赤地千里。。。 Miles of desolation after drought or war.

Submissions to Sine Theta Magazine's 34th issue, themed “WASTELAND 荒,” are officially open! Thanks to our Patreon subscribers, Sine Theta Magazine is a paying publication—all contributors will receive a $10 USD honorarium.

A single plastic bag drifts aimlessly towards the horizon. Not a single soul in sight. The smell of rust and decay wafts through the air. Dust clings to your shoes as you make your way through the debris. This issue, we invite you to explore the complexities of our relationship with nature. Wade through the ruins of the past and present. Brave through natural and man-made disasters, and contemplate what the future will or should look like.

Submissions are due SUNDAY, 9 MARCH 2025, at 11:59 PM PST to sinethetamag@gmail.com for full consideration of your work(s). Visit our submissions guidelines for more details. Feel free to DM or email us with any questions you may have; we welcome pitches sent ahead of the deadline!

Those submitting may wish to consider the following prompts:

deserts - tundra - the atacama desert / ruins - barrenness / use - usefulness - uselessness / extraction / nuclear waste disposal sites - nuclear disasters - chernobyl - nuclear testing in pacific islands - fukushima / landfills - e-waste - fresh kill (1994) dir. shu lea cheang - waste tide (2013) by chen qiufan - the great pacific garbage patch / rewilding - regeneration - rebirth / the waste land (1922) by t. s. eliot / hoarding / greenwashing / decay / thrifting - dumpster diving / estate sales - suburban parking lots - strip malls / pestilence - plagues - invasive vs native species - nausicaä of the valley of the wind (1984) dir. hayao miyazaki / oil spills - petrofiction / paradise lost (1667) by john milton - the exile from eden / space junk / composting - gardens / hygiene politics / ancient ruins / apocalypse - end of the world / doomscrolling - brainrot / a tale for the time being (2013) by ruth ozeki / isle of dogs (2018) dir. wes anderson