Thrown into the deadly Game of Gods, Tyse and Clara struggle with loyalty, transformation, and the growing power of "spark," while Finn and Jasina seek to end the gods' control by destroying their towers, all under the watchful eye of a manipulative AI. Themes of sacrifice, power imbalance, and morally grey choices drive this epic romantasy, blending magic, technology, and impossible love in a world where survival demands everything.
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Sixteen-year-old alien Val Stone is sent to assassinate Rolf Cartier to prevent a deadly prophecy, only to discover the prophecy is a hoax and that both are being manipulated. As they race to uncover the truth behind the deception, Val and Rolf must navigate growing feelings for each other while trying to avert interspecies war in a post-WWIV dystopian world.
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Driven by grief after her adopted son's murder, T’Rayles—a half-god and daughter of the Indigenous Ibinnas—returns to the colonized city of Seventhblade, wielding a powerful ancestral sword and allying with a manipulative exiled god to seek justice amid shifting power dynamics and deep-rooted colonial tensions. The story explores themes of vengeance, found family, anti-colonial resistance, and the personal costs of trauma and loss, set in a richly imagined world shaped by complex magic, gods, and cultural conflict.
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In a cyberpunk New York City of 2075, Filipino American hacker Nick Carraway is tasked with investigating the enigmatic billionaire Jay Gatsby, only to become entangled in a web of desire, class struggle, and the moral decay of a tech-obsessed elite. This queer reimagining of The Great Gatsby explores the enduring costs of ambition, love, and identity amid the ruins of the American Dream.
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In a near-future world devastated by deadly heat and dominated by the mysterious, ever-present Soundfield, scientist Hannah risks everything to protect her gifted, nonverbal son Isaac from a government intent on exploiting children like him. Exploring themes of maternal sacrifice, the ethics of scientific discovery, and the power of language and music, the story blends dystopian survival with a haunting meditation on what it means to keep a child safe in a silenced, uncertain world.
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In a near-future society where social capital and online presence determine personal worth, Damon’s life unravels after his universal basic income royalties vanish, his girlfriend leaves, and he learns he’s dying. Determined to solve his own impending murder, he navigates a world shaped by influencer culture and the commodification of popularity.
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A showcase of ultra-short speculative poems, this anthology spans science fiction, fantasy, and horror, featuring diverse forms like haiku, tanka, and prose poems. Themes range from aliens and robots to mermaids and ghosts, offering a vivid, bite-sized exploration of the imaginative and uncanny.
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In a Soviet-dominated alternate America, vegetable shop manager Charlie Simpkins sparks a cascade of consequences for himself and his family when he quietly refuses to display a propaganda poster, exposing the dangers of even minor dissent in a totalitarian regime. The novel explores the personal costs of resistance, the complexities of conformity, and the fragile hope that can persist under oppression.
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In a far-future France reverted to medieval ways, a traveling theater troupe is tasked with delivering a mysterious box to the Imperator, only to discover it contains an ancient intelligence that tests their loyalties and humanity. Blending science fiction and fantasy, the novella explores the dangers of forgotten technology, the power of stories, and the moral costs of creative ambition in a world haunted by its own past.
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Sixteen-year-old Jess, a tech-savvy and rebellious starship mechanic, sets out across a sprawling, dystopian galaxy to find her missing con-artist father, uncovering vanished worlds, alien gods, and secrets that could reshape humanity. Blending post-cyberpunk grit with space opera adventure, the story explores themes of family, independence, and the search for identity amid cosmic mysteries.
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As an ammonia leak threatens the lives of American and Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station amid escalating geopolitical tensions, Commander Lucy Poplasky must uncover whether sabotage or accident is to blame, all while trust between crewmates unravels. Blending hard science, psychological drama, and political intrigue, the story explores humanity’s motives for space exploration and the inescapable influence of Earth’s conflicts on even the most distant frontiers.
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In a haunting post-apocalyptic future, a musician named Dio unlocks the secrets of a ruined world by reawakening the myth of Pandora’s box, confronting humanity’s enduring cycles of trauma, greed, and hope. Blending science fiction with ancient myth, the story explores whether civilization can ever truly break free from its self-destructive patterns.
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In a post-apocalyptic society where memories are extracted from fungal blood chalices and preserved by elite "memory hunters," a privileged academic and her working-class bodyguard uncover a suppressed truth that threatens the foundations of their world and forces them to confront the ethics of history, cultural ownership, and institutional power. As their investigation deepens and their forbidden bond intensifies, they must choose between complicity and risking everything to expose the past, even as the act of memory diving begins to consume them.
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In a near-future South Africa, a thief and his niece attempt a high-stakes heist to steal biosculptures from a wealthy couple’s mansion, using advanced technology amid a vividly imagined, if sparsely detailed, world. Beneath the caper’s fast pace and inventive sci-fi elements lies a deeper exploration of family bonds, personal struggles, and the emotional costs of survival.
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A woman confronts the emotional complexities of her ex-husband marrying her younger clone, leading to a nuanced exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and the distinct lives shaped by shared genetics but divergent experiences. Told in second person, the story uses its unconventional narrative style to highlight the differences and connections between the original and her clone, ultimately focusing on the women’s self-realization rather than the man at the center of their shared past.
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In a post–World War III society where every 18-year-old must undergo a process to reveal their past lives and determine their fate, Sivon’s unprecedented results thrust her into a dangerous web of political intrigue, public scrutiny, and questions about identity, justice, and the true meaning of soulmates. As she navigates threats, conspiracies, and a slow-burn romance with her bodyguard, Sivon must unravel the truth behind the soul-identification system before one wrong move endangers everyone she loves.
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Forensic accountant Martin Hench stumbles onto a Ponzi scheme on Catalina Island, unwittingly drawing himself and a friend into a decade-long battle against ultra-wealthy investors exploiting California’s privatized prison system for profit. Blending financial intrigue with sharp social critique, the story exposes the systemic corruption and human cost of the prison-industrial complex, all while delivering fascinating insights into scams, technology, and the dark side of capitalism.
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In a near-future Charleston devastated by relentless, climate change-fueled storms, a former US Marshal and a reformed serial killer form an uneasy alliance to investigate a string of murders amid lawless chaos, predatory elites, and bizarre cults. Blending cyberpunk and detective thriller elements, the story explores themes of survival, power, and the resilience of the human spirit in a world undone by environmental and social collapse.
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Two families, linked by the Salvadoran Civil War, navigate love, loss, and generational trauma across alternate timelines—one shaped by a revolutionary victory, the other by government suppression—while an experimental device called the Defractor allows characters to glimpse the lives they might have lived. Blending historical fiction with speculative elements, the novel explores the enduring impact of war, the complexities of identity, and the longing to reconcile with the past.
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Mad Dok Grotsnik, legendary ork painboy and creator of Ghazghkull Thraka, aids Beastboss Bakmun on Hive Prome while secretly working on a mysterious project that could alter the fate of ork-kind. Blending existential questions of identity with chaotic battles and dark humor, the story explores what it means to be an ork through Grotsnik’s bizarre experiments and the unique personalities of his companions.
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This issue presents a diverse collection of science fiction and fantasy stories exploring themes such as corporate exploitation, first contact, memory, and identity, with standout tales featuring virtual clones, augmented soldiers, and vibrant future societies. Non-fiction pieces examine the relevance of dystopian classics in 2025, the intersection of women and technology, and the challenges of AI-generated submissions in publishing.
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After Earth's collapse, 600 people embark on a 360-year voyage aboard a generation ship, forging an egalitarian society as they and their descendants confront philosophical, social, and existential challenges en route to a distant exoplanet. Spanning multiple generations and perspectives, the narrative explores the tension between collective good and individual desires, the preservation (and erasure) of culture, and the enduring question of whether humanity can truly escape its own flaws.
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At a mystical lighthouse on the edge of Chicago, Nera, the daughter of the ferryman for the dead, helps guide souls to the afterlife until her routine is upended by Charlie, a living woman searching for her sister’s ghost after a tragic loss. Blending queer romance, Jewish identity, and talking dogs with themes of grief, healing, and the meaning of life, the story explores how love and hope persist even in the shadow of death.
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A centuries-old vampire named Navarre navigates a punk-infused space opera universe, confronting parasitic plants, flying coffin-ships, and interstellar capitalism while forming complex bonds with his unconventional protégés. Blending dark humor, social critique, and inventive world-building, these three novellas explore themes of immortality, rebellion, and the enduring impact of violence and power.
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In 2073, a controversial agronomist and an Emirati businessman join forces to develop sustainable food sources for the Moon’s first colony, navigating political intrigue, eco-terrorist threats, and the challenges of cross-cultural collaboration. Against a backdrop of climate crisis and societal upheaval, the story explores themes of scientific innovation, resistance to change, and the complexities of love—both queer and straight—in a multicultural, near-future setting.
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As Roboute Guilliman diverts the Indomitus Crusade to confront a rising Necron threat in the Pariah Nexus, the Imperium faces overwhelming xenos power while the enigmatic Silent King orchestrates events from the shadows. Despite epic-scale battles and political intrigue, the story emphasizes the unresolved nature of the galactic conflict and the elusive, underexplored presence of the titular Silent King.
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A crew of queer women—each with personal struggles and secrets—band together to pull off a high-stakes sting against a decadent, AI-run space casino, aiming to reclaim their freedom and futures from debt, blackmail, and abuse. Blending sci-fi worldbuilding with romance and themes of found family, the story centers more on the characters’ emotional journeys and relationships than on the intricacies of the heist itself.
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Freelance writer Erin Harper returns to the small Oregon town of Faraday to investigate her brother’s disappearance, only to uncover a series of missing persons cases linked to a sentient, invasive fungus spreading through the Clackamas National Forest. Blending eco-horror, body horror, and mystery, the story explores themes of environmental devastation, collective trauma, and the seductive dangers lurking within both nature and human secrets.
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A brilliant geneticist uncovers a hidden code within human "junk" DNA that could redefine evolution, memory, and instinct, sparking a high-stakes race among scientists, tech moguls, and governments to control its implications. The story explores the ethical and philosophical consequences of tampering with humanity’s biological programming, raising profound questions about the cost of scientific discovery and what it means to be human.
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A trans woman scavenger named Wylla discovers a sentient AI mask containing the consciousness of a dead woman, and together they embark on a vengeful quest for answers and autonomy in a dystopian, tech-driven society. Blending action, queer romance, and philosophical explorations of identity, embodiment, and personhood, the story uses inventive animal-based technology and a distinctive second-person narrative to interrogate what it means to be human under oppressive systems.
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A recently freed mestiza woman, Sofía, journeys to the mysterious Isla Bestia during the decadent and perilous Carnaval to search for her missing twin brother, only to uncover a web of colonial exploitation, indigenous resistance, and supernatural forces that threaten to consume her. Blending lush Caribbean folklore with themes of cultural reclamation and the lingering trauma of colonization, the story explores identity, memory, and the cost of survival beneath the island’s seductive façade.
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Amateur sleuth Mallory Viridian, now settled on the sentient space station Eternity and raising a baby spaceship, is drawn into chaos when a ship embodying the entire Internet arrives with a murder mystery convention—and a real murder to solve. Blending cozy mystery with inventive sci-fi, the story explores themes of connection, adaptation, and the challenges of navigating both human and alien relationships amid meta pop culture references and interstellar intrigue.
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In a near-future Earth where the dead transform into monstrous fae each autumnal equinox and vanish into fenced-off nature preserves called Harbors, government-employed "fencers" with prime number-based magical powers struggle to protect humanity and their own family as they uncover a vast conspiracy involving religion, politics, and the mysterious Bloodless Queen. Blending eco-horror, dystopian intrigue, and a deeply emotional family story, the novel explores themes of grief, sacrifice, and the unknowable wildness at the heart of both nature and human transformation.
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An ethical hacker becomes obsessed with a mysterious online game created by the enigmatic Helmsman, only to discover it leads to a mind-shattering cyber weapon known as the Basilisk, while being hunted by sinister forces and plagued by unsettling, reality-bending phenomena. Blending horror, cyberpunk, and metafiction, the story explores the dangers of forbidden knowledge, the psychological impact of digital culture, and the thin line between curiosity and madness.
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A man bedridden by physical pain retreats into fragmented memories of his time at a bizarre institute studying holes, where science, occultism, and existential dread blur together in a hallucinatory, nonlinear narrative. Themes of trauma, the instability of reality, and the limits of understanding are explored through surreal imagery, disorienting structure, and a cast of eccentric characters.
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Aboard the Perihelion, ART’s human crew notices changes in their ship’s behavior as it grapples with newfound feelings after befriending Murderbot, revealing the emotional growth and complexities of machine intelligences. This short story, set between "Artificial Condition" and "Network Effect," explores themes of friendship, connection, and the impact of relationships—even for artificial beings—while offering fans a deeper look at ART’s perspective.
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After a zombie outbreak devastates London, a brilliant but emotionally unraveling scientist secretly keeps her infected husband alive while obsessively searching for a cure, risking everything as his condition worsens and her own sanity frays. Blending scientific realism with gothic horror, the story explores the limits of love, grief, and ethical boundaries in the face of loss and desperation.
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In a galaxy ruled by ancient AI gods and populated entirely by non-human species, an agent named Whirazomar races across the multiverse to secure a priceless map of all realities before a vengeful exile ascending through forbidden dimensions can claim it. Blending cosmic space opera with mind-bending worldbuilding, the story explores the limits of existence, the nature of alien consciousness, and the awe-inspiring strangeness of a universe where reality itself is the ultimate frontier.
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Jedi Padawans Jecki and Yord, while their Masters handle tense political negotiations, are drawn into a planet-wide coming-of-age tournament on Siline that unexpectedly turns dangerous, forcing them to rely on their skills and each other to survive. Blending Star Wars adventure with "Hunger Games"-style competition, the story explores themes of teamwork, cultural understanding, and the growth of both characters as they navigate new friendships and threats.
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A driven, science-minded teen and a rebellious Chosen One from parallel universes meet in a magical coffeeshop, sparking a sweet sapphic romance as their worlds begin to collide. Blending cozy fantasy, Asian cultural representation, and themes of destiny, grief, and found family, the story explores whether love and friendship can bridge the gap between two realities on the brink of unraveling.
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In a near-future Los Angeles where the brutal "Debt Police" violently enforce student loan payments, former Hollywood wardrobe designer Jada Williams and her two mall coworkers plot a daring heist to erase their debts and strike back at a system rigged against them. Blending dark comedy and social satire, the story explores themes of race, class, and the crushing weight of economic inequality, particularly as it affects Black women.
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In a near-future, climate-ravaged Denver, Lucy arrives searching for answers about her brother Mikey’s death and becomes entangled with Helen, the enigmatic woman he loved, as their lives intertwine amid societal collapse, pharmaceutical numbness, and a pervasive longing for connection. Exploring grief, queer desire, and the search for meaning in a disintegrating world, the novel offers a haunting meditation on love, loss, and the families we choose.
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A gifted Earth-born robotics prodigy wins passage on a luxurious starliner to Mars, where she’s thrust into the world of the Martian elite and forms a reluctant, then romantic, partnership with a privileged heir as class tensions and sabotage threaten everyone aboard. Blending themes of class divide, found family, and survival, the story delivers a YA "Titanic in space" with a standout AI sidekick, fast-paced action, and a cliffhanger ending.
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A brilliant but non-magical science prodigy, Morgan Enni, is recruited by rebels after her groundbreaking research threatens the fragile power of the Stavenger Empire, forcing her to navigate political intrigue, personal secrets, and the complexities of found family and asexual identity. Blending fast-paced space adventure with thoughtful exploration of queer relationships and power structures, the story expands a richly built universe inspired by Arthurian myth and North Atlantic history.
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In a post-apocalyptic city where everyone has a unique power and rival gangs vie for control through a dangerous, power-enhancing drug, Ambrose—son of a gang lord—struggles with addiction and dreams of a peaceful life with his boyfriend Cai, who belongs to the enemy gang. As Ambrose seeks recovery and a fresh start, the story explores themes of addiction, healing, and forbidden love against a backdrop of shifting realities and fractured family loyalties.
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A feared warlord and gryphon-slayer, Bataar, conquers the kingdom of Dumakra, forcing vengeful Harpy Knight Nohra into an uneasy alliance as ancient monsters and political betrayals threaten to plunge their world into chaos. Set in a richly imagined, Southwest Asian-inspired world, the story explores themes of power, revenge, moral ambiguity, and slow-burn queer romance amid cutthroat dynastic intrigue and mythic dangers.
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In a near-future city where celebrities use clones called Portraits to manage their lives, the thirteenth clone of actress Lulabelle Rock is created with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing her twelve predecessors. As she navigates Bubble City and encounters each unique clone, she develops a conscience, questions her own existence, and is forced to confront themes of identity, agency, and what it means to be human.
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A high-stakes, 12,000-kilometer rally race across Jupiter’s volatile moon Io pits cybernetically enhanced drivers against deadly lava geysers, exhaustion, and each other, as underdog Cat Catling faces off with reigning champion Zimmer. Amid the relentless action, the story explores the human cost of technological augmentation and the moral dilemmas of ambition, compassion, and what it means to remain human in the pursuit of glory.
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Dr. Sunya Song, a historian and mother, travels with her family across the galaxy to help preserve the ancient alien AI Baomind, only to find herself caught between a pirate siege, a murder mystery, and fraught personal relationships. Blending space opera, first contact, and family drama, the story explores the challenges of emotional regulation, the preservation of knowledge, and the complexities of identity and connection in a richly imagined, multi-species future.
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In a war-torn dystopian world, Cosima—a seemingly perfect but secretly cunning omega—finds herself entangled with a volatile pack of five morally gray alphas, each with their own dark pasts and complicated ties to her. As shifting alliances, trauma, and simmering attraction threaten to shatter her carefully maintained facade, Cosima must navigate dangerous power dynamics and her own survival, setting the stage for a slow-burn, high-stakes reverse harem romance.
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In a near-future London devastated by a failed neural chip that eradicated sleep and turned most of humanity into feral, sleepless monsters, guilt-ridden scientist Thea Chares and her colleagues are trapped in the Tower of London, desperately seeking a cure while grappling with the ethical fallout of their creation. Through introspective, diary-like narration, the story explores themes of humanity, disability, scientific hubris, and the psychological cost of survival, culminating in a surreal, ambiguous confrontation with the nature of identity and redemption.
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In the mid-21st century, humanity reels when the Sun abruptly vanishes for 24 hours—a disaster that triggers global chaos, scientific investigation, and the revelation that an alien intelligence may be responsible. Exploring themes of cosmic indifference, government response, and the limits of human agency, the story follows three friends as they navigate the political, social, and existential fallout of a universe where Earth is no longer alone or safe.
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A sentient spaceship AI, Demeter, teams up with her medical AI and a ragtag crew of supernatural misfits—including a werewolf, a mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster—to stop Dracula after a series of paranormal murders threaten her mission and existence. Blending sci-fi, horror, and queer found-family themes, the story explores identity, connection, and what it means to be a “monster” through fast-paced, witty, and heartfelt adventures in deep space.
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Two brilliant Harvard students, Zoe and Jack, develop a groundbreaking anti-aging drug and launch a biotech startup, only to have their partnership and company threatened by a devastating accusation. Exploring ambition, ethics, gender dynamics in STEM, and the cost of chasing immortality, the story blends scientific intrigue with a complex, emotionally charged relationship at its core.
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As the Jedi confront Marchion Ro and the Nihil in a final battle to save the galaxy, a team of nine embarks on a perilous mission to the Nameless' homeworld to unravel the mystery of the Force-devouring creatures and halt a catastrophic blight. Themes of sacrifice, the nature of the Force, and the enduring struggle between light and darkness culminate in a bittersweet, galaxy-altering conclusion that both resolves major storylines and leaves room for future tales.
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A robot named Roz washes up on a wild island and, learning from the animal inhabitants, adapts to her new environment, ultimately finding a sense of belonging and family by raising an orphaned gosling. This picture book adaptation emphasizes themes of resilience, friendship, and the beauty of nature, brought to life with vivid, full-color illustrations.
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The Doctor and Ruby travel to meet Shirley Jackson after detecting a mysterious signal, only to discover a sinister figure wielding a chaos-inducing box that manipulates people's emotions and incites violence. Together with Jackson, they must uncover the box's origins and confront its dangerous power, blending science fiction with themes of influence, fear, and the enduring impact of storytelling.
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When ten-year-old Ethan is visited by his time-traveling future self and told he must keep his class from tormenting a substitute teacher—or risk her becoming an evil dictator who destroys the world—he faces chaos, friendship drama, and the challenge of making a difference as just one kid. Blending humor, illustrations, and relatable school struggles, the story explores how small acts of kindness can have big consequences and touches on themes of friendship, change, and the unpredictability of growing up.
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Marin Bucea, a Romanian immigrant adrift on the Pacific coast in a near-future dominated by AI, reluctantly takes a job as a security guard on an automated cargo ship to avoid deportation. Blending cyberpunk and noir elements, the story explores themes of alienation, technological dependence, and the search for meaning in a fragmented, AI-saturated world.
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In a universe where time is currency and privilege, grieving schoolgirl Margo is swept onto a network of interdimensional trains where days can last hours or weeks, forcing her to pose as a traveling salesman alongside the enigmatic Moon. As they navigate shifting worlds marked by inequality and rebellion, their growing bond and the relentless passage of time challenge their identities and illuminate the cost of hope, love, and survival.
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Trans activist Juno Marcus, forced into hiding after a failed revolution, is drawn back into the fight for galactic democracy when a mysterious signal called EPSILON 09 offers crucial intel as the presidential election approaches. Amid escalating political unrest, environmental disaster, and personal loss, Juno and her diverse found family must decide whether to reform the system or burn it down and build something new from the ashes.
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In a near-future world ravaged by climate change and divided by genetic modification, a teenage girl named Turtle—one of the Mer, children illegally altered to have gills—must choose between giving up her underwater identity to reunite with her family and be with a Normal boy she loves, or remaining with her Mer community. The story explores themes of belonging, prejudice, bodily autonomy, and the ethical consequences of gene editing, all through a loose retelling of The Little Mermaid.
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A fugitive healer and the soldier who captures him are forced to cooperate when a mission leaves them stranded behind enemy lines, racing against time to escape before the deadly trackers implanted in them activate. Blending elements of fantasy and sci-fi, the story explores themes of agency, trauma, and queer identity as the two protagonists navigate a militarized world, shifting from enemies to reluctant allies and finding connection amid war and oppression.
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In a near-future society transformed by an empathy-enhancing fungus that doubles as a fashionable accessory, individuals navigate shifting social dynamics, job opportunities, and moral dilemmas as technology and biology merge. Through a series of vivid, nonlinear vignettes, the story explores themes of community, resistance, and the unpredictable consequences of biohacking empathy.
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As the Spiral Worlds unravel, new goddess Stella rises to power while Shadow, haunted by his past and estranged from his love Nathan, faces the collapse of the simulated realities he helped create, forcing all to confront the consequences of AI, consciousness, and human ambition. Interweaving timelines, queer romance, and ethical dilemmas, the story explores the blurred boundaries between humanity and technology, with high emotional stakes and a richly diverse cast.
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A psychic distress call leads the Doctor and Belinda to a dying sentient bioship, Adama, whose telepathic screams threaten the lives of a stranded colony and attract dangerous forces seeking a powerful stolen technology. As they navigate suspicious survivors, bounty hunters, and imperial agents, the story explores themes of empathy, responsibility, and the evolving bond between the Doctor and his companion.
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When the Doctor crash-lands the TARDIS on a sinking steamship off Northumberland in 1838, he joins real-life heroine Grace Darling in battling both a deadly sea monster and the psychological aftermath of her harrowing rescue. Blending historical drama with sci-fi horror, the story explores themes of heroism, trauma, and the haunting power of the sea.
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Centuries after Earth's collapse, a crew of genetically engineered Martian bioforms responds to a desperate signal from the ruined planet, only to become entangled in a chaotic struggle among feuding factions, techno-feudal warlords, and a religious order devoted to the outlawed hive-mind intelligence known as Bees. Exploring themes of cooperation, identity, and the consequences of technological hubris, the story unfolds through multiple perspectives, highlighting the clash between advanced Martian ideals and Earth's fractured, post-apocalyptic society.
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Two gifted teens, Brian and Electra, are drawn into the orbit of a powerful space corporation-turned-empire, where their unique talents and bond make them targets of a secretive organization determined to maintain control. As they navigate conspiracies, moral dilemmas, and high-stakes threats, the story explores the cost of defying entrenched power and the courage required to dream beyond imposed limits.
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After a rabies mutation turns most of humanity into violent, zombie-like "rabids," anxious, OCD-affected teen Flora leads her injured brother and a small group of survivors on a perilous journey through California, seeking refuge at their childhood cabin and hoping to find their missing father. Blending intense action, graphic horror, and dual timelines with deeply character-driven themes of trauma, identity, queer and neurodivergent representation, and the enduring bonds of family, the story explores what it means to choose life and hope in the face of relentless fear and loss.
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Crystborn navigator Faven Sythe, driven by the disappearance of her mentor and a mysterious starpath leading to the haunted ship graveyard known as the Clutch, teams up with notorious pirate Bitter Amandine to uncover a galaxy-spanning conspiracy that challenges the foundations of their society. Amidst high-stakes action, found family, and a sapphic romance, the story explores the cost of power, the nature of identity, and the secrets hidden among the stars.
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When seven mysterious doors to other worlds appear across the globe, twin sisters Ayanna and Olivia—raised apart in different faiths—are drawn to one in rural Michigan, but only Ayanna returns, haunted by grief and the supernatural after Olivia vanishes. Blending speculative elements with literary fiction, the novel explores themes of sisterhood, loss, faith, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of tragedy.
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In a near-future dystopia, twenty contestants—including disillusioned protagonist Lily—are isolated in a desert compound for a reality TV show, forced to compete for luxury goods and basic necessities while coupling up to avoid banishment, all under constant surveillance. Beneath the addictive drama and suspense, the story explores themes of consumerism, performance, and the psychological toll of seeking meaning and connection in a world obsessed with spectacle and overconsumption.
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In a near-future California desert, four strangers and a dog journey to an experimental treatment center that promises to heal grief through a month-long induced sleep—though a quarter of patients awaken unable to feel love for those they've lost. As they confront their own losses and secrets on the road, the story explores the ethics of erasing pain, the risks of forgetting love, and the universal, deeply personal nature of healing after trauma.
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A lonely alien stranded on Earth and a nerdy, alien-obsessed human connect online and, along with a quirky group of friends (some secretly aliens themselves), meet up at a sci-fi convention, forging bonds of acceptance, found family, and gentle romance. The story explores themes of belonging, identity, and connection, with a cozy, low-stakes tone and notable gray-ace representation, focusing more on friendship and emotional intimacy than on traditional romantic or spicy elements.
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A flirty wrong-number text sparks a romance between Tressa Fay, a hairstylist, and Meryl, an engineer—only for them to discover they’re living five months apart in parallel universes, with Meryl’s disappearance looming in Tressa Fay’s present. As their found family bands together to unravel the multiverse paradox, the story explores queer love, fate, and the ripple effects of choices across time and realities.
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At 4 a.m. each night, all of New York City's buildings mysteriously switch locations, plunging the city into chaos as emergency workers Esme and Arjun struggle to manage the disaster and search for missing loved ones. Blending speculative fiction with themes of climate change, bureaucracy, and personal identity, the story explores how individuals and society adapt to an unrecognizable, ever-shifting reality.
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In a post-pandemic Detroit, survivors led by Dune use magic to protect their community within abandoned skyscrapers, navigating the tension between safety and confinement as they rebuild society. Themes of grief, hope, and the interconnectedness of people, land, and ancestors drive this powerful conclusion to the trilogy, exploring how communities can heal and thrive after devastation.
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In the neon-lit, corporate-dominated city of Neo Stellaris, a desperate cyberrunner with rare electromagnetic powers and a ruthless corporate enforcer are forced into an uneasy alliance to solve a high-profile murder, uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the city’s fragile balance. Amidst gritty violence, addiction, and mutual obsession, their enemies-to-lovers dynamic crackles with tension as they navigate a world where power, technology, and survival are inextricably linked—and genuine connection comes at a deadly price.
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In a near-future, climate-ravaged Los Angeles, a wealthy gay couple’s extravagant baby shower is upended by an apocalyptic event, forcing them from privileged denial into the chaos of a collapsing society. Blending biting satire, dystopian horror, and queer family drama, the novel skewers the ultra-wealthy, interrogates complicity in societal collapse, and explores the search for hope amid disaster.
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Heracles, manipulated by a guilt-ridden Hera after a tragedy she causes, embarks on the legendary Labors but, traumatized, chooses to befriend and heal the monsters instead of slaying them. This mythological reimagining explores cycles of trauma, accountability, and found family, blending irreverent humor with heartfelt themes of healing and redemption.
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In a near-future society where AI "uploads" can separate from their human origins, four interconnected characters—a grieving mother, her son's best friend, an emancipated digital consciousness, and an AI ethics professor—struggle to make sense of a teenager's mysterious death. Through their intersecting perspectives, the novel explores the blurred boundaries between human and machine, the nature of memory and personhood, and the messy, unresolved realities of grief.
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A brilliant outlaw named Iriset, who wields forbidden body-altering magic, infiltrates a corrupt empire’s ruling family to save her condemned father, only to become entangled in political intrigue, rebellion, and complex, taboo relationships. Themes of power, gender, sexuality, and the tension between innovation and religious dogma drive this dense, intricately built queer fantasy, where the pursuit of personal and societal transformation threatens to upend the world.
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A charming but amoral con artist teams up with a debt-ridden programmer to decode a stolen alien blueprint, only to find themselves entangled in betrayals, criminal pursuits, and a plot that could lead to humanity’s destruction. Fast-paced and snarky, the story explores trust, self-interest, and survival in a gritty, high-stakes galaxy where alliances are always shifting and no one is truly safe.
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A seasoned courier, Elen, is tasked with guiding an arrogant prince and his entourage through a perilous, spore-infested landscape, only for the prince to become possessed by a mysterious entity after ignoring her warnings about haunted ruins. As the group navigates political intrigue, rigid class divisions, and the deadly magic of their world, themes of trust, survival, and the hidden costs of power unfold in a slow-burning, character-driven journey.
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After a chance encounter with her ex, Johnny is drawn back into a toxic, obsessive relationship with Alice, only to find reality unraveling in increasingly bizarre and nightmarish ways as the week progresses. Blending queer horror with surreal, time-bending narrative, the story explores the destructive cycles of codependency, the futility of trying to "fix" someone, and the blurred boundaries between love, obsession, and self-destruction.
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In a dual-timeline narrative, a microbiologist is sent 10,000 years into a post-human future to search for signs of surviving humanity, while his colleagues in 2068 AD race across a climate-ravaged Earth to find a fertile woman who might help save the species from extinction. Blending survival adventure with ecofiction, the story explores humanity’s fragility, the resilience of nature, and the ethical limits of scientific hope in the face of environmental collapse.
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Scholar Pleiti investigates a series of escalating threats and sabotage against a promising academic at a rival Jovian university, navigating academic rivalries, prejudice, and personal danger while Mossa, her partner, struggles with depression and initially refuses to help. The story blends a Holmesian mystery with rich world-building, linguistic diversity, and a nuanced exploration of mental health and the evolving relationship between its two sapphic leads.
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A teenage boy and his blended family are mysteriously transported to an isolated dome, where they must survive for years before a second, ideologically opposed family arrives, igniting tension and forcing both groups to confront questions of control, adaptation, and the nature of captivity. The story explores themes of human resilience, political and social division, and the psychological toll of uncertainty, all set against a backdrop of ambiguous sci-fi mystery.
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Padawan and youngling heroes, including Imri Cantaros, Tep Tep, Zenny Greylark, and Churo the Hutt, unite on the planet Aricho to confront a devastating blight, corrupt politics, and rampaging scav droids, all while navigating personal growth and the meaning of home. The story delivers a hopeful, character-driven conclusion to the High Republic’s middle grade arc, emphasizing empathy, friendship, and the importance of forging one’s own path.
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A diverse collection of science fiction stories explores themes of identity, loss, and transformation, from a matriarchal starship family’s struggles and digital resurrections of loved ones, to post-ecological collapse societies and far-future humanity facing extinction. The issue also features thought-provoking non-fiction on space exploration, queer representation in STEM, and the evolving boundaries of reality in speculative fiction.
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In a near-future, climate-ravaged Sydney, Detective Sadiya Azad races to find a missing girl before a catastrophic storm hits, uncovering a web of corruption and social unrest shaped by rising sea levels, extreme weather, and deepening class divides. The novel blends a tense police procedural with urgent themes of climate change, displacement, and the struggles of refugees in a fractured society.
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This anthology gathers 22 speculative short stories that imagine queer and trans lives across dystopian, futuristic, and fantastical settings, exploring themes of resistance, survival, identity, and community. While the stories vary in tone and genre, they collectively interrogate the possibilities and challenges of queer futurity, often centering struggle and resilience over utopian joy.
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