Adventitious.

@adventitiouswords.bsky.social

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Do you know which way to go? www.adventitious.net https://www.patreon.com/c/AdventitiousStories

Parody 'trend alert' graphic styled after a viral listicle template. Dark header reads 'ADVENTITIOUS TREND ALERT: HOT BOULEUTOPHAGY SUMMER, RULE #2' with sun and cutlery emoji and a cartoon astronaut. Below, bold text reads 'YOUR GETAWAY CAR SHOULD BE OUT OF GAS, By Labor Day,' with three polaroid-style photos labeled 'The Statehouse,' 'The Checkpoint,' and 'Safe Zone?' A hooded traveler with a backpack and boots slung over their shoulder walks alone down a desert highway toward distant mountains. Body text jokes that 'eating your local elected official' is summer's hottest trend, with a checklist reading 'Get a knife. Steal a car. Avoid the mobs. Stay hydrated.' A black callout bar reads 'It doesn't matter which state falls first, as long as you're moving and you brought someone you love to argue with.' The bottom strip, over a blurred image of a raised-fist crowd at dusk, reads 'New hungers. Miles from safety. Unforgettable summer.'
Screenshot of the Adventitious online shop page showing four issue covers for sale, each priced at $5.49 with an "Add to cart" button: Issue One (a rabbit-headed violinist in Victorian dress), Issue Four (a retro sci-fi collage with a camera-wielding figure), Issue Three (an illustrated brick tower in a forest under a comet), and Issue Two (a marigold-adorned horse skull against a floral pattern).
Parody 'trend alert' graphic styled after a viral listicle template. Dark header reads 'ADVENTITIOUS TREND ALERT: HOT BOULEUTOPHAGY SUMMER, RULE #2' with sun and cutlery emoji and a cartoon astronaut. Below, bold text reads 'YOUR GETAWAY CAR SHOULD BE OUT OF GAS, By Labor Day,' with three polaroid-style photos labeled 'The Statehouse,' 'The Checkpoint,' and 'Safe Zone?' A hooded traveler with a backpack and boots slung over their shoulder walks alone down a desert highway toward distant mountains. Body text jokes that 'eating your local elected official' is summer's hottest trend, with a checklist reading 'Get a knife. Steal a car. Avoid the mobs. Stay hydrated.' A black callout bar reads 'It doesn't matter which state falls first, as long as you're moving and you brought someone you love to argue with.' The bottom strip, over a blurred image of a raised-fist crowd at dusk, reads 'New hungers. Miles from safety. Unforgettable summer.'
A black-and-white photograph taken on 35mm film, with sprocket holes visible along the top and bottom edges. Five people in formal dress sit around a dining table, each wearing a white cloth blindfold. They hold forks and appear to be eating from plates; water glasses are visible on the table. The scene is posed and documentary in tone — a blind taste test of some kind. A black circular mark obscures part of the image near the center, likely a film defect or archival redaction. The overall mood is uncanny: ordinary mealtime rendered strange by the blindfolds.
A vintage-toned comic book-style magazine cover on warm terracotta-peach paper. The masthead reads "adventitious / Issue Four" in bold yellow-green lettering with a small teal astronaut figure perched on the letter "d." The main image shows a camera-headed robot's hand holding a large-format camera pointed directly at the viewer while in an overgrown, jungle-like landscape with yellow flowers and lush greenery. To the upper right, an inset panel depicts a stack of layered transparency sheets in blue, yellow, and teal, arranged in an exploded-diagram style. Below, three field-note-style panels with handwritten caption text (rendered in a fictional script) show: a crablike alien figure with an exposed brain struggling in a rocky orange landscape; a blue frog-like creature on a stick; and a close-up of a large caterpillar or larva with iridescent markings beside a dark egg or pod. The overall palette is muted and warm with pops of teal and yellow, evoking mid-century scientific illustration crossed with underground comics.
A doll of JFK wearing a white gown, stole, and a pearl necklace. Art by John Waters
A vintage 1950s-style magazine advertisement, designed to resemble a period print ad with aged paper tones and retro illustration. A woman in a red fit-and-flare dress operates a teal canister vacuum with a long hose, standing on a pale blue floor beside a Christmas tree. Above her, against a mustard yellow background, sits a pink upright vacuum cleaner next to a can labeled "Adventitious Rug Shampoo." Large italic serif text on the white curved panel reads "...but this works like magic!" The headline reads "PHALEN'S PNEUMATIC VACUUM APPARATUS" in spaced capital letters, followed by body copy describing a device that eliminates what you thought was permanent. At the bottom, brush script reads "No more putting it off!" with the tagline "For you. For your family. It's time to say 'Goodbye'... ...to dirt and dust!" A woman's face appears in the lower left corner, looking upward with a pleased expression. The overall design mimics mid-century American print advertising.
Poster in pale yellow advertising a coupon code “fuckamazon” for 15% off anything in the Adventitious shop. The list includes teleporters and other sci-fi objects before listing issues and subscriptions. To the right, an astronaut mascot in green and teal.
Retro-style illustrated travel advertisement on a yellow background. Large black text reads “Just One Long Step,” above a giant silhouetted foot stepping across a futuristic landscape. The ad promotes “Melodic Valley,” described as “An EarthSide habitat from Thriving Earth™,” with copy reading: “No matter what you’re orbiting, a new life awaits at EarthPort 595 via any certified AlbaPort™ Kiosk.” The lower portion shows a stylized spaceport city with roads, buildings, ships, and blue-and-pink shadows, evoking a mid-century sci-fi tourism poster.
A white cover with red blood splatter on it. The title is Bleed Into Me: A Book of Stories by Stephen Graham Jones. It sits on a library shelf against other books.
A photo of a Medieval castle keep reflected in water. The picture has been inverted so that the reflection stands upright while the road to the castle and the castle itself are upside down. Text overlay reads "...and into the realm of the fae"
Aerial or planetary landscape photograph with dramatic blue sky and golden-orange clouds or atmospheric formations. The terrain below shows textured patterns of orange, brown, and white, resembling canyon formations or alien terrain. Text overlay reads: 'The Laws of Thermodynamics as Applied to My Dead Mom by Christopher Blake' centered in white serif typography.
Alt-text: "17th-century engraving depicting two grotesque mythological creatures in conversation against a plain background. On the left, a rotund female figure with serpentine hair extensions and a human torso. On the right, a bird-headed creature with an elaborate coiffure and draped fabric. Both stand on rocky ground. The style is characteristic of Northern Renaissance satirical or fantastical prints, rendered in black ink on aged, cream-colored paper
Etching by Odilon Redon from 1888 titled 'Then a strange creature appeared with a head of man and a body of a fish.' A profile portrait of a humanoid figure with sharp features and spiky hair merges into a scaled fish body. The figure gazes downward with an expression of contemplation or melancholy. The background is rendered in fine cross-hatching, creating texture and depth. The image is rendered in black ink on aged paper.
Black and white photograph of journalists or aid workers with a camera documenting a scene. Multiple people in casual/work clothing lean in to look at or work with the camera. A burnt or damaged building is visible in the blurred background. Text overlay reads: 'All Of My Tomorrows by L.D. Colter' at top and 'coming June 1st.' at bottom.
Medieval woodcut engraving of a two-headed humanoid creature with scaled or textured skin, standing upright with one arm raised. The figure has fish-like or serpentine features and stands on a wavy baseline suggesting water or the sea. The image is rendered in black ink on a weathered, aged paper background.
"The Eye of Leviathan book cover (green and gold, with a red wax seal and engraved creatures) centered on a sepia-toned ocean horizon. Text reads: 'Before reading The Eye of Leviathan' above the cover, and 'Read the stunning prequel novella Non Plus Ultra in Adventitious' below."
A sepia photograph of a reconstructed moa skeleton mounted on a display stand against a draped white cloth backdrop, likely taken in the 19th century. The extinct flightless bird stands nearly as tall as the frame, its long neck curved forward and its massive leg bones dominating the lower half of the image.
A recommended reading list from Locus Magazine, curated by Paula Guran, featuring short fiction from April 2026. "Madam Strzyga's Pagan Pest Control" by Katharine Tyndall, published in Adventitious, appears near the bottom of the list alongside stories from Remains, Apex, The Dark, TSMT, and Reactor.
The dropdown menu in Word for fonts, with Comic Sans highlighted.
A Venn diagram with two overlapping circles. The left orange circle reads "Expected a fantastic story." The right yellow circle reads "Thought it would be porn." The overlapping center section reads "thought it would be porn but got a fantastic story and had to self-reflect."
A Hubble Space Telescope image of the Trifid Nebula, showing towering columns of gas and dust in deep oranges, reds, and browns against a blue star-filled background, with bright stars scattered throughout.
Here's alt-text for the Madam Stryzga image you uploaded: "Vintage Quaker Oats advertisement parody with 'DO YOU EAT' at the top in large serif font. Left side reads 'ANCIENT' vertically, right side reads 'MONSTROCITIES' vertically. Center features a detailed black and white engraving of a demonic creature with horns, spiky hair, sitting cross-legged surrounded by various objects. Bottom text reads 'IF NOT * * * * * YOU SHOULD / THEY ARE / THE BEST' in serif font."
A WWII-era color photograph of a woman in a red uniform and red knit cap, working inside a bomber's plexiglass cockpit canopy, overlaid with the text "Spirit alembic keeper by Emma Burnett — Adventitious, Issue Two."
Magenta and pink cosmic nebula with white Archivo Black sans-serif text reading "WHEN THE GOD SPEAKS" in bold capitals. Stars dot the swirling gas clouds. From "Penance" by Jennifer Hudak, published in Adventitious Issue Two.
A Dutch Golden Age floral still life painting—a terracotta vase overflowing with colorful flowers including peonies, dahlias, and tulips in shades of cream, coral, red, and deep blue. Overlaid in white serif font: "They used to plant them together." A thin gold line appears beneath the quote. The painting evokes 17th-century European botanical abundance; the quote speaks to historical division and rediscovered unity.
An 18th-century occult illustration of a rooster-headed demon terrorizing two men, overlaid with the text "Better Call Madam Strzyga" in the style of the Better Call Saul logo.
A Dictionnaire Infernal engraving of a crowned, horse-headed demon seated with clawed hands and insect wings, overlaid with the text "Madam Strzyga's Demon-proofing Tip #379: Keep your hair clippings out of the bin."
A grainy black-and-white photograph of a young girl surrounded by cutout fairies, overlaid with the text "Is your child's screen infested?"
Dark arched hallway with a bright doorway at the end, overlaid with the text “a fixed space with fixed dimensions that won’t stay fixed.”
A green bar with white text reading "Volume Discount"
Three-panel Simpsons meme. In a bar, Moe throws Barney out the door labeled “POLITICS IN SCI-FI.” In the next panel, Moe stands inside holding a banana labeled “SUPER GENIUSES.” In the final panel, Barney re-enters behind Moe, implying the same thing has come back in.
Close-up of a colorful illustrated card featuring a skeletal horse head adorned with flowers, propped on a small wooden stand. Behind it sits a miniature carousel with bright painted details, along with a “VOTE” button and an owl image in soft focus, creating a playful yet slightly eerie scene.
Cover art for Adventitious Issue Two featuring a skeletal horse’s head adorned with ornate floral decorations and a colorful flowing mane, set against a golden patterned background with vivid, swirling botanical designs and the title “adventitious” across the top.
Illustration of a stylized astronaut with a dark reflective visor and teal suit, featuring flexible hose-like arms, gloved hands, and a small antenna on top of the helmet, standing against a plain background.
Screenshot of the WordPress Posts dashboard for Adventitious, showing a list of draft stories for Issue Two with titles and authors, including “Fire and Brimstone” by S.I. Fapohunda, “Fractal House” by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, “We Decay in the Dark” by Ayida Shonibar, “Fernie” by Angela Liu, “All Under Heaven” by Marie Brennan, and others.
Illustrated magazine cover for Adventitious: Issue Two featuring a skeletal horse head adorned with ornate golden tack and marigold flowers. Colorful flowing ribbons and floral patterns swirl around the horse against a warm golden background, creating a vibrant, folkloric Day-of-the-Dead–inspired design. The title Adventitious appears in bright green at the top with a small astronaut icon.
Image of text reading: You preferred the rantings of an angry witch. You’re either sharp enough to recognize a real curse, or you’re a lucky guesser. Angry witch writing is never clean. It comes scratched into bark with a bone splinter, ink thick as clotting blood, the room stinking of tallow smoke and bitter herbs. Take this line from the forest grimoires of Old Oma Bracken, stabbed into the page with a falcon claw: “As well ask men what they think of stone before damning them to become it.” Witches used to leave mistakes—bile blots, weird grammar, words bent out of shape by anger. But A.I. doesn’t rage. It doesn’t sweat over the page or grind its teeth through a sentence. Its language is boring, cold, obedient. So when a line snarls, when the writing comes out raw and interesting and poetic and pissed, you’re probably seeing the work of an incensed witch, not a machine.
World War II–era U.S. War Food Administration poster reading “YOUR VICTORY GARDEN counts more than ever!” in large blue letters at the top. The illustration features oversized vegetables—a pea pod filled with peas, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and radishes—arranged prominently in the foreground. In the background, two farmers tend neat rows of crops under a blue sky. The style is colorful and graphic, typical of 1940s American war posters.
Screenshot of a magazine feature titled “Locus Looks at Short Fiction: Paula Guran,” showing four magazine covers side by side—Uncanny, The Deadlands, Adventitious, and Dark—along with publication details and excerpted review text below.
Black screen block that reads "Which Adventitious Story is Your Soul Mate?" in teal
Sepia-toned vintage photograph of posed human skeletons gathered around a table in a staged café scene labeled “Café Chez Satan.” Overlaid in white serif text reads: “3 Stories from Issue One Where Society Forms by Accident.”
Sepia-toned vintage photograph of a bearded medieval knight in chainmail holding a sleeping woman in flowing white garments against his chest. Overlaid in bright yellow serif text reads: “5 Stories from Issue One where caring is an act of defiance.”
Vintage-style illustration of a 19th-century sailing ship at sea, its tall masts and rigging silhouetted against thick black smoke rising from both the vessel and a distant plume on the horizon. In the foreground, a massive whale breaches amid churning waves as small figures in period clothing aim harpoons from boats nearby. At the top of the image, the title “Hunter Mother Sailor Wife” and the byline “A short story by Catherine Tavares” appear above the word “Adventitious.”
Back view of a large stretched canvas showing its wooden frame, cross brace, and corner supports, with the beige canvas fabric stapled around the edges and a small museum label attached at the bottom.
Painting of small boats struggling through rough, dark blue waves near rocky cliffs, with sailors bracing against the storm as a larger sailboat rides the swell in the distance beneath a cloudy sky.
From the movie Christine, a vintage red 1950s-style car (a Plymouth 1958 Fury) with its headlights glowing brightly white sits against a dark background filled with red smoke, the chrome grille and bumper gleaming under dramatic lighting.
From the movie Existenz, a man and woman wearing casual clothing lie on a bed in a warmly lit bedroom, facing upward, with a length of fleshy cabling connecting them together as they rest side by side.
From the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a white man (Jim Carrey) sits beneath a large circular medical device clamped around his head in a clinical room, looking uneasy, while two small hand puppets on stands face him on a metal tray in front of his chest.
Bronze sculpture of a sleeping faun or satyr’s head, eyes closed and tilted gently to one side, with pointed ears, small horns, and a textured beard, set against a neutral gray background.