - 30th, 2026 (responses by end of July 2026).

LENGTH: stories from 500-3000 words.

Payment is $50USD for stories between 500-1,200 words | $150USD for stories between 1,201-3000 words.

Simultaneous stories okay. Multiple stories are okay, up to (2) per author—submit each in a separate email.

GENRE: Any genre! Horror preferred. MUST be in a "found media" style/format. (Feel free to get creative!)

Email stories as attachments to: [EMAIL WILL BE POSTED WHEN READING PERIOD OPENS]

No generative AI written work.

All stories must be original and in English; no reprints. (Translations into English are okay!)

I'm so excited to read your work! Please don't self-reject!You WILL get a response one way or another. I will be using form rejections, so please don't read too much into those.You can query if you have NOT had a response after August 2026.

BONUS QUESTION: Will there be a crowdfunding campaign for this project?BONUS ANSWER: Maybe! If there is, it will be to help cover production costs... and possibly open up more slots for short stories! And more pay for authors! I currently am prepping a Kickstarter for my own collection, Why Monster Girls Don't Cry, and that has to finish first. So stay tuned.[RECORDED] is happening regardless. 👀

Recommended Reading List!
(found media fiction!)