Rae Zalopany, author of “The Trident-Tailed Water Monster” in The Future Fire #76, is with us today for a microinterview about her story, monsters, writing and water.
TFF: What does “The Trident-Tailed Water Monster” mean to you?
Art © 2026 Toeken
Rae Zalopany: Florida’s landscapes have always felt to me like they hold something ancient and half-hidden. I’m interested in what might be living just out of sight in the swamps and springs, and this story became a way to follow that imagination while also processing political anxiety.
TFF: Who is your favorite groundbreaking woman author?
RZ: Right now I’ve been reading a lot of Sayaka Murata. I think most writers return to a few core questions or obsessions, and Murata does a great job of revisiting hers in unexpected and precise ways.
TFF: What are you working on next?
RZ: I’m currently working on Water Bug, a collection of flash fiction set around swimming pools that explores bodies and transformation.
Extract
Here is the dream that led her here:
An owl was the size of a petite man perched on the post office roof. He wore Spanish moss like a lei around his brown, freckled neck. A sign in red Sharpie was taped to the banister that said WET PAINT.
Natalie took a step, then another toward him. His blank eyes, the color of the moon, bored down onto her.
“Can you tell me where to find the springs?”
Reminder: You can comment on any of the writing or art in this issue at http://press.futurefire.net/2026/05/new-issue-202676.html.
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