The year in Drift fiction
Plus: subscribe today to receive Issue Sixteen
This year, we were proud to publish eleven pieces of fiction in The Drift. Two of the stories, “Good Health” and “Love Language,” were written by previously unpublished authors. Three were excerpted from novels — “Working” from Stephanie Wambugu’s contemporary classic, Lonely Crowds; “Day #1144, #1167, #1403” from the third installment of Solvej Balle’s cult favorite, On The Calculation of Volume; and “Our Lady of Suffering’s Inner Beauty Pageant” from the strikingly funny Lost Lambs by previous Drift contributor Madeline Cash. Both Lonely Crowds and On The Calculation of Volume (Book III) were recognized on the New York Times Notable Books of 2025 list. This year, we were also honored to have three stories from 2024 included in the Best American Short Stories 2025 anthology.
The fiction section is put together by a team that spends many, many hours reading through our inbox to identify standout submissions from writers who have worked hard to hone their stories. Selected pieces then undergo a monthslong editing process. Your generous support will help us continue to pay both writers and editors fairly; this holiday season, we hope you’ll consider donating to the magazine, and spending some time reading or revisiting our 2025 fiction.
Dear Lillington Families | Owen Park
My Mother’s Husbands | Mariah Kreutter
Mormon Lake Hotshots | Samuel Jensen
Day #1144, #1167, #1403 | Solvej Balle
Our Lady of Suffering’s Inner Beauty Pageant | Madeline Cash
Today is the last day to subscribe to receive Issue Sixteen in the mail, and the last day you can order merch to ensure it will arrive before Christmas. Subscriptions are currently 25 percent off, as are all the back issues, totes, caps, and tees in our shop. And if you’re in New York this weekend, we hope to see you at Pioneer Works for Press Play on Sunday from 12-7pm!
