The 2024 First Page Cage Semifinalists are in the ring!

The Top Four Have Entered the Cage!

We are delighted to announce the Semifinalists in the First Page Cage Match! This contest is our way of recreating the experience of a live-action slush reading. It’s also a little window into the ins and outs of finding a home for your work.

Here’s what’s happened so far:

The Pulp Lit editors selected the eight entries for the First Page Cage Match that enticed us enough to want to read more. These eight quarter-finalist authors then sent along the first ten pages (2500 words) of their manuscripts.

The stories below are the four ten-page entries (of the eight quarter-finalists) that most made at least two of the three of us want to read more. And, in the true spirit of live-action slush, here’s a peek into the minds of three editors:

The semi-finalists:

The Decline of the Human Race, Volume 01100 by Mike Donoghue

Jen loved this one and was completely hooked. Mel felt the title gave us no reason to read, and found the way the loss of memory was dealt with damaged her trust in the science. However, the writing was very good. Sierra wasn’t grabbed by the first two pages, but then got into Katie’s story, enjoyed the self-aware coffee-maker, and wants to read farther. 9.5/12

The Borrowed Woman by Rachael Warecki

Mel liked the promise of the noir genre, and would like to read more as long as the stakes rise. Though this wasn’t Sierra’s usual genre, she felt the missing girl was a good way into the story, and was intrigued by the alternate history elements. Jen also loved the alternate history and the main character. There were a few places she felt the pace stumbled, but she’s hooked and keen to read more. 9.5/12

Going North by Catherine Mackie

Sierra thought the story start was great, with some nice details and good writing, but she got to the end of the first ten pages without a clear idea of the genre or direction. Jen loved the intro and the sense of place and movement. However, she felt something a bit more menacing might need to be foreshadowed earlier (if that’s the direction the novel’s going). Mel also felt the timeline could use a bit of tweaking, but definitely wanted to read more. 9.8/12

The Change by William Kaufman

Jen was intrigued with the setting and characters, but found there was a bit too much backstory narration for her taste. Sierra and Mel both gave this one top marks, though Sierra found the main character slightly irritating (perhaps deliberately). Mel noted some grammatical issues, but overall though the setup was excellent, with several characters strong enough to take POV, a clear central conflict and the possibilities for further character development. 10.5/12

Stay tuned to the blog to discover which of these advanced to the finals, announced later this month!

And for all the latest from Pulp Literature, stay tuned to the blog! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Bluesky, or sign up for our newsletter.

There’s still one contest left for 2024!

The Kingfisher Prize for Poetry is open now until November 15th!