Lightspeed Magazine Series

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month's cover features artwork from Sam Schechter, illustrating a brand-new science fiction story by Violet Allen ("The Null Space Conundrum"). This story is a wild adventure that's just as colorful as its artwork! Also, if you're the type of person who ever wondered what happened to the golf balls Alan Shepard smacked around on the moon, our new story from Andrew Penn Romine ("Miles and Miles and Miles") might hold an answer. We also have SF reprints by Karen Lord ("The Mysteries") and Indrapramit Das ("The Moon Is Not A Battlefield"). Our first original fantasy story this month, "Ahura Yazda, The Great Extraordinary" by Senaa Ahmad, gives us to some fantastical creatures . . . trying to make a quiet life in Canada's farm country. We also have some salty new fiction from Adam-Troy Castro ("Sand Castles"), as well as fantasy reprints by J. Anderson Coats ("Mother Carey's Table") and Micah Dean Hicks ("Song Beneath the City"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. For our ebook readers, we also have and an excerpt from Sarah Gailey's new novel, Magic for Liars.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 118th issue! This month's cover is by Elizabeth Leggett, and illustrates a new original short by Russell Nichols called "Giant Steps." It's a thought-provoking story of a woman wrestling with life, motherhood, and space exploration. We also have a new short from Adam-Troy Castro ("Many Happy Returns"), which follows an inter-galactic adventurer bent on escaping life's responsibilities. We also have SF reprints by A.M. Dellamonica ("Living the Quiet Life") and Charlie Jane Anders ("Reliable People"). Our original fantasy shorts include a story with a surprising botanical twist: "Tend to Me," by Kristina Ten. Tahmeed Shafiq brings us a sweeping tale of gods and romance in "Love and Marriage in the Hexasun Lands." Our fantasy reprints are by Aimee Bender ("Viewer, Violator") and Eric Schaller ("Three Urban Folk Tales"). Our interview this month is with debut novelist K.M. Szpara. And of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from best-selling author Veronica Roth's first adult novel: CHOSEN ONES.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month, Matthew Baker looks beyond ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK to imagine the future of corrections. Is his idea better than our current prison system? Decide for yourself after you read "Life Sentence." If you like your science fiction with a steampunk flavor, we're happy to share "Harry and Marlowe and the Disinclined Laboratory," the latest installment in Carrie Vaughn's The Aetherian Revolution series. We also have SF reprints from Elizabeth Bear ("Okay, Glory") and Gord Sellar ("The Incursus by Asimov-NN#71"). Our fantasy selections start off with an original take on Canadian folklore from KT Bryski: "Ti-Jean's Last Adventure, as Told to Raccoon," a tale of trickster versus trickster. The saga of Vrath and Sha'ant continues in the newest installment of Ashok K. Banker's Legends of the Burnt Empire, "The Terrible Oath." We also have fantasy reprints by Crystal Koo ("The Perpetual Day") and Dennis Danvers ("Healing Benjamin"). Our nonfiction lovers will enjoy our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. We also have an interview with author Lilliam Rivera. For our ebook readers, we have an ebook-exclusive reprint of Kat Howard's novella "Hath No Fury." Our book excerpt is from Micah Dean Hicks' new novel, BREAK THE BODIES, HAUNT THE BONES.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month, our cover art is by Reiko Murakami, illustrating new science fiction from Dale Bailey ("The Horror of Party Beach"). We also have new SF from Molly Tanzer ("The Real YouTM"), along with SF reprints by Adrienne Celt ("Big Boss Bitch") and Jack Skillingstead ("Tribute"). Our original fantasy shorts are by Cameron Van Sant ("Super-Luminous Spiral") and Mel Kassel ("Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake"). We also have fantasy reprints by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ("Kaleidoscope") and Alex Irvine ("The Dream Curator"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. We also have a feature interview with author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Our e-book exclusive novella reprint is "Investments" by Walter Jon Williams. Ebook readers can also enjoy an extract from Dale Bailey's new novel IN THE NIGHT WOOD.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month, our cover art comes from Marcel Mercado, illustrating the first story in a new series of fantasy shorts by Ashok K. Banker--"A Love Story Written on Water." Plus, we have a mouth-watering new short fantasy piece by Shaenon K. Garrity ("Grandma Novak's Famous Nut Roll"), and fantasy reprints by Adam-Troy Castro ("Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs") and Karen Lord ("The Counsellor Crow"). For science fiction, we have original shorts by Lizz Huerta ("Mouths") and Seanan McGuire ("Under the Sea of Stars"). We're also featuring SF reprints by Kim Stanley Robinson ("Remaking History") and Maurice Broaddus ("Vade Retro Satana"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. For our ebook readers, we also have an ebook-exclusive novella reprint--"All the Flavors" by Ken Liu--and an excerpt from Mirah Bolender's debut novel, CITY OF BROKEN MAGIC.

LIGHTSPEED #1 was launched in June 2010, and now eight years later, we've reached a milestone: Issue 100. To celebrate, we're publishing a super-sized issue, with ten original stories--more than twice the amount of original fiction than usual--plus ten reprints and some special nonfiction to boot. And to make things even more commemorative, the vast majority of our fiction in this issue, both original and reprint, comes from our most frequently published fiction contributors—the LIGHTSPEEDiest writers to ever LIGHTSPEED. It's a distillation of what we're made of, and we're beyond excited to share it with all of you. Our cover art this month comes from Hugo award-winning artist (and fifty-three-time LIGHTSPEED illustrator) Galen Dara, illustrating new science fiction from Vylar Kaftan: "Her Monster, Whom She Loved." We also have new SF from Carrie Vaughn ("Harry and Marlowe and the Secret of Ahomana"), Adam-Troy Castro ("The Last to Matter"), Ken Liu ("The Explainer"), and Sofia Samatar ("Hard Mary"), plus reprints from A. Merc Rustad ("How to Become a Robot in 12 Easy Steps"), Charles Yu ("NPC"), Caroline M. Yoachim ("Stone Wall Truth"), An Owomoyela ("Travelling Into Nothing"), Seanan McGuire ("Frontier ABCs: The Life and Times of Charity Smith, Schoolteacher"), and David Barr Kirtley ("They Go Bump"). On the fantasy side of the ledger, we're featuring new work from Maria Dahvana Headley ("You Pretend Like You Never Met Me, and I'll Pretend Like I Never Met You"), Cadwell Turnbull ("Jump"), Genevieve Valentine ("Abandonware"), Sam J. Miller ("Conspicuous Plumage"), and Kat Howard ("A Brief Guide to the Seeking of Ghosts"), plus we have reprints from Yoon Ha Lee ("The Coin of Heart's Desire"), Theodora Goss ("Elena's Egg"), Charlie Jane Anders ("The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest"), and Jeremiah Tolbert ("The Girl with Sun in Her Head"). We've also got an array of nonfiction features, including a special celebration of our contributors' and staff members' favorite LIGHTSPEED stories of all-time, and then our novel excerpt this month is from Gene Doucette's THE SPACESHIP NEXT DOOR.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month Deji Bryce Olukotun serves up a complicated story of morality, justice and interstellar cannibalism in "Between the Dark and the Dark." In her new SF tale "The Harvest of a Half-Known Life", G.V. Anderson creates a post-apocalyptic world where knowledge is precious, but so is your hair and skin. We also have SF reprints by Ken Liu ("An Advanced Reader's Picture Book of Comparative Cognition") and Yoon Ha Lee ("Warhosts"). Isabel Cañas knits fantasy and romance in "The Weight of a Thousand Needles," and Caspian Gray's "Unpublished Gay Cancer Survivor Memoir" adds magic to an unpromising millenial's life. Our fantasy reprints are from the legendary Karen Joy Fowler ("The Last Worders") and Ellen Kushner ("When Two Swordsmen Meet"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. We'll also have an interview with debut novelist--and frequent LIGHTSPEED contributor--Cadwell Turnbull. Our ebook readers will enjoy an ebook-exclusive reprint of the novella "Dust to Dust," by Tochi Onyebuchi. We also have a pair of excerpts this month: one from Bryan Camp's new novel GATHER THE FORTUNES, and one from Peter Cawdron's book REENTRY.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Usually, artwork is commissioned to illustrate a story, but we're turning things on their heads! Our cover this month is from the multi-award-winning artist Julie Dillon, and it served as the inspiration for Kathleen Kayembe's science fantasy novelette "The Ocean That Fades Into Sky." It's a tale that asks "What happens to the gods of a planet when human beings arrive to terraform it?" If you're a fan of superhero stories, you'll enjoy the new fantasy short from Adam-Troy Castro called "The Minor Superhero at Home, After His Series Ends." We also have fantasy reprints by Debbie Urbanski ("The Portal") and Kurt Fawver ("The Convexity of Our Youth"). Our first original SF short is set in a war-torn futuristic India. It's called "This Way to Paradise," by Rati Mehrotra. Our other piece of original science fiction--Matthew Kressel's "Truth Is Like the Sun"--looks at the effects of the first pop music concert broadcast from space. We're also reprinting science fiction by Max Gladstone ("The Iron Man") and Nancy Kress ("Cocoons"). Of course in the nonfiction department, we have our usual assortment of author spotlights. Our feature interview is with frequent LIGHTSPEED contributor Ashok K. Banker. We also have the latest installments in our book and media review columns. If you're an ebook reader, you'll get to enjoy an ebook-exclusive reprint of "Fallow" by Sofia Samatar, and an excerpt from AN ILLUSION OF THIEVES by Cate Glass.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. If you've ever worked a terrible service job, you'll want to take a trip to Robot Country--the weird and sometimes hilarious world of Dominica Phetteplace's new SF short "One Thousand Beetles in a Jumpsuit." Kendra Fortmeyer brings us our second original science fiction short, "No Matter," which wrestles with time travel paradoxes. We also have terrific reprints from Sam J. Miller ("Calved") and Carlos Hernandez ("The Macrobe Conservation Project"). In our first fantasy short, "The Final Blow," Scott Sigler takes us onto the battlefield...and into the mind of one scared young witness. Cassandra Khaw spins a lovely fable about two dangerous lovers in "A Leash of Foxes, Their Stories Like Barter." Our fantasy reprints include "The Rock Eaters," by Brenda Peynado, and "Card Sharp," by Rajan Khanna. Besides fiction, we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Plus, we have a feature interview with Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month, our cover art comes from Reiko Murakami, illustrating a brand-new short story set in A. Merc Rustad's Sun Lords of the Principality series: "With Teeth Unmake the Sun." Our other original science fiction story, "Midway," by Tony Ballantyne, is about living life as an intergalactic wanderer. We also have SF reprints by Roger Zelazny ("The Engine at Heartspring's Center") and Sarah Micklem ("The Book Collector"). Our original fantasy stories include the second installment of Ashok K. Banker's Legends of the Burnt Empire series--and if family sagas are for you, you definitely won't want to miss this new story, "Son of Water and Fire." Meg Elison digs into family drama, too, in our second fantasy original, "Endor House," which is one witchy reporter's attempt to tell the story of a family of magical innovators. We also have fantasy reprints by Emily B. Cataneo ("The Emerald Coat and Other Wishes") and E. Lily Yu ("The Pilgrim and the Angel"). Our nonfiction lovers will enjoy our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. We're also excited to bring you a feature interview with Henry Lien, who is not only creating inspiring fantasy fiction for younger readers, but who once served as LIGHTSPEED's art director. We couldn't be happier for his success! For our ebook readers, we have an ebook-exclusive reprint of the fantasy novella "What There Was to See," by Maria Dahvana Headley, and an excerpt from Charlie Jane Anders' new novel, THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 114th issue! Christopher D. Park created this month's cover art to illustrate a new original fantasy story by Yoon Ha Lee. Want to find out just why this little monster is hanging out in a coffee shop? Read Lee's "The Second-Last Client" and see! Our other original fantasy short plunges into the cold coastal waters of the Orkney Islands as Melissa Marr sends us "Knee Deep in the Sea." We're also sharing fantasy reprints by Theodora Goss ("A Country Called Winter") and Ken Liu ("The Hidden Girl"). We return to Robot Country--or at least Dominica Phetteplace's Robot Country series--in "Her Appetite, His Heart," a story of one man's quest to make things right with his ex-girlfriend. Adam-Troy Castro also writes about love in his new short "Eros Pratfalled, or, Adrift in the Cosmos With Lasagna and Mary Steenburgen." We also have SF reprints by Matthew Bright ("The Concubine's Heart") and Genevieve Valentine ("Overburden"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with Rivers Solomon. For our ebook readers, we also have an excerpt from Sonya Taaffe's new fiction collection, FORGET THE SLEEPLESS SHORES.

LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 129th issue! Can you mix hard science and fairy tales? This month Phoebe Barton does just that in the very touching "The Mathematics of Fairyland." Writing duo Keith Brooke and Eric Brown return to our pages in a story of one life split between two different worlds: "Me Two." We also have SF reprints by Paul Crenshaw ("Bulletproof Tattoos") and Maureen F. McHugh ("Sidewalks"). Our first piece of original fantasy this month is A.T. Greenblatt's "The Memory of a Memory Is a Spirit"-a story of an island filled with magic and wonder. Alexander Weinstein also gives us a magical new locale in the latest installment of his From the Lost Travelers' Tour Guide series. This one is called "Destinations of Beauty." Our fantasy reprints include work from Micah Dean Hicks ("Church of Birds") and Autumn Brown ("Small and Bright"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, plus our book reviewers have scoured the shelves for some exciting new reads. Our ebook readers will enjoy an excerpt from Evarina Maxwell's new novel WINTER'S ORBIT.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 115th issue! We have a new SF short from Matthew Baker: "A Bad Day in Utopia." Like a lot of utopias in fiction, this one will leave you wondering just what makes for a perfect society--and who gets to decide what works and what doesn't. Pat Murphy writes about a very awkward conversation in her SF short "Motherhood," brought to you by recent US headlines. We also have SF reprints by T.L. Huchu ("Njuzu") and Rick Wilber ("Today Is Today"). KT Bryski gives us a forested fairy tale re-telling in her new fantasy short "The Path of Pins, the Path of Needles." Our second original fantasy story, "The End of the Sleeping Girls" by Molly Gutman, also takes us into the woods . . . and out of them. We also have fantasy reprints by Daniel Abraham ("The Mocking Tower") and Cat Rambo ("The Silent Familiar"). All that, and of course we have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our interview this month is with bestselling author Daniel José Older. For our ebook readers, we also have a book excerpt from SISTERS OF THE VAST BLACK by Lina Rather.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 119th issue. We're really excited to share "The Least of These," a brand-new short by Veronica Roth! We also have a snapshot of what creativity will look like in the future in Andrew Dana Hudson's new short, "Voice of Their Generation." Our SF reprints are by Yoon Ha Lee ("Always the Harvest") and Vandana Singh ("A Subtle Web"). Our new fantasy short by Celeste Rita Baker ("Glass Bottle Dancer") might make you appreciate the insects in your world just a little bit more. Rati Mehrotra writes about love, loss, and witchcraft in a new short called "The Witch Speaks." We also have fantasy reprints by Caleb Wilson ("Bow Down Before the Snail King!") and Fred Van Lente ("Neversleeps"). Of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview will be with Katie M. Flynn. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from the aforementioned Veronica Roth's new novel, CHOSEN ONES.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 121st issue! We're kicking off our tenth year with an original fantasy short from Julianna Baggott, "The Postictal State of Divine Love," which blends myths of vampirism with the pain of living with someone with a chronic illness. The story is the inspiration for our cover art from Reiko Murakami. Ben Peek brings us our second piece of original fantasy in "Refuge," another deep dive into the way history disappears into myth-this time in an all-too-believable secondary world. We also have fantasy reprints by Megan Arkenberg ("Danae") and Ken Liu ("What I Assume You Shall Assume"). Our science fiction originals begin with a cunning solution to a tricky problem: how to best age and market fine Scotch. Find out how in Marie Vibbert's new "Single Malt Spacecraft." In our other SF short, Em North has crafted a terrifying alien invasion in her story "Real Animals." Our reprints this month come from Tochi Onyebuchi ("Still Life with Hammers, a Broom, and a Brick Stacker") and Matthew Kressel ("The Marsh of Camarina"). Our nonfiction team brings you our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with Jessica Cluess. Our e-book exclusive excerpt is from Alaya Dawn Johnson's new novel TROUBLE THE SAINTS.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Ever wonder what it would be like if archaeology could skip digging in the dirt and just go straight to excavating time? Caroline M. Yoachim explores just this idea in her new short story "The Archronology of Love." Our cover art this month, from Reiko Murakami, illustrates this story. Our other original SF short is by Matthew Corradi ("Gundark Island, or Tars Tarkas Needs Your Help"), taking us adventuring with a group of boys and their very interesting companion. You can also enjoy SF reprints by Cory Doctorow ("To Market, To Market: The Branding of Billy Bailey") and Michael Swanwick ("The She-Wolf's Hidden Grin"). Ashok K. Banker's Legends of the Burnt Empire series comes to an explosive conclusion in "The Seeds of War," a new story about Vrath and the terrible repercussions of his vows. Shweta Adhyam takes a look at the pros and cons of prophecy in her new story "A Conch-Shell's Notes." We also have fantasy reprints by Carmen Maria Machado ("Blur") and Carrie Vaughn ("The Lady of Shalott"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. We also have an interview with Rebecca Roanhorse. For our ebook readers, we also have a reprint of the novella "The Speed of Belief," by Robert Reed. You can also enjoy an excerpt from the novel UPON A BURNING THRONE, by Ashok K. Banker.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. This month's cover art is by Galen Dara, illustrating an original fantasy short story by Theodora Goss ("Queen Lily"). We also have new short fiction from Matthew Hughes ("Hapthorn's Last Case"), and fantasy reprints by Cadwell Turnbull ("Other Worlds and This One") and Sofia Samatar ("Meet Me In Iram"). We have original science fiction by Theodore McCombs ("Talk to Your Children about Two-Tongued Jeremy") and Stephen Graham Jones ("Moon Boys"), along with SF reprints by Charles Yu ("America: The Ride") and Maureen McHugh ("Oversite"). Our nonfiction team brings us our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with author Andy Duncan. For our e-book readers, this month's novella reprint is "Trinity," by Nancy Kress. We also have an excerpt from Molly Tanzer's new novel, CREATURES OF WANT AND RUIN.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 120th issue. This month's cover is from Galen Dara, illustrating a new science fiction short by Adam-Troy Castro. If you've ever wondered how a time traveler would see your personal problems, be sure to read Castro's new "The Time Traveler's Advice to the Lovelorn." Ada Hoffmann has created a future where AIs are gods and angels are cyborgs in "Melting Like Metal." We also have SF reprints by Alex Irvine ("One Hundred Sentences About the City of the Future") and Charlie Jane Anders ("Rager in Space"). Millie Ho spins a story of fire, rebirth, and love in her new fantasy short "The Fenghuang." Alexander Weinstein also tackles issues of the heart in his new "Destinations of Love." Our fantasy reprints are from Carmen Maria Machado ("I Bury Myself") and C. Robert Cargill ("We Are Where the Nightmares Go"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with Stephen Graham Jones. Our ebook readers will also enjoy a book excerpt from Molly Tanzer's CREATURES OF CHARM AND HUNGER.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LLIGHTSPEED's 113th issue! This month's first original short story comes from E. Lily Yu--and it's a classic tale of a naïve prince, a scheming queen, and a good-hearted cook. So where do the deer come in? You'll have to read "The Valley of Wounded Deer" to find out. Our other original fantasy short ("Windrose in Scarlet") is by Isabel Yap, who plaits two well-known fairy tales into a brand-new story. We also have fantasy reprints by Kai Ashante Wilson ("«Légendaire.»") and Ken Liu ("The Hidden Girl"). Our science fiction shorts include an original story by Eli Brown, "Nesting Habits of Enceladan Jade Beetles," which takes us on a scientific expedition to icy Enceladus. Once you defrost from that chilly read, warm up with Ray Nayler's new short, "The Death of Fire Station 10," a thoughtful muse on intelligence in all its forms. We also have SF reprints by Sam J. Miller ("The Beasts We Want to Be") and WC Dunlap ("Revival"). Of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, book and media review columns, and a feature interview with Valerie Valdes. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Cixin Liu's new novel, SUPERNOVA ERA.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 125th issue! Do you love power armor? Do you love giant robots? Do you love people in power armor fighting giant robots? Well then, we've got you covered! Todd McAulty's newest short story ("The Ambient Intelligence") is here to meet all your power armor vs. robot needs. Our other new short SF is from Jenny Rae Rappaport: "Everything and Nothing," a story of love and futuristic warfare. We also have the next installment of Caroline M. Yoachim's Shadow Prisons series ("The Shadow Prisoner's Dilemma") and a classic from Ken Liu ("Byzantine Empathy"). Our first piece of original fantasy this month ("The Vampire of Kovacspeter") is the tale of a level-headed vampire hunter written by P H Lee. Naomi Kanakia tells us about how video games can change a life in her new story "Everquest." We also have fantasy reprints by Stephanie Malia Morris ("Forty Acres and a Mule") and Minsoo Kang ("The Virtue of Unfaithful Translations"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with CL Polk. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Cory Doctorow's new novel, ATTACK SURFACE.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 122nd issue! Our cover art this month is from Galen Dara, illustrating our first original fantasy short of the month: "Baba Yaga and the Seven Hills," by Kristina Ten. Is there a place for a centuries-old Russian witch in San Francisco? You'd be surprised! Mari Ness takes us to Neverland in her piratical tale of "Great Gerta and the Mermaid." Plus, we have fantasy reprints by Benjamin Rosenbaum ("A Siege of Cranes") and Kiini Ibura Salaam ("Rosamojo"). During lockdown, it was hard not to think in terms of apocalypses. Things were so strange, so upended and lonely, that it seemed like the end of, if not the world, normal life. Luckily for us, apocalypse is always on Adam-Troy Castro's mind. He's given us a new story about different kinds of apocalypses in "The End of The World Measured in Values of N." Ray Nayler returns with an SF original ("The Swallows of the Storm") about a scientist researching an inexplicable phenomenon. We also have reprints by Tochi Onyebuchi ("Zen and the Art of an Android Beatdown, or Cecile Meets a Boxer: A Love Story") and Annalee Newitz ("The Blue Fairy's Manifesto"). Our nonfiction team brings our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with Alaya Dawn Johnson. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Ryan Van Loan's debut novel, THE SIN IN THE STEEL.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 117th issue! Our first SF short of the issue ("How We Burn," by Brenda Peynado) takes us into a future where helicopter parents have gone way too far. How are kids supposed to rebel when they have the expectations of four generations weighing on their shoulders? Then we swoop a little bit closer to our own future in JT Petty's "The Gamecocks," which explores what will happen to America's working class once self-driving vehicles become commonplace. We also have SF reprints by Victor LaValle ("Ark of Light") and Maria Romasco-Moore ("Dying Light"). The multi-award-winning Kij Johnson brings us a brand new fantasy short from the perspective of a bird: "Noah's Raven." You might remember Alexander Weinstein's travel guides from last month's "Destinations of Joy." Well, for every great travel adventure, there's an equally terrible one, and this month he's bringing us a new short called "Toxic Destinations." You might want to cancel your magical plane tickets! We also have fantasy reprints by Daniel José Older ("A Stranger at the Bochinche") and Theodora Goss ("A Statement in the Case"). Our interview this month is with author Nino Cipri, discussing all things labor union and IKEA (yes, IKEA). Of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from A.K. Larkwood's new novel, THE UNSPOKEN NAME.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 123rd issue! Our first SF short this month is a story about love, loss, and religion from Matthew Kressel ("Still You Linger, Like Soot in the Air"). Katherine Crighton writes about the residents of a generation ship who have lost touch with their history in her new short "Sing in Me, Muse." We also have SF reprints by Caroline M. Yoachim ("The Shadow Prison Experiment") and Sam J. Miller ("My Base Pair"). Benjamin Rosenbaum brings us our first piece of original fantasy this month in a new fable of witches, djinn, and different perspectives: "All Those Guardians of Order and Clarity, None of Them Can Abide a Free Witch." KT Bryski's story "The Bone-Stag Walks" is a new kind of fairy tale, complete with troubled siblings, snow, and discomforting forest animals. Our fantasy reprints this month are by Eden Royce ("Miss Beulah's Braiding and Life Changing Salon") and Carrie Vaughn ("The Huntsman and the Beast"). Our nonfiction team brings us our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. This month's feature interview is with Andrea Hairston.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 116th issue! This month, both our SF originals wrestle with alternate realities. In "The Men Who Change the World," writer Christopher East creates an alternate Earth with peace, prosperity...and a mysterious corporate entity that's more than it seems. In our second original short, "She'd Never Had a Name Before," J.R. Dawson gives her main character the opportunity to meet the sister she never got to grow up with. Will blood prove thicker than dimensionality? We also have SF reprints by duo Jason M. Hough & Ramez Naam ("All Together Now") and N.K. Jemisin ("The Ones Who Stay and Fight"). Our original fantasy shorts explore some very unusual travel destinations. First, we have a story by Alexander Weinstein called "Destinations of Joy," which will make you wish you could hop on a plane headed straight into Alexander's imagination. Then we have a new story by long-time LIGHTSPEED contributor Adam-Troy Castro: "Fortune's Final Hand," which takes us to a gambling town that makes Las Vegas look pretty boring by comparison. Plus, we have fantasy reprints by Kij Johnson ("Story Kit") and M. Rickert ("Holiday"). Our feature interview this month is with author Tochi Onyebuchi. We also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. For our ebook readers, we also have an excerpt from Sarah Kozloff's A QUEEN IN HIDING.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 127th issue! Our first piece of original science fiction is a deep dive into pop culture that will have you rethinking your relationship with advertising: "You Mind Is the Superfund Site," by writing duo Andrew Dana Hudson and C.Y. Ballard. Ben H. Winters brings us a twisted little piece of double-speak in his new story "PARTY TIME!" We also have SF reprints by Jennifer Marie Brisset ("The Executioner") and S.L. Huang ("The Woman Who Destroyed Us"). Our first piece of original fantasy this month is by Kali Wallace ("The Salt Warrior"), the story of a woman surviving her society . . . and its destruction. Plus, P H Lee is back with an original fairy tale: "Ann-of-Rags." We also have reprints by Maurice Broaddus ("Ah Been Buked") and Sofia Samatar ("An Account of the Land of Witches"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with E. Lily Yu. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Sam J. Miller's new novel THE BLADE BETWEEN.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 124th issue! Around here, we love giant robots, but our first SF original this month-"The Author's Wife vs. the Giant Robot," by Adam-Troy Castro-made us think twice about living in the shadow of one. Sunny Moraine's new short ("Note to Self") also wrestles with the ramifications of size, but this story tackles a much, much smaller topic: quantum mechanics. Our SF reprints include the second installment of Caroline M. Yoachim's Shadow Prisons series ("Shadow Prisons of the Mind") and "Machine Learning" by Hugh Howey. Our original fantasy shorts include another delightful trip to Alexander Weinstein's Eighth Continent: "Destinations of Waiting." Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam gives us a heroine with a difficult heritage and a supportive girlfriend in her new story "Entanglement." Our fantasy reprints are from L.D. Lewis ("Moses") and Karen Joy Fowler ("Persephone of the Crows"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with Mark Oshiro. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from bestselling author Christopher Paolini's new novel, TO SLEEP IN A SEA OF STARS.

LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF-and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to issue 156 of LIGHTSPEED! In 2016, we ran the story "Wednesday's Story" by Wole Talabi; we're delighted to return to the magical realm of the Days siblings with a new story from Wole: "Saturday's Song." We also have a lovely new original short from Kat Howard ("One Heart, Lost and Found") set on an extremely fascinating train. Our fantasy flash stories include "The Sword, the Butterfly, and the Pearl" by Deborah L. Davitt and "The Belfry Keeper" by S.L. Harris. For our science fiction shorts, in "She Blooms and the World is Changed" Izzy Wasserstein takes us to a new planet filled with risks-and occupied by a family dealing with these dangers. Timothy Mudie's new novelette ("Blood for a Stranger") wrestles with morality and cybernetic intelligence. We also have two terrific flash pieces: "Moons We Can Circumnavigate in One Day, or the Space Probe Love Story" from Natalia Theodoridou and "When Shiva Shattered the Time-Stream" by Sharang Biswas. On the nonfiction front, our book review team offers up some exciting new reads, and our author spotlight editor has dug deeper into our writers' processes and inspirations. Plus we have an excerpt from Cory Doctorow's new novel RED TEAM BLUES for our ebook readers.

LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 133rd issue, and welcome to our eleventh year of publishing great speculative fiction. We're kicking off the month with an original short fantasy story by Adam-Troy Castro with "A Tableau of Things That Are." It's a commentary on love and marriage and the prison system. Adam R. Shannon brings us a story about heroism in firefighting in his deeply affecting "When You Die on the Radio." We also have fantasy reprints from Sofia Samatar ("Wolf Tones") and Theodora Goss ("How to Become a Witch-Queen"). Our science fiction originals grapple with classic SFnal fare: alternate realities and aliens. Timothy Mudie brings us a love story complicated by reality hopping ("Different People") and in "Do Nothing," a story set on Alcatraz Island, Endria Isa Richardson weaves an extraterrestrial invasion with a criticism of the penal system (it's a great match for Castro's fantasy story). Our SF reprints are from Sam J. Miller ("The Nation of the Sick") and Nalo Hopkinson ("Inselberg"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with book reviews from our terrific review team. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Katherine Addison's new novel, THE WITNESS FOR THE DEAD.

LIGHTSPEED is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.    Welcome to issue 145 of LIGHTSPEED! Ask any two writers or critics to nail down the difference between fantasy and science fiction, and you'll come up with two different definitions. They're sibling genres who exist on continuum of the unlikely, and sometimes they even meet up. This month, we're serializing a novelette with one foot in the domain of SF and one foot proudly in the realm of fantasy: "The Crowning of the Lord Tazenket, Vulture God of the Eye," written by S.G. Demciri. Our other stories are a little easier to define. We've got a new post-apocalyptic SF short ("Zen Solaris and the God-Child") by Arden Powell, a flash piece ("Scientists Confirm: There's a Black Hole in the Center of Your Heart") from Jo Miles, and a reprint by C.C. Finlay ("One Basket"). P H Lee returns with the latest Tale of the Great Sweet Sea: "The Turnip, or, How The Whole World Was Brought to Peace," which is just as savory as it sounds. Susan Palwick creates a kaiju tale in her new flash piece "Picnic, with Monster." And our fantasy reprint is "Broken Record," by Stephen Graham Jones. Our nonfiction team has put together the usual terrific assortment of author spotlights and book reviews. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from IN THE SHADOW OF LIGHTNING, the latest novel from Brian McClellan.

LIGHTSPEED is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF--and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.   Welcome to LIGHTSPEED's 128th issue! We're kicking off the year with an original short by Anjali Sachdeva ("The Incorruptible World"), which asks the big question: If you could design the world to your taste, what would you include, and what would you leave out? And more dangerously: What would you forget? Our other original SF short is an alien tale ("The Memory Plague") from D. Thomas Minton that digs into the nature of identity and memory and the very worth of life. Our SF reprints are from An Owomoyela ("The Hard Spot in the Glacier") and Greg van Eekhout ("On the Fringes of the Fractal"). Our first fantasy original is from Adam-Troy Castro ("Answering the Questions You Might Have About the Kharbat") that mixes vicious beasts with a little bit of physics' observer effect.  We also have another original fairy tale from P H Lee, the chilly story of "Frost's Boy"-it will leave you ready for a hot cup of cocoa. Our fantasy reprints are from Maria Dahvana Headley ("The Orange Tree") and Liz Ziemska ("The Mushroom Queen"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, and our ebook readers will get to see a sneak peek of Greg Bear's new novel, THE UNFINISHED LAND. Our nonfiction department is reorganizing a bit, but you we've got three fantastic book reviews for you to dig into. Hope you enjoy the issue, and see you next month!