Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
My Top 20 Substackers OF ALL TIME
22
items An alphabetic list of 20 awesome Substack writers (and two BONUS entries)
After a year and a half on Substack I’ve rediscovered some old friends and made lots of new ones. There’s something for everyone. Every interest. Every genre of fiction. Every slice of political thought. And one of my favourite features is (of course...
But more important than blocking connections from the people you don’t want is building and maintaining connections to the people you DO want.
You are not me and I am not you. Self evident? Pretty much. My point being, maybe you won’t feel the same connection to the following 20 (plus TWO) writers I’ve linked to below that I do, and if you don’t, that’s fine. Let this list be your proof tha...
And if THESE people do that for you? That’s all for the better.
After a year and a half on Substack I’ve rediscovered some old friends and made lots of new ones. There’s something for everyone. Every interest. Every genre of fiction. Every slice of political thought. And one of my favourite features is (of course...
But more important than blocking connections from the people you don’t want is building and maintaining connections to the people you DO want.
You are not me and I am not you. Self evident? Pretty much. My point being, maybe you won’t feel the same connection to the following 20 (plus TWO) writers I’ve linked to below that I do, and if you don’t, that’s fine. Let this list be your proof tha...
And if THESE people do that for you? That’s all for the better.
1
Chantelle Atkins
substack.com/@chantelleatkins
chantelleatkins.substack.com
I’ve been a huge fan of Chantelle for more than ten years. One of my favourite (Top Ten) novels I’ve ever read is her “Elliot Pie’s Guide to Human Nature”. She’s currently serializing her novel “Black Hare Valley”, the first paragraph of which is: “J...
draft2digital.com/book/375744
Chantelle Atkins
substack.com/@chantelleatkins
chantelleatkins.substack.com
I’ve been a huge fan of Chantelle for more than ten years. One of my favourite (Top Ten) novels I’ve ever read is her “Elliot Pie’s Guide to Human Nature”. She’s currently serializing her novel “Black Hare Valley”, the first paragraph of which is: “J...
draft2digital.com/book/375744
Chantelle Atkins Writer | Substack
2
Black Cloud Six
substack.com/@blackcloudsix
blackcloudsix.substack.com
A voice of reason in an ocean of insanity. This is the most sane, stable, reliable voice on the subject of defense and all things military. If I ruled the world (or any part of it), Black Cloud Six would be my top pick for defense minister. “Unfortun...
Black Cloud Six
substack.com/@blackcloudsix
blackcloudsix.substack.com
A voice of reason in an ocean of insanity. This is the most sane, stable, reliable voice on the subject of defense and all things military. If I ruled the world (or any part of it), Black Cloud Six would be my top pick for defense minister. “Unfortun...
Black Cloud Six: Unscripted | Substack
3
Sarah Burdick
substack.com/@saraburdick
saraburdick.substack.com
She moved from the mean streets of LA to the quiet mountains of Colombia. Not all in one go. Not without SOME help from others. But now she has a peaceful little organic farm and a lifestyle she loves. Completely apolitical too! “This morning I woke ...
Sarah Burdick
substack.com/@saraburdick
saraburdick.substack.com
She moved from the mean streets of LA to the quiet mountains of Colombia. Not all in one go. Not without SOME help from others. But now she has a peaceful little organic farm and a lifestyle she loves. Completely apolitical too! “This morning I woke ...
Life in Colombia | Sara Burdick | Substack
4
Ross Ion Coyle
substack.com/@ionarion
rossioncoyle.substack.com
Esoteric, philosophical, nuanced, and poetic. Four words to describe what you’ll get from Ross. The poetry is evocative and mythical, the essays academic and intricate. Not always an easy read, but always worth it.
“A sound was rising on the air/ this dawn, it quivered through the leaves/ in sighs, and shivered fair, where yawn/ the wakers to receive the cries”
Ross Ion Coyle
substack.com/@ionarion
rossioncoyle.substack.com
Esoteric, philosophical, nuanced, and poetic. Four words to describe what you’ll get from Ross. The poetry is evocative and mythical, the essays academic and intricate. Not always an easy read, but always worth it.
“A sound was rising on the air/ this dawn, it quivered through the leaves/ in sighs, and shivered fair, where yawn/ the wakers to receive the cries”
Vulgar Earth | Ross Ion Coyle (M) | Substack
5
Cymposium
substack.com/@cymposium
cymposium.substack.com
In-depth analysis of politics, current affairs, history, and geopolitics. Always thought-provoking, occasionally paywalled (hey, a guy’s gotta eat).
“This analysis focuses primarily on billionaires in the United States and Western democracies, where wealth accumulation operates within (relatively) transparent market systems and democratic governance. The dynamics are entirely different in China, ...
Cymposium
substack.com/@cymposium
cymposium.substack.com
In-depth analysis of politics, current affairs, history, and geopolitics. Always thought-provoking, occasionally paywalled (hey, a guy’s gotta eat).
“This analysis focuses primarily on billionaires in the United States and Western democracies, where wealth accumulation operates within (relatively) transparent market systems and democratic governance. The dynamics are entirely different in China, ...
Cymposium | Substack
6
Darkwald
substack.com/@darkwald
darkwald.substack.com
Darkwald is currently on hiatus, but I mention it here as a BOOKMARK or MEMO. The briefly serialized “The Thief” was a joyful romp, but there’s also a bigger and longer story coming ONE DAY. How do I know? I’m friends with the guy, he has a free nove...
“Darkwald is a place of darkness but also of light. The droggles called the times of light, day, and the times of dark, night. Although sometimes the moon was confoundingly bright, making it hard for their little minds to know if it was night or day....
Darkwald
substack.com/@darkwald
darkwald.substack.com
Darkwald is currently on hiatus, but I mention it here as a BOOKMARK or MEMO. The briefly serialized “The Thief” was a joyful romp, but there’s also a bigger and longer story coming ONE DAY. How do I know? I’m friends with the guy, he has a free nove...
“Darkwald is a place of darkness but also of light. The droggles called the times of light, day, and the times of dark, night. Although sometimes the moon was confoundingly bright, making it hard for their little minds to know if it was night or day....
Darkwald | Substack
7
Jann Dolk
substack.com/@janndolk
janndolk.substack.com
Poignant tales of the past, and hopeful tales of the present, sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom, like this one:
“Our minds hold onto the strangest, or maybe not, memories. For her, it was an adverse childhood event, for me a forgetful faux pas. Be kind, listen actively, apologize.”
Jann Dolk
substack.com/@janndolk
janndolk.substack.com
Poignant tales of the past, and hopeful tales of the present, sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom, like this one:
“Our minds hold onto the strangest, or maybe not, memories. For her, it was an adverse childhood event, for me a forgetful faux pas. Be kind, listen actively, apologize.”
Journeys with Jann | Substack
8
Eric Falden
substack.com/@ericfalden
ericfalden.substack.com
Anything and everything fantasy related. Long stories, short stories, history and historical inspiration FOR fantasy, and various things ABOUT fantasy. If you want fantasy, Falden’s your guy:
“Fantasy writers (and fans) make a mistake, however, when they think that those exceptions—the fantastical world—compose the thing itself. The setting is not the story, and without the story, the setting is nothing. The Lord of the Rings is not Middl...
Eric Falden
substack.com/@ericfalden
ericfalden.substack.com
Anything and everything fantasy related. Long stories, short stories, history and historical inspiration FOR fantasy, and various things ABOUT fantasy. If you want fantasy, Falden’s your guy:
“Fantasy writers (and fans) make a mistake, however, when they think that those exceptions—the fantastical world—compose the thing itself. The setting is not the story, and without the story, the setting is nothing. The Lord of the Rings is not Middl...
Falden's Forge | Substack
9
Bryan C. Del Monte
(His former handle was William A. Finnegan when I wrote this list originally!)
substack.com/@bdelmonte
thelongmemo.com
He does not mince words. Strong statements. Clear opinions. Vast experience. Eye-opening.
“I am an expert on humanitarian law, its normative provisions, and human rights law. And while Parnas is directionally correct about how bad this is, his legal analysis is fundamentally flawed — and it obscures the most important element of the story...
Bryan C. Del Monte
(His former handle was William A. Finnegan when I wrote this list originally!)
substack.com/@bdelmonte
thelongmemo.com
He does not mince words. Strong statements. Clear opinions. Vast experience. Eye-opening.
“I am an expert on humanitarian law, its normative provisions, and human rights law. And while Parnas is directionally correct about how bad this is, his legal analysis is fundamentally flawed — and it obscures the most important element of the story...
The Long Memo (TLM) | Bryan C. Del Monte | Substack
10
Kay Flanagan
substack.com/@kayflanagan
kayflanagan.substack.com
Irish writer Kay Flanagan is one of my favourite fiction writers. Her novel is on Medium but many of her short stories are also on Substack. She is the most loyal follower of my “366 Short Story Seeds”, and she’s already approached more than a hundre...
“Sara had let her guard slip. She had been thinking about home. She’d lived here since she was a teenager and hadn’t grown accustomed to celebrating Halloween in this heat. A Halloween without crows or bonfires in late spring heat.”
Kay Flanagan
substack.com/@kayflanagan
kayflanagan.substack.com
Irish writer Kay Flanagan is one of my favourite fiction writers. Her novel is on Medium but many of her short stories are also on Substack. She is the most loyal follower of my “366 Short Story Seeds”, and she’s already approached more than a hundre...
“Sara had let her guard slip. She had been thinking about home. She’d lived here since she was a teenager and hadn’t grown accustomed to celebrating Halloween in this heat. A Halloween without crows or bonfires in late spring heat.”
Kay’s Substack | Substack
11
Mark Richard Francis
substack.com/@markrichardfrancis
markfrancis228.substack.com
He is “Building Nur” in public, an epic fantasy worldbuilding adventure! And there’s fiction too! Let me quote the first paragraph from said fiction:
“His metal-shod fist caught the horse thief clean under the jaw. Teeth flew. Blood sprayed. The man’s teeth tolled against Eiame’s armor like a cracked bell. He sagged, held upright only by Eiame’s grip on his wrist. A dulled dagger slipped from the ...
Ka-POW! If that doesn’t just wallop you in the head, then I feel very sorry for you. I honestly haven’t read any more than that (I came along for the world-building). But I WANT to.
Mark Richard Francis
substack.com/@markrichardfrancis
markfrancis228.substack.com
He is “Building Nur” in public, an epic fantasy worldbuilding adventure! And there’s fiction too! Let me quote the first paragraph from said fiction:
“His metal-shod fist caught the horse thief clean under the jaw. Teeth flew. Blood sprayed. The man’s teeth tolled against Eiame’s armor like a cracked bell. He sagged, held upright only by Eiame’s grip on his wrist. A dulled dagger slipped from the ...
Ka-POW! If that doesn’t just wallop you in the head, then I feel very sorry for you. I honestly haven’t read any more than that (I came along for the world-building). But I WANT to.
My Ex-Wife is My Dungeon Master (D&D eBooks & Advice) | Mark Richard Francis | Substack
12
Beth (the Baker) Hempton
substack.com/@beththebaker
bethhempton.substack.com
A vibrant member of the resistance and a glorious soul. She also has a serial novel in progress! (It’s called “Passages”!)
“Calliope gently stepped out into the night. She breathed in the humidity, feeling the summer heat, even after dark, permeating her skin.” “The extreme dampness pushed back against her and sunk into her pores making her want to turn around and go bac...
Beth (the Baker) Hempton
substack.com/@beththebaker
bethhempton.substack.com
A vibrant member of the resistance and a glorious soul. She also has a serial novel in progress! (It’s called “Passages”!)
“Calliope gently stepped out into the night. She breathed in the humidity, feeling the summer heat, even after dark, permeating her skin.” “The extreme dampness pushed back against her and sunk into her pores making her want to turn around and go bac...
Curiouser and Curiouser | Beth the Baker | Substack
13
Lev Raphael
substack.com/@levraphael
levraphael.substack.com
Creative writing, about writing, about books, about writers. He recently wrote about poet Terri Jewell:
“...we sat cross-legged on the floor and found ourselves gradually opening up about the oppressions we dealt with, her as a Black gay woman, me as a Jewish gay men. We both felt that we were under constant observation by the majority that was so unli...
Lev Raphael
substack.com/@levraphael
levraphael.substack.com
Creative writing, about writing, about books, about writers. He recently wrote about poet Terri Jewell:
“...we sat cross-legged on the floor and found ourselves gradually opening up about the oppressions we dealt with, her as a Black gay woman, me as a Jewish gay men. We both felt that we were under constant observation by the majority that was so unli...
RaphaelWrites | Substack
14
Redd Oscar
substack.com/@reddoscarwrites
reddoscarwrites.substack.com
His serial fiction “The Mage Hunter” is ongoing, and offers a fascinating interpretation of magic! I have also read his shorts, and I enjoyed his science fiction story about Proxima Centauri (The Atlanteans of Proxima b) which begins:
“In the Year of Our Lord 2731 we reached our nearest neighbouring star system, Alpha Centauri, with The Ark, a starship built for 10’000 cryogenically frozen people to take a thirty year one-way trip and set about colonising the planet Proxima b, a t...
Redd Oscar
substack.com/@reddoscarwrites
reddoscarwrites.substack.com
His serial fiction “The Mage Hunter” is ongoing, and offers a fascinating interpretation of magic! I have also read his shorts, and I enjoyed his science fiction story about Proxima Centauri (The Atlanteans of Proxima b) which begins:
“In the Year of Our Lord 2731 we reached our nearest neighbouring star system, Alpha Centauri, with The Ark, a starship built for 10’000 cryogenically frozen people to take a thirty year one-way trip and set about colonising the planet Proxima b, a t...
ReddOscarWrites - Fantasy, SciFi, and Horror | Substack
15
Fay Reid
substack.com/@fayreid
fayreid.substack.com
(Update 2026: RIP Fay. Humanity is diminished with her passing.)
The oldest Substacker I know of, but she’s not shy about delivering her opinions (founded on decades of life experience, including starting off Canadian and ending up Californian).
“I want the names, occupations, corporations, employers of every single man, regardless of his skin color - I don’t care if he’s white, brown, black, or sky blue pink with purple polka dots I want each and every one who visited, participated, or even...
Fay Reid
substack.com/@fayreid
fayreid.substack.com
(Update 2026: RIP Fay. Humanity is diminished with her passing.)
The oldest Substacker I know of, but she’s not shy about delivering her opinions (founded on decades of life experience, including starting off Canadian and ending up Californian).
“I want the names, occupations, corporations, employers of every single man, regardless of his skin color - I don’t care if he’s white, brown, black, or sky blue pink with purple polka dots I want each and every one who visited, participated, or even...
Fay’s Rants | Substack
16
Chris Rosser
substack.com/@chrisrosser
chrisrosser.substack.com
I have to confess, I’m an old fan of Chris. I used to get his old newsletter where I read some of his fiction. Now he’s releasing his fantasy fiction onto Substack, and I’m all in!
“The archivist knew death would come today. He had dreamt of the mountain splitting asunder and the underworld clawing free, dragging them all to hell. When he woke, lathered in sweat, the taste of ash soured his tongue. The portent clung to him, as ...
Chris Rosser
substack.com/@chrisrosser
chrisrosser.substack.com
I have to confess, I’m an old fan of Chris. I used to get his old newsletter where I read some of his fiction. Now he’s releasing his fantasy fiction onto Substack, and I’m all in!
“The archivist knew death would come today. He had dreamt of the mountain splitting asunder and the underworld clawing free, dragging them all to hell. When he woke, lathered in sweat, the taste of ash soured his tongue. The portent clung to him, as ...
Rosser Writes | Substack
17
This Will Hold
substack.com/@thiswillhold
thiswillhold.substack.com
Politics! Because, well, it’s 2025, and how can I not? With 53k subscribers at this moment, and Top 10 in World Politics on Substack, they don’t need my boost. But, they have it.
“Since November 6th and the certification of the election results in December, The Common Coalition has built a team of more than fifty experts and volunteers who’ve been doing the hard, investigative, data-driven work of exposing what actually happe...
This Will Hold
substack.com/@thiswillhold
thiswillhold.substack.com
Politics! Because, well, it’s 2025, and how can I not? With 53k subscribers at this moment, and Top 10 in World Politics on Substack, they don’t need my boost. But, they have it.
“Since November 6th and the certification of the election results in December, The Common Coalition has built a team of more than fifty experts and volunteers who’ve been doing the hard, investigative, data-driven work of exposing what actually happe...
This Will Hold | Substack
18
Tracy
substack.com/@wyrdplay
wyrdplay.substack.com
Fiction and memoir, from a lovely person with a great writing voice. She doesn’t post often, but it’s always worthwhile when she does!
“I loved her because she comforted me as I sat weeping beneath her boughs, devastated by some childish slight I no longer remember. But what I do recall, what I shall continue to cherish to the end of my days is the certainty that she wept alongside ...
Tracy
substack.com/@wyrdplay
wyrdplay.substack.com
Fiction and memoir, from a lovely person with a great writing voice. She doesn’t post often, but it’s always worthwhile when she does!
“I loved her because she comforted me as I sat weeping beneath her boughs, devastated by some childish slight I no longer remember. But what I do recall, what I shall continue to cherish to the end of my days is the certainty that she wept alongside ...
Trial & Error | Tracy | Substack
19
Angeline Trevena
substack.com/@angelinetrevena
angelinetrevena.substack.com
Worldbuilding guru! Maps, prompts, and so much inspiration!
“It’s one thing to gather around a natural blaze, such as a lightning-struck tree, a lava flow, or a lucky pocket of sulphur near the surface, but the moment someone decides to make fire on purpose? That’s the moment everything changes. Fire becomes ...
And in your world, that moment might mean something very different.
Whether you’re building a pre-industrial fantasy setting or imagining a post-apocalyptic society clawing back lost knowledge, the question of fire—when it arrived, what it meant, and how it’s used—gives you a subtle but powerful tool for shaping a cu...
Angeline Trevena
substack.com/@angelinetrevena
angelinetrevena.substack.com
Worldbuilding guru! Maps, prompts, and so much inspiration!
“It’s one thing to gather around a natural blaze, such as a lightning-struck tree, a lava flow, or a lucky pocket of sulphur near the surface, but the moment someone decides to make fire on purpose? That’s the moment everything changes. Fire becomes ...
And in your world, that moment might mean something very different.
Whether you’re building a pre-industrial fantasy setting or imagining a post-apocalyptic society clawing back lost knowledge, the question of fire—when it arrived, what it meant, and how it’s used—gives you a subtle but powerful tool for shaping a cu...
Step-by-Step Worldbuilding | Angeline Trevena | Substack
20
Alastair Williams
substack.com/@alastairwilliams
thequantumcat.space
He’s one of the first people I followed on Substack. Regular posts about space, astronomy, science, and nature, including news from recent missions, every one of them is right up my alley. As a life-long science-fiction writer, I’ve always been inter...
“Of all the clusters of stars in the night sky, the Pleiades are perhaps the most famous. Humans have watched them for thousands of years. Ancient paintings of them on cave walls might represent our first forays into astronomy and science, or at leas...
Alastair Williams
substack.com/@alastairwilliams
thequantumcat.space
He’s one of the first people I followed on Substack. Regular posts about space, astronomy, science, and nature, including news from recent missions, every one of them is right up my alley. As a life-long science-fiction writer, I’ve always been inter...
“Of all the clusters of stars in the night sky, the Pleiades are perhaps the most famous. Humans have watched them for thousands of years. Ancient paintings of them on cave walls might represent our first forays into astronomy and science, or at leas...
The Quantum Cat | Alastair Williams | Substack
BONUS ONE (This is ME!)
EternalArt
substack.com/@eternalart
theeternalart.substack.com
A high fantasy world (a place I decided needed its own Substack) focusing on the story of Araled, a young mage making his way in the world and figuring out some THINGS. Season 5 of that free serial is about to start (as I write this) but the whole se...
“If I were just some country mage, I might be a village farsender, an expert on a small number of local destinations, or a seller of charms and talismans, which any mage is readily capable of making, or I might wander the Boundary Road, and the Kinno...
If not for the accident of my birth, I'd be free to choose any of these, or other, vocations.
As things are, I am bound by my birthright, my duty to the lan, my obligations here and in the capital, beholden to all. Above all, I am subject to the family curse, from which there seems to be no escape. I am not just some country mage.”
EternalArt
substack.com/@eternalart
theeternalart.substack.com
A high fantasy world (a place I decided needed its own Substack) focusing on the story of Araled, a young mage making his way in the world and figuring out some THINGS. Season 5 of that free serial is about to start (as I write this) but the whole se...
“If I were just some country mage, I might be a village farsender, an expert on a small number of local destinations, or a seller of charms and talismans, which any mage is readily capable of making, or I might wander the Boundary Road, and the Kinno...
If not for the accident of my birth, I'd be free to choose any of these, or other, vocations.
As things are, I am bound by my birthright, my duty to the lan, my obligations here and in the capital, beholden to all. Above all, I am subject to the family curse, from which there seems to be no escape. I am not just some country mage.”
The Eternal Art | EternalArt | Substack
BONUS TWO (This is ALSO ME!)
Neil Shooter
substack.com/@neilshooter
neilshooter.substack.com
Short stories, a serial novel heading behind a paywall in Jan 2026, semi-regular posts on subjects as diverse as language, rural life, road trips, and the dire state of world affairs, it’s an eclectic mix, but broken into relevant sections (you can s...
“The house is silent apart from the stubborn ticking of a clock in the kitchen. Somehow the battery hasn’t run out yet.
A light rain starts, hitting the metal chimney like flung gravel, and I am grateful to be inside.
Someone shuffles to the toilet in the darkness. Someone else begins to snore until someone beside them pokes them, they snort, and the sound ceases.
I should sleep. I need to sleep. There’s still such a long way to go.”
Neil Shooter
substack.com/@neilshooter
neilshooter.substack.com
Short stories, a serial novel heading behind a paywall in Jan 2026, semi-regular posts on subjects as diverse as language, rural life, road trips, and the dire state of world affairs, it’s an eclectic mix, but broken into relevant sections (you can s...
“The house is silent apart from the stubborn ticking of a clock in the kitchen. Somehow the battery hasn’t run out yet.
A light rain starts, hitting the metal chimney like flung gravel, and I am grateful to be inside.
Someone shuffles to the toilet in the darkness. Someone else begins to snore until someone beside them pokes them, they snort, and the sound ceases.
I should sleep. I need to sleep. There’s still such a long way to go.”
Life, the Universe, and ALL THE THINGS | Neil Shooter | Substack