Permafrost is a literary magazine with a dual publication structure—a fall online issue and a spring print issue—and its fiction submissions are open to a range of forms: a single story or novel excerpt up to 8,000 words, or up to three flash pieces under 1,000 words each. The magazine's stated aesthetic is grounded in a desire for stories that reveal some understanding of the world we are living in, even when the work is speculative, and that carry a vibrant sense of place and character. This is not a call for escapism; it is an invitation to work that, however imaginative its premises, remains tethered to human consequence and vivid particularity. The submission window closes on May 1, 2027, and carries a $5 fee. Accepted work will be placed in either the fall online issue or the spring print issue, and the guidelines allow writers to indicate a preferred publication medium in their submission. That detail matters: it suggests the editors are thinking about how each piece will meet its readership, and it gives submitters a chance to advocate for the context they believe best suits their work. There is no prize attached, no theme imposed, and no geographic restriction—the focus is squarely on the writing and its fit for the magazine's pages or screen. For the curatorial vision, the excerpt points toward fiction that is both worldly and specific. The phrase 'some understanding of the world we are living in' is deliberately broad, but it sets a bar: the work should feel informed by contemporary reality, whether through realism, speculation, or a hybrid of the two. 'A vibrant sense of place and character' further signals that atmosphere and people are not afterthoughts but central pleasures. Novel excerpts are welcome provided they stand alone, which places a premium on self-contained narrative integrity. In sum, Permafrost is looking for fiction that knows where it is, who it is about, and why it matters now.