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, 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. 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. 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, 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 #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 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. 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. 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 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. 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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.   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 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 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 135 of LIGHTSPEED! This month's science fiction originals include a cyberpunk-flavored tale of mind control from Andrea Chapela (translated by Emma Torzs): "Now You Feel It." If you are a fan of Oliver Twist (or if you grew up in the 1980s, Oliver and Company), then our SF short story "Anything Short of Death Is Survivable" (by David Anaxagoras) will leave you saying "Please sir. I want some more . . . dangerous space salvage missions and mistreated orphans." Nelly Geraldine Garcia Rosas takes you on a trip to Titan in her flash piece "Before the Haze Devours You." Our reprint this month is from Maurice Broaddus ("City of Refuge"). Our first full-length fantasy short (and at 10,000 words, this one's a novelette) is "Now You See Me" by Justin C. Key-the story of an art exhibit with powerful consequences. In "The Tale of Jaja and Canti," Tobi Ogundirian brings us the story of a boy created by magic and the mother he's always yearned to find. Our flash story this month is the very touching "My Sister Is a Scorpion" from Isabel Canas. And our fantasy reprint is Sheree Renee Thomas's "Ancestries." 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 THE ALL-CONSUMING WORLD by Cassandra Khaw from Erewhon Books.

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 143 of LIGHTSPEED! This month, we return to Ashok K. Banker's Legends of the Burnt Empire series with their novella, "The History of Snakes"-a story so epic we'll be serializing over two weeks. Our other fantasy fiction includes a charming flash piece from Leah Cypess ("The Fairy Godmother Advice Column") and a reprint from Maurice Broaddus ("Dance of Bones"). Our first SF short is a story of climate change, violent apocalypse, and somehow the hope for healing. If you want your heart touched, don't miss "Everything the Sea Takes, it Returns" by Izzy Wasserstein. Phoebe Barton returns to our pages with the swashbuckling SF adventure "A Sword Has One Purpose," and Sandra McDonald dabbles in time travel in her flash story "Advice From The Civil Temporal Defense League." Our reprint this month is from Charlie Jane Anders ("The Day it All Ended"). Our interview team brings us spotlight interviews with our authors, and of course our crew of expert reviewers have provided their latest book recommendations. Our ebook readers will enjoy a book excerpt from KALYNA THE SOOTHSAYER, the debut novel by Elijah Kinch Spector.

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 126th issue! We're breaking with our usual schedule to serialize a novelette of quantum trouble: "Schrodinger's Catastrophe" by Gene Doucette. You won't want to miss either installment! We also have SF reprints by Dominica Phetteplace ("Seven Ways to Fall in Love with an Astronaut") and Jake Kerr ("Three Speeches About Billy Granger"). Our first original fantasy short this month is from Kat Howard ("The Lachrymist"), which explores the meanings of memory and mourning. On a less tearful note, Rati Mehrotra brings us a story straight from the World Tree itself ("Magnificent Maurice, or the Flowers of Immortality"). Much has been spoken about this legendary tree, but this story asks the important question: Who protects the tree from pests? We also have fantasy reprints by Molly Tanzer ("Le Cygne Baiseur") and Alberto Yanez ("Burn the Ships"). Of course our nonfiction team has put together our usual assortment of author spotlights, and book and media review columns. Our feature interview is with Usman T. Malik. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from Nicole Glover's debut fantasy novel, THE CONDUCTORS.

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. 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 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 134 of LIGHTSPEED! Our first piece of flash is the graffiti-flavored fantasy piece "How to Become an Ancestor" by Nicole D. Sconiers. Our SF flash story is the very unsettling "No Lies Detected" by Russell Nichols. Our full-length science fiction shorts include two short stories that feature recreation with an SFnal flavor. Everdeen Mason gives us the next mind-body health craze in her story "Miss the Zen but Miss You More." We also have a story of time-traveling tourism called "A Smell of Jet Fuel" from repeat contributor Andrew Dana Hudson. Our SF reprint is from the multi-award-winning author Stephen Graham Jones ("To Jump Is to Fall"). Our original fantasy shorts both feature wings-but have their own very interesting perspective on them. Rachel Swirsky returns to our pages with a feathered coming of age story ("Innocent Bird"). Lulu Kadhim turns to the world of insects in her story "Amber Dark and Sickly Sweet." Our fantasy reprint is by Cadwell Turnbull ("Shock of Birth"). In our nonfiction department, we've got some great mini-interviews with our authors, and of course our book reviewers have been reading their eyes out. Our ebook readers will get an excerpt from Shelley Parker-Chan's new novel SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN.

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 138 of LIGHTSPEED! Many of us who grew up in the '80s spent way too many hours and far too many quarters in our local arcades. But you don't have to be a Gen Xer or even a video gamer to love "I Was a Teenage Space Jockey," a heart-wrenching new story from award-winning author Stephen Graham Jones. Our other original fantasy short story is "Ten Scenes from A Typical Day in the Life of the All-Powerful Despot" by Adam-Troy Castro, if you ever wondered what the world would look like if the ultimate bad guy won. Izzy Wasserstein brings us our flash fantasy piece, "To Reach the Gate, She Must Leave Everything Behind." We're also reprinting Lisa M. Bradley's "Men in Cars." Our first original SF short takes us on a wild ride across the universes in Elly Bangs' "Space Pirate Queen of the Ten Billion Utopias." Timi Odueso takes us to a world without rain in his new story "Cloudgazer." Our flash story is "Stowaways" by Andrew Dana Hudson, and we have an SF reprint by Charlie Jane Anders ("The Turnaround"). In nonfiction, we've got author spotlight interviews with our writers, and of course, our team of crack reviewers brings us a selection of book reviews. Our ebook readers will enjoy an excerpt from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's latest collaboration, DUNE: THE LADY OF CALADAN.

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 130th issue! Thomas Wolfe's novel popularized the phrase "You can't go home again," and in this month's first piece of original science fiction, "Homecoming," Claire Wrenwood sets out to prove he's still right, even when humanity has moved on to newer and stranger planets. Adam-Troy Castro brings us a fresh new story of alternate lives in his dark tale "And Now A Preview of Coming Attractions." We also have SF reprints by Ken Liu ("Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit-Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts") and Yoon Ha Lee ("The Empty Gun"). We're happy to announce that P H Lee has a new fairy tale for us! In "The Bear Prince," Dusty Boots returns with a story of inhumanity and power in the kingdoms of both men . . . and beasts. In our other original fantasy short, "Brightly, Undiminished," Sarah Grey spins a tale of witchcraft and love that's sure to warm your heart. We also have fantasy reprints by Alyssa Wong ("Olivia's Table") and Amber Sparks ("A Place for Hiding Precious Things"). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book review columns. Our ebook readers will also enjoy an excerpt from A DESOLATION CALLED PEACE, the sequel to Arkady Martine's Hugo award-winning debut novel.

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 131st issue! This month An Owomoyela returns to our pages with a new story of advanced AI, brain adaptations, and oh, yes, dead loved ones: "The Equations of the Dead." It's a riveting read, and so is our other SF original, Rich Larson's "Complete Exhaustion of the Organism," a post-apocalyptic story of love, loss, and, well, dead loved ones. We also have SF reprints from Seanan McGuire ("Swear Not by the Moon") and Ray Nayler ("The Ocean Between the Leaves"). Our fantasy original is a new novelette from Ashok K. Banker: "The Giving One." It's an epic tale that we'll be serializing in two parts. We also have fantasy reprints from Ann Leckie ("The Justified") and Genevieve Valentine ("Blood, Ash, Braids"). The book review team has been busy reading everything from a new serialized dark SF novella (SPIDER KING, by Justin C. Key, MD) to a joyous YA novel from LIGHTSPEED alum Charlie Jane Anders.