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Imageillus (from Issue 1) by Nic Carey
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LOST SOULS is a dark and literary biannual Australian magazine.
The magazine aims to publish strange, taboo, beautiful, horrific and similar kinds of dark and intelligent fiction and nonfiction. It is a magazine of macabre words and illustrations.
The first issue of LOST SOULS was published in March 2025. The magazine was started in response to the ongoing interest of readers and writers in Australia for dark forms of writing. Forms of writing ranging from horror, weird, supernatural and/or cyberpunk novels and short stories, to works of reportage, commentary, philosophy and cutural or social criticism on the more diffult realities of daily life, or relevant films, videogames, books and other works of art.
Ali Alizadeh, co-founder and poetry editor of the magazine, wrote a story for The Conversation in 2023 about the strong desire for dark writing. Yet he also noted the lack of 'blood-spewing zombies, debonair vampires, demonic spirits and chainsaw-wielding killers in leather masks' in Australian publishing. The publication helped inspire a discussion between Ben O'Mara and Alizadeh on the pleasures and perils of dark writing.
Later, Alizadeh and O'Mara approached Gem Carey and Phoebe Lupton to explore a unique opportunity in working together to expand the Australian publishing landscape with a new print magazine. A magazine for readers and writers keen to re-animate our interest stories uncanny, dark and fantastic. And that seeks to reveal unsettling truths about a world that often feels like it teeters on the edge of destruction.
The discussion led to the group forming an editorial team who commenced work on the magazine in early 2024. Sadly, Carey passed away in late 2024 (R.I.P.). More changes to the team occurred due to changing work and life circumstances in 2025. The team now consists of:
Ben O'Mara (publisher, nonfiction and 'Chief Spooky Officer')
Ali Alizadeh (poetry)
Fionn MacPherson (fiction)
C. Z. Tacks (fiction)
Madison Lee (visual art - local)
Nic Carey (visual art - international)
All contributors to the magazine receive an honorarium payment to help acknowledge the quality of their work, which is generally performed on a volunteer basis. The editorial team and others responsible for magazine development and management currently do this on a volunteer basis. The way work is performed and its finances are reviewed regularly. The editorial team are working towards sustainability of the magazine in the long term, including payments in line with Australian guidelines.
LOST SOULS was designed in a print format by Alizadeh and O'Mara, with input from Lupton. The first two issues are available at select in-person events, the post and online (PDF).
The blog for LOST SOULS aims to support and share information about the print magazine by publishing short reviews, analysis, commentary, fiction, images and similar work about related topics, on a monthly basis, where possible.
LOST SOULS is currently invite only for submissions as we work to better determine the magazine's viability and level of interest, with a view to long term sustainability. We are likely to be open again for print submissions in mid 2026. Submissions for the blog are open.
About LOST SOULS
REVIEW
Ben O'Mara
November 2024
Aliens: Bishop is a franchise tie-in novel that is a gritty and thought provoking addition to the Alien universe.
REVIEW
Ali Alizadeh
January 2025
Pascal Plantea's film Les Chambres Rogues (Red Rooms) takes viewers on a terrifying journey into mental spaces as dark as the horrors of the dark web.
REVIEW
Phoebe Lupton
December 2024
Naomi Klein's Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World draws on memoir-cultural criticism to reveal a disturbing lack of kindness in the era of misinformation.
Lost Souls Magazine in print and online is proudly independent.
We are based in Melbourne and Canberra.
The design and development of this website was based on a scoping of best practice and relevant examples. Work included websites for Heat Magazine, Meanjin, Overland, The New Yorker, Rue Morgue, Dark Mountain, The Dark and Weird Studies.
We acknowledge, recognize and pay our respect to the Ancestors, Elders and families of the Bunurong/Boonwurrung, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung of the Kulin who are the traditional owners of lands where we work and live in Victoria, and the Ngunnawal who are the traditional custodians of land in the Australian Capital Territory.
