This month’s issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction features excellent writers introducing us to worlds we’ve never imagined and universes we’ve longed to return to. From magic to time travel to alternate realities to space pirates, it’s all here.
THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
July/August 2018
NOVELLAS
Freezing Rain, a Chance of Falling, by L.X. Beckett
Freezing Rain, A Chance Of Falling presents us with a tech-heavy world not too distant from our own, where social media reigns supreme and a man will do anything in order to get back in the good graces of the public. The story burns bright from start to finish, leading down an ever descending path into madness. Read review.
NOVELETTES
Visible Cities, by Rachel Pollack
Visible Cities is filled with mesmerizing imagery, of places hidden in plain sight, featuring oddities and alternate realities that defy explanation. I’m new to this world Pollack has created, but I found myself enthralled by this character and her abilities as she tries to find her lost teacher. It’s infinitely inventive writing that will set your imagination aflame. Read review.
Broken Wings, by William Ledbetter
Broken Wings is a true action-adventure science-fiction tale, complete with space pirates, a love story, and plenty of quarreling. Ledbetter has adeptly created a character who is more powerful than she knows, who fights for what she wants. Read review.
SHORT STORIES
The Phobos Experience, by Mary Robinette Kowal
The Phobos Experience is a quick, adventurous jaunt into space, pairing a bit of space exploration with a few high-stakes situations and well-timed geology puns. Kowal is a master at writing realistic space expeditions and I continuously find myself amazed at her abilities as a storyteller. Read review.
The Prevaricator, by Matthew Hughes
The Prevaricator weaves a clever story of fraud and corruption, providing a magical solution to a greedy man intent on scamming his way to wealth and untold riches. With wizards, demons and unsuspecting victims, this caper tale provides a big helping of amusement with a side of morality. Read review.
The Queen of the Peri Takes Her Time, by Corey Flintoff
The Queen of the Peri Takes Her Time brings the magic of One Thousand and One Nights to modern day, weaving a tale of intrigue, seduction and betrayal. I love the casualness of the setting and the lack of surprise at such beings in the world. It takes the magic beyond the fairy tale level, creating a relatable tall tale for modern times. Read review.
The Adjunct, by Cassandra Rose Clarke
The Adjunct is a fun story that takes a sharp turn from mundane to horror, leveled by a consistent mocking of the absurdity of citation systems and college adjunct expectations. The huge plot twist made me laugh out loud, and it’s a great usage of fantasy amidst every day life. Read review.
Bedtime Story, by James Sallis
Bedtime Story is a powerful bit of flash fiction, showing the winding down of humanity after a devastating plague. We see the decline of a small town and a deep friendship beyond death. It’s filled with tragedy and a longing for a home that’s gone. Read review.
Morbier, by R. S. Benedict
Brimming with hilarious imagery and obscured omens, Morbier is a time travel tale featuring regular people in a regular setting. I love the author’s writing style – it’s fun and sarcastic, laughing at the world in the midst of dark deeds. Read review.
Hainted, by Ashley Blooms
Hainted is a deeply emotional piece, one that tugs at the heartstrings as we follow a young girl watching her family unravel, searching for answers in the coal mines of her hometown. Blooms treats the dynamics of broken men and lost dreams with delicacy, showing us what might happen when the lives we want become the lives we hoped would never come to pass. Read review.
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