History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

“The Train Station That Knows What You Need” and “We Dream in Color” in Chimerical Remembrance

| January 27, 2026

I have two flash fiction pieces that share themes of longing, dreams, and also colors: “The Train Station That Knows What You Need” and “We Dream in Color.” The first story, “The Train Station That Knows What You Need,” is a fairly dreamy surreal piece about a remote Japanese train station with abnormal properties. The […]

“To Live is the Rarest Thing in the World” and “Thirty to Fifty (Plus) Non-Feral Hogs

| January 22, 2026

Because Weathering Youth is my biggest collection to date, I’m grouping the short stories and flash fiction stories in pairs for my posts, based on the way they fall in the collection. This lets me look at the connections between the stories and how I decided to arrange specific stories in the collection! Both “To Live is […]

“Gosutouotchi” and “Remote Control” in Weathering Youth

| December 18, 2025

Because Weathering Youth is my biggest collection to date, I’m grouping the short stories and flash fiction stories in pairs for my posts, based on the way they fall in the collection. This lets me look at the connections between the stories and how I decided to arrange specific stories in the collection! “Gosutouotchi” and “Remote Control” […]

“Best of Both Worlds” in Chimerical Remembrance

| November 20, 2025

My story “Best of Both Worlds” in Chimerical Remembrance is one of my favorite stories I’ve written. It manages to blend dark elements of a selkie story with a hopeful ending. If you’re a regular reader of the blog or my stories, you know I enjoy writing stories with things in the water that want […]

Have You Checked Out Chimerical Remembrance?

| October 28, 2025

My collection, Chimerical Remembrance: Tales of Contemporary Fantasy, has been out for just over a month now! Within its pages, you’ll find microfiction, flash fiction, short stories, and poetry, with a mix of moods and themes. There are supernatural creatures, unusual places, and a variety of professions, all in settings that look a lot like the […]

Poetry in The Sidewalk Diverges

| October 14, 2025

The Sidewalk Diverges includes 19 poems, which means that poetry pieces are more than half the pieces in this collection. While they all include aspects of contemporary fantasy, their themes and subjects range wildly. Some, like “Agent 355” and “City of Sounds” were inspired by things I saw and heard in Seattle, just going about […]

Review of A Fae in Finance by Juliet Brooks

| September 24, 2025

I learned about Juliet Brooks’ book, A Fae in Finance (Orbit Works, 2025), while I was at Seattle’s Worldcon in August, when I chatted with another attendee who was a friend of the author. When said friend explained it as “human trapped in the realm of the fae but still has to work her day job,” […]

Chimerical Remembrance Out Today!

| September 23, 2025

My latest collection, Chimerical Remembrance: Tales of Contemporary Fantasy, is out today in ebook format! The world is a strange place, and the stories and poetry within Chimerical Remembrance amplify that strangeness. From selkies and werewolves to witches and ghosts, exploring unusual places, botany, candy making, and more, you’ll find both joy and sorrow in solemn […]

Recent Urban Fantasy Pieces

| September 16, 2025

Since my last post on my urban fantasy pieces, I’ve had a few pieces published! My flash fiction piece, “Propagating Rosa glacies,” appeared in ALOCASIA in March 2025. It involves a mad botanist, grief, and revenge. My short story, “One Person’s Nightmare,” appeared in the Rescuing Curiosity anthology from Inked in Gray in March 2025. Despite […]

Cover Reveal for Chimerical Remembrance

| August 21, 2025

My next collection, Chimerical Remembrance: Tales of Contemporary Fantasy, is now available for pre-order, with a release date of September 23! The world is a strange place, and the stories and poetry within Chimerical Remembrance amplify that strangeness. From selkies and werewolves to witches and ghosts, exploring unusual places, botany, candy making, and more, you’ll […]