THE PING ANTHOLOGY
Personal Inter-Consciousness Nuance Gauge
What vibrations will you leave in the inter-consciousness field?
Gauge Level 88
Syncing Frequencies…
Launch in Progress
We held a contest seeking short fiction that explores the human condition through the lens of the PING app. PING is a futuristic app that can tell you in real time how many people are thinking about you, and if they’re thinking about you with love or fear-related emotions.
We received stories from writers worldwide that vibrate with truth, anxiety, and hope.
Speculative Fiction
How does the world change when “thinking of you” becomes discoverable?
1,000 – 3,000 Words
We selected 25 immersive narratives that leave a lasting emotional frequency.
May 31, 2026
The PING Anthology will be available on Amazon.
THE PING ANTHOLOGY
A Short Story Anthology
Exploring a world where every thought is a signal.
Overview
The PING app has transitioned from a proximity tool to a global barometer of the human psyche. By honing into a precise frequency via the collective consciousness, PING now allows any individual to see exactly how many people are thinking of them at any moment. These thoughts are categorized into the primal binary: FEAR or LOVE.
We are seeking speculative fiction, psychological thrillers, and "techno-philosophy" stories that explore a world where the internal state of others is no longer a mystery.
The PING App
The PING App
(Personal Inter-Conscious Nuance Gauge)
is an application that allows users to know when people are thinking about them. The app can access the Collective Consciousness, and individual energy signatures of all living beings, and report back real time data about this "Conscious Footprint."
- ● The Count: Shows exactly how many people are thinking of the user in real-time.
- ● The Nuance Gauge: Indicates the "vibe" of the thoughts—Red for Fear emotions (negative/angry/jealous, etc.) and Green for Love (positive/affectionate/admiration/attraction, etc.)
The Premium Feature/ Purchased Credits
While the standard app only provides counts and colors, the Premium Feature reveals the actual names of the people who are thinking of the user.
Awards & Recognition
Celebrating the 25 most compelling stories chosen for the Anthology.
"Early Access"
Jodie Winter
"RED"
Katie Kent
"Big, Fat Zero"
All 25 selected authors will receive a Hard Copy of the finished book.
The following Judge's Picks will have a preview sentence added before their selected stories:
Rai Furniss-Greasley, “The Dark Raven"
Vince Arnold Savarin, "THE PING REVOLUTION OF DOMINICA"
Destiny Roberts, "The Wrong Man's PING"
Nyssa Drake, "Ping Me Green"
Nadili Soman, "PING"
Elisha Vee, "Threshold"
James Adams, “Jealousy in the Legacy Feed”
Matthew Christensen, “The Second Slot”
SD Davis, “Reveal”
Jonathan B. Edvane, “Beatrice and the Thing Named App”
Jamey Gilbert, “The Date”
Claire Hill, “Murderous Appetite”
Kevin Hopson, “Crimes Against Pizza”
Tammy Jean, “Til Death Do Us Part”
SVB Jackson, “Mama's Avenging Angel”
Michelle Lehman, “Unresolved”
Charlie Moon, “Never Just A Memory”
Amy-Adele Richardson, “Echoes in the Feed”
Rabea Scholz, “Ten Per Cent Red”
Djidjelly Siclait, “Last Visit”
Kathleen Solis, “The Firing”
Jo Summerlin, “Trivia Night”
Judges Panel
James Hanna is a retired probation officer and a former fiction editor. His work has appeared in over thirty journals, including Sixfold, Crack the Spine, and The Literary Review. He is also the author of seven books all of which have won awards. Global Book Awards gave James a gold medal for contemporary fiction. His short story collections embody the best of unexpected, quirky, and speculative writing.
MJ Huntsgood is a speculative literary and horror author who enjoys exploring the use of perspective and deep POV in her work to find the nightmare not just in a situation, but within ourselves. She has been in over two dozen literary magazines and has been published in anthologies with Timber Ghost Press, Red Cape Publishing, and Macmillan Children’s Books. She is the loser of various awards including the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net, and an applicant for many others. She lives in an unreasonably haunted townhome in Washington DC with her ever dwindling number of underwatered plants, 2 cats and trophy husband.
Ally is an independent fantasy and sci-fi editor and writing coach who specializes in helping authors elevate their stories through what she calls Manuscript Magic™. She believes that powerful, unputdownable novels are born at the crossroads of creativity and storytelling science—and that bridging the gap is where the magic truly happens.
When she’s not wielding her enchanted red pen and teaching authors how to make magic through her educational Instagram page, she can be found in sunny San Diego, CA, with her husband, two sons, their insanely energetic dog, and one very testy orange cat—who is (understandably) fed up with the dog’s eternal antics.
And if you couldn’t already tell, she’s a champion of the em dash—you’ll have to pry them from her cold, dead hands.
Dr. Julie McNairn Dr. Julie McNairn (publishing as Julieanna Mac) holds a PhD in Medical Physics and Neuroscience and has published in academic journals. After serving on a corporate leadership team, she stepped back from the rat race to pursue her passion for storytelling, launching her debut novel Born from the Broken on April 1st, 2026. As founder of Narratoria Creative Co-Op, Julie is dedicated to making publishing accessible to all writers and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. When she’s not championing indie authors or working on her next book, she can be found in Scotland with her husband, two sons, and dog (though she admits the order of affection varies by the day).
Questions? Contact SUBMISSIONS.PING.ANTHOLOGY@GMAIL.COM
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The PING Anthology is curated by Alice Langholt, Ph.D. Alice is a prolific author and adjunct professor.